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About ACPE

Since 1987, the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) has been my professional home. I was certified Fellow in 1991, but that was not the end of my professional development. The richness of AAPC programs and the supportive collegiality of AAPC members has been a rich container for my several decades of learning and growth as a pastoral psychotherapist. AAPC merged with ACPE in 2019, but I am experiencing the same quality of the programs and warmth of collegiality in the new organization.
ACPE is my new professional home.

ACPE: the Standard for Spiritual Care & Education

Our diverse membership includes Certified CPE Educators, Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapists, Spiritual Care Professionals and Practitioners, Pastoral Counselors, Chaplains, Faith Communities, and Seminaries. Our multi-disciplinary, multi-faith, multi-racial community of professionals provides education, connection, and formation through continuing education, networking, and leadership development.

ACPE is the premier, Department of Education recognized, organization that provides the highest quality CPE programs for spiritual care professionals of any faith and in any setting. We do this through a rigorous accreditation and certification process for centers and educators that provide CPE.
The depth of our training enables students to realize their full potential to strengthen the spiritual health of people in their care as well as themselves.

ACPE members are actively engaged in a wide variety of professional development activities including communities of practice, conferences, spiritual care research, and informal networking. We are more than just an association: we are a movement committed to the transformation of the human suffering. Our opportunities for formation and community enrich our member’s work of healing and transforming people and communities in the US and across the globe.


Mission

To positively affect people’s lives by nurturing connections to the sacred through experiential education and spiritual care.

Vision

To create measurable and appreciable improvement in spiritual health that transforms people and communities in the US and across the globe.

Values

  • Diversity and inclusion – demonstrated through cultural humility, attentiveness and collegiality.
  • Integrity – demonstrated through trust, respect and excellence.
  • Curiosity – demonstrated through listening, experiential models, innovation and creativity.
  • Process – demonstrated through action/reflection, listening, experiential and relational models.
  • Service – demonstrated through compassion, authenticity and growth.

More information at acpe.edu