New NBTS DMin in Pastoral Care & Counseling Degree Program
September 1, 2014
Each fall, people across the nation who provide spiritual care through pastoral counseling and professional chaplaincy are celebrated during Pastoral Care Week. This fall, there will be another reason to celebrate: New Brunswick Theological Seminary will welcome its first cohort for the new Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) in Pastoral Care and Counseling degree program.
This three-year program immerses students in a multi-faith, multi-cultural environment that addresses pastoral care and counseling, social action, urban ministry and public health issues. Graduates of the D.Min. in Pastoral Care and Counseling program are eligible for membership in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) as Pastoral Care Specialists.
According to the AAPC, pastoral counseling accounts for three million hours of treatment every year in institutional and community-based settings. Nearly 80% of Americans acknowledge that faith can help recovery from illness. In fact, AAPC research found that faith leaders are contacted more than psychiatrists or general medical doctors for mental illness issues.
“We are living in stress-filled times which directly impacts people’s quality of life. This places high demands upon clergy who, as the research suggests, are usually approached first by members of their congregations seeking answers and relief,” explained Dr. Raynard Smith, New Brunswick Theological Seminary Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care. “The D.Min. in Pastoral Care and Counseling program will equip clergy with an advanced skill set that will give them confidence in addressing the challenges that people struggling with a variety of stressors in their lives may bring to them.”
Participants in the degree program will receive instruction from renowned academic, health care and religious leaders to ensure relevancy and responsiveness to the changing needs of individuals, families and communities. Candidates who complete the program will be well equipped to care for their congregations (and train them in caring for each other) and to mobilize their congregations and volunteers in extending care to the community.
The advanced professional work and theological study required in the program is also excellent preparation for those who wish to serve as chaplains. According to a Wall Street Journal article on hospital and spiritual care, about two-thirds of U.S. hospitals provide chaplaincy services, and medical schools are adding courses on spirituality and health as well as training residents to consider patients’ spiritual needs. The article noted that there is growing evidence that many patients with major illness have better outcomes when hospital care is combined with spiritual care.
To that end, NBTS has partnered with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), one of the nations leading academic medical centers and an Association for Clinical Pastoral Education accredited training center. D.Min. candidates will experience an intense, integrated clinical seminar at the hospital as part of the degree program.
The Reverend Dr. John deVelder, Director of the RWJUH Pastoral Care Department, says that the partnership with New Brunswick Theological Seminary on the D.Min. in Pastoral Care and Counseling program will provide students with a rich clinical setting for experiencing patients in the current health care system.
“Patients are helped as chaplains listen sensitively and empathically to their feelings about hospitalization,” says Dr. deVelder. “When patients feel heard, accepted and cared for, they sense a healing presence that helps them with their emotional, spiritual and physical healing.”
A July 2011 Journal of General Internal Medicine study found that among 3,000 patients hospitalized over a three-year period at the University of Chicago Medical Center, 41% wanted a discussion of religious and spiritual concerns. Patients who had a spiritual discussion reported being more satisfied with their overall care.
Whether a person (or family) is faced with crisis, grief, an emotional issue or health condition, a pastoral counselor can offer guidance and theological wisdom. However, pastors, chaplains and clergy must be up to the task! Wayne Oats, a pastoral care and counseling pioneer, said it best: “The choice is not between counseling and not counseling; but between counseling in a disciplined and skilled way, and counseling in an undisciplined and unskilled way.”
NBTS D.Min. in Pastoral Care and Counseling students will receive an exceptional education and training, allowing them to serve with excellence as they provide holistic care and support for the mind, body and spirit.
The deadline to apply for the Fall 2014 session is July 11, 2014. For more information and admission requirements for the new D.Min. in Pastoral Care and Counseling program, contact Reverend Vernon Williams, NBTS Recruitment Office, at vwilliams@nbts.edu.