Certificate in Spiritual Care

The Institute of Counselling was founded in 1985 as a Christian based, not for profit independent educational body. It is committed to promoting pastoral care throughout the services it provides.

The Aims of the Institute of Counselling are:

The Institute provides a wide range of counselling and related courses. Students enrol with assurance and confidence on our quality courses, which are fully backed by the experience and resources of the Institute of Counselling.

In its early years the Institute offered only courses in Clinical and Pastoral Counselling, within a pastoral context. Since 1985, over 18,000 students from the UK and overseas have enrolled on these courses.

In recent years, has also produced a selection of further courses which follow the clinical person-centred approach developed by Carl Rogers and others.

The Institute is committed to providing counselling skills training to all who will benefit from the courses. On this basis a non-discriminatory policy is operated with regard to students' background, culture, ethnic origin, gender, age or creed.

Certificate in Spiritual Care

The certificate in Spiritual Care teaches you a skilled 'way of being' with people. You will enhance their spiritual awareness and help them identify their spiritual needs in their journey towards wholeness. If you work in the healthcare professions, individual practice, or provide pastoral or spiritual care, then this is the course for you.

Understanding spiritual needs and providing appropriate spiritual care are fundamental for promoting personal wholeness and well-being. This informative course provides a holistic approach to developing and providing spiritual care - in a variety of contexts, and with different needs.

Course Outline
You will explore the following key topics:

1. The meaning of Spirituality (both from a religious and non-religious perspective)
2. The rise and development of "spirituality" (including important contributions from the feilds of philosophy, psychology, psychotherapy, sociology, economics, organisational theory and organised religion)
3. The essential qualities of "spirituality"
4. Models and methods to develop spirituality and spiritual care
5. Understanding, assessing and teaching spirituality
6. Developing an awareness of our own and other's spiritual needs
7. Resources to assist with spiritual care
8. Developing spiritual and pastoral care
9. Spiritual, religious and ethical issues
10. Assessment methods of spirituality.

Course materials consist of 10 lessons, 5 tutor marked assignments and a textbook.