Charles Sturt University’s Graduate Diploma of Pastoral Counselling enables you to make a difference in people’s lives by providing spiritual and psychological support to those who need it most.

This award has professional accreditation by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) as an approved postgraduate counselling training program.

Our course develops your knowledge and skills to minister in areas of specific relevance, including pastoral counselling in crisis situations or in circumstances involving relationship difficulties. Our training covers a wide range of counselling theories and models, integrated into a Christian framework. Those working in chaplaincy settings or other work areas where embedded counselling is an integral part of the job role will benefit from the detailed skills and knowledge about counselling they will acquire in this program.

Charles Sturt University’s Graduate Diploma of Pastoral Counselling will equip you for – or enhance your performance in – a wide range of people-centred professions, faith-based or otherwise. These include counselling, pastoral care, aged care, school welfare, grief counselling, care coordination and institutional or congregational chaplaincy. The course also provides a solid foundation for further study in the discipline, or you could use your pastoral counselling studies to articulate into further study for ministry.

Options

We understand that life brings changes along the way. Our flexible course structure means you could exit this course midway with a Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Counselling. (See Early Exit Point below.) You could also further your studies through our Master in Pastoral Counselling course after gaining this Graduate Diploma.