Certification

by

Our New Diplomates!

Earlier this year we had a certification board that included those who were Supervisors-in-Training (SITs) seeking to move up to Diplomate.

Passing these boards, we welcome two new members as “Diplomate Supervisor in Clinical Pastoral Education/Training.” (Yes we know that is a mouthful.) The two are:

Dr. Larry Paul B. Gusto. He serves with the Jethro Guidance Center in Manila.

Chaplain Violeta C. Canoy. She serves with Bukal Life Care in Baguio City.

Meeting the requirements of Diplomate with CPSP-Philippines is a challenge. We congratulate them not only on both their success and their perseverance in this journey.

Advertisement
by

CPSP-Philippines Timeline

2010, Bukal Life Care and Counseling Center started teaching Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) for chaplains and ministers.

2011. Bukal Life Care formed a verbal partnership with an organization called CPSP, based in the United States. CPSP is a collegial body of pastoral counselors and clinical chaplains, and works to certify these specialties and accredit training facilities for these based on established standards. Bukal Life Care became the first training center recognized in the Philippines by CPSP, and several members of Bukal became part of the first CPSP-recognized CPE supervisors-in-training in the Philippines.

2014 Bukal Life Care-Manila became a separate entity led by Dr. Sim Dang-Awan Jr. under the new, New Hope. Later, the name was changed to Jethro Guidance Center.

2015 We established a formal MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) between CPSP and CPSP-Philippines. The established us formally in our relationship with CPSP.

2016. Four SITs (Doc Sim, Doc Cal, Doc Paul, and Chap. Celia) became the first full Supervisors with CPSP-Philippines. Up to this time, our organization only had Supervisors-in-Training. Each supervisor had his/her own training center, making a total of four training centers.

2019. We signed an updated MOA with CPSP.

So why did we help form this organization? There were a few reasons. One reason was the rather sorry state of chaplaincy and pastoral counseling in the Philippines. I read an article written in 1981 of the state of pastoral counseling and chaplaincy in Southeast Asia. The article sounded like it could have been written in 2010. Few things had changed. There were, I suspect, a few reasons for this.

People who trained to be a chaplain or a pastoral counselor tended to leave the Philippines. They were valued in other countries, but one could hardly earn a living in the Philippines in these roles. Pastoral counseling is not really recognized in the Philippines. Hospital chaplaincy has traditionally been simply a post assigned by the local bishop to a priest to carry out sacraments in the hospital. Community chaplaincy was typically held by people who were part of an organization that was originally set up to fight corruption but had gradually (in many locations) become a part of that corruption.

Over the years, doors have begun to open, just a bit.

  • CPSP-Philippines now has 7 active training centers, and 2 more in inactive status.
  • We have chaplains heading… something like 5 hospitals, one corporate chaplaincy program, and several school, college, and seminary chaplaincy roles.
  • The next generation of pastoral counselors/chaplains are really starting to step up and take on roles to expand the work that we began. They are starting to hold webinars, writing books, online counseling and support groups, and expanding into corporate work, retirement homes, and more.

by

October Updates to all Members

Happy September 27th to everyone.

A. August and September was supposed to be the months for collecting annual dues. Some have paid, but some have not been able to. Because of the pandemic, and the limited ability of CPSP-Philippines to provide services during this time, annual fees for 2020 are not required. Annual fees will be counted for 12 months starting January 1st, 2021. Anyone who has already paid for 2020, their payments are good for now through all of 2021. (Those who have not paid by January 31, 2021 will be considered Inactive Members.)

B. In 2021, we plan to have our first Diplomate Board. It will be for “Diplomate Supervisor in Clinical Pastoral Education/Training.” The standards for this board are located at https://cpspphilippines.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/diplomate-board-standards-2020.pdf. Those SITs (Supervisors in Training) who think they may qualify for this board, talk to their Supervisors. Only those SITs recommended by a Supervisor in good standing with CPSP-Philippines will be considered.

C. One of the hallmarks of CPSP is the use of Chapter Life. Many have found it challenging to maintain their chapters, and it is even more difficult during quarantine. For those with online CPE groups, an equivalent of Chapter Life is possible, but this does not help those who are not currently trainees. A suggestion for these times is to establish Online Counselor Support Groups. These can meet online for 1 to 2 hours weekly or every other week. These are to provide case conferences, group work relations, and general supportive community for pastoral counselors and ministers during these times. It is our hope that all training centers (diplomates and SITs) will consider establishing these… especially with their former trainees.

by

Certification Board March 2020

In early March, Dr. Sim Dang-Awan Jr. headed a certification board in Mindanao. Due to COVID-19, we have been a bit slow to update results. But here is what can be shared at this time.

1.  Congratulations to Chaplain Phanuel (Phan) L. Buac in passing hisPhanuel Buac certification review board with recommendation of BCCC/BCPC  (Board Certified Clinical Chaplain/Pastoral Counselor). Chaplain Phan presently heads a counseling center in Zamboanga City, and has been facilitating Clinical Pastoral Orientation there.

 

 

2.  Congratulations to Chaplain Victor C. Navarro in passing his certification review board with recommendation of BCCC/BCPC (Board Certified Victor NavarroClinical Chaplain/Pastoral Counselor).  Chaplain Victor presently serves as the head chaplain at Adventist Medical Center-Iligan City. He also presently holds certification of Full Supervisor with Asia Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (AACPE).

 

 

<For both, some items like training center accreditation, as well as S.I.T. or Supervisor status will have to be worked out in the following weeks.>

by

August Updates

67264192_451141262393542_6710402022178291712_n

Above is the CPE Commissioning held at Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary for Bukal Life Care and Counseling Center and the CPE Counseling Center at Saint Andrews Theological Seminary.  There were 9 trainees from Bukal and 7 trainees from SATS. Father Ivo Anselmi spoke on the topic of family at the event. Fr. Ivo is a CPE graduate under Nars Dumalagan of PCF.

August.  Bukal Life Care and New Heights expect start another unit of CPE.  Bukal plans to do a Saturday Extended unit led by Chaplain Lyn. Exact start is still being worked out. New Heights plans to start on August 5th at Ellinwood Malate Church in Manila.

Dr. Cal Sodoy is leading an Intensive CPE in Brokenshire Hospital in Davao at the moment, and Chaplain Renato is overseeing a unit of CPE at Hesed in Bocaue, Bulacan.

It is also worth noting that a few weeks ago Shalom, in Zamboanga, under Chaplain Elvin Salarda, completed a CPE, with Diplomate Sim Dang-Awan as guest at their graduation.

September.  Bukal Life Care plans to hold a CPE unit at Pines City Doctors Hospital. More details as they come available.

Also note that as a number of our members are advancing there is need for certification boards. We are working to accommodate them. More to follow on this as well.

 

by

New Training Center

On February 6th, 2019, was the formal opening of the CPE Center at St. Andrews Theological Seminary (SATS). It had opened over a year earlier as a pilot project of CPSP and CPSP-Philippines with Dr. Raymond Lawrence (General Secretary of CPSP) as the supervisor. With the successful completion of that pilot project, SATS officially has an accredited center under CPSP-Philippines (and by Memorandum of Agreement with CPSP). At the ceremony, Dr. Paul Tabon, president of CPSP-Philippines, presided. Dr. Sim Dang-Awan Jr., a diplomate supervisor of CPSP-Philippines also joined, as did Dr. Raymond Lawrence, General Secretary of CPSP.

by

Memorandum of Agreement

On February 2nd, 2019, CPSP-Philippines and CPSP signed an updated Memorandum of Agreement to maintain standards for equivalency and reciprocity of certifications, among other things. Signing this document was Dr. Raymond Lawrence, General Secretary of the CPSP, and Dr. Paul Tabon, President of the Board of Trustees of CPSP-Philippines. The signing was held at Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary, in Baguio City, Philippines.

Image may contain: 10 people, including Merlita Paghubasan Montecastro, Edgar S. Chan, Bob Munson, Celia Munson and Violeta Cristobal Canoy, people smiling, people standing

Image may contain: one or more people, people sitting and indoor

by

Memorandum of Agreement Copy

We have put the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between CPSP and CPSP-Philippines on our DOCUMENTS page. (Go to ABOUT US and then DOCUMENTS). Two documents are there under Memorandum of Agreement between CPSP and CPSP-Philippines. One is a PDF of the agreement, and the other is a scan of the agreement signed back in 2013 by the General Secretary of CPSP, and the President of the Board of Trustees of CPSP-Philippines.

NOTE: CPSP-Philippines started out as an outreach project of the College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy (CPSP). In 2011, CPSP-Philippines (The Collegium of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy-Philippines) was incorporated in the Philippines. In 2015 the MOA was signed by both parties recognizing the independence of CPSP-Philippines while establishing the criteria for Equivalency of Standards and Reciprocity of Certifications.

You can look at the MOA directly by clicking HERE.

by

Annual Case Conference, October 15, 2017

100_0744

The Annual Case Conference will be held on the 15th of October, starting 8am, at Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary (PBTS). It is facilitated by Dr. Raymond Lawrence.  The charge is P500. Lunch and snacks provided. Attendees should a clinical case with them to present.

It will be held in the Conference Room of PBTS.

Dr. Lawrence is the General Secreatry of the raymond2025th20plenaryCollege of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy.  He is a Certified Clinical Pastoral Supervisor with the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) since 1970, and Certified Diplomate in Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy with the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy since 1990.

Go to the Contact Us page on our site to get more information.