Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality
The Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality (MPS) program develops professional counsellors who are well grounded in the integration of psychological and spiritual knowledge as a holistic foundation for effective therapeutic practice. This program is open to people from any faith tradition.
The MPS program is a unique degree program developed in response to a widely felt community need for formal graduate counselling training that integrates psychology and spirituality. This academic program blends theoretical knowledge and clinical skills with particular emphasis on the individual student’s ability to integrate spirituality and psychology with their personal growth and to implement this integration into effective clinical practice. The MPS program has been designed for those who see counselling as ministry and who want to include a spiritual element in their academic work.
The primary educational goals for this degree are: the capacity for critical and constructive theological reflection regarding the content and processes of the areas of specialized ministry; skill in the design, implementation and assessment of ministry in these specialized areas; an understanding of the various disciplines that undergird the area of specialized ministry; and growth in personal and spiritual maturity.
The MPS program offers a blend of academic course work with supervised clinical experience in community settings. Academic instruction is primarily offered in intensive week-long instructional periods along with collegia which give students the opportunity to develop a strong cohort group and build relationships that allow them to engage with, and learn from, the experiences and backgrounds of their classmates.
Candidates may also choose to apply to one of two specializations; the Art Therapy Specialization or the Pastoral Counselling Specialization. Application requirements for the specializations may differ.
St Stephen’s has planned the MPS program so that it will assist students in acquiring professional counselling credentials; however the program is neither designed to, nor will it meet requirements to pursue registration as a psychologist in Alberta. The program has been designed so that with additional supervised clinical training, the student can pursue the credentialing process with some professional registering associations. However, the onus will remain on the student to consult with the registering body to meet their requirements, both during and subsequent to their academic training. Upon completion of the educational components of the art therapy specialization, the student may be eligible to apply these components towards the process of registration as an art therapist. This may require additional supervised clinical hours and again it is the student’s responsibility to consult directly with their preferred registering association. The MPS (Art Therapy Specialization) program is an approved art therapy training program with The Canadian Art Therapy Association, and the MPS (Pastoral Counselling Specialization) is an approved training program with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS).
