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Membership

Categories of Membership

There are seven categories of individual membership in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, each having specific requirements which must be met before an application can be reviewed. If you are uncertain as to which category is most appropriate for you, contact the Association office.

Association Certification Committee
Definitions
Certified Pastoral Counselor membership categories:

General membership categories:

Religious Body Endorsement
Responsibilities of Membership
Application Process and Procedures
Certification Committee Operational Manual
Fellow Body of Knowledge Requirements
Fellow Body of Knowledge Completion Form


Association Certification Committee: Structured for Accessibility

The Association Certification Committee desires to be available to the membership and those seeking certification. Persons with questions concerning membership or equivalencies should first consult with the Regional Certification Committee Chair. Click here for the list of Chairs. For additional information on specific topics, these four standing subcommittees have been established:

    Diplomate -- C. Leon Sims, Ed.D., Chair: 210-559-1779; email: clsims@gvtc.com
    Fellow and Body of Knowledge     --
    Certified Pastoral Counselor and Pastoral Care Specialist -- Timothy B. Locke, Ph.D., Chair: 707-246-1326; email: tlocke@foursprings.org.
    Equivalency, Minority, Military and International     -- Jeffrey D. Hamilton, D.Min., Chair: 717-392-1007; email: jdhamiltonlcsw@verizon.net

Persons with certification questions or desiring to give feedback to the Committee about its work should contact the chair of the Regional Certification Committee, or the respective Standing Subcommittee. The intent of this process is twofold: (1) to give rapid response to inquiries and (2) to facilitate on-going committee work regarding cutting-edge issues.

The standards for AAPC membership and certification are contained in the Certification Committee Operational Manual (Revised January 2008). This manual may be obtained online: http://www.aapc.org/ccmanual08.pdf or from the Membership Services Coordinator at the Association Office, Linda M. Crede, 703-385-6967, or email: linda@aapc.org

While supervisors or other AAPC members may advise applicants, AAPC is not responsible for the accuracy of such information.

Association Certification ChairTere Tyner Canzoneri, M. Div., Chair: 404-664-6254; email: tere.canzoneri@gmail.com

Certification Committee
Permission and Confidentiality In Work Sample

Candidates who meet with regional certification committees for Certified Pastoral Counselor and Fellow and those who meet with Association Diplomate consultation committees must obtain written permission from clients/supervisees in order to be presented. Applicants then include with their written materials the candidate's signed statement that they have in their possession this written release from clients/supervisees. In order to promote confidentiality the actual release statements of the clients/supervisees are not to be sent.

AAPC Diplomates Can Become NBCC Approved Clinical Supervisors

AAPC Diplomates now can become Approved Clinical Supervisors without first becoming National Certified Counselors with the National Board for Certified Counselors. This supervisory standing potentially can broaden the base of Diplomates' supervisory practice. To obtain information and to download an application, utilize this website for the Center for Credentialing and Education: www.cce-global.org

Definitions

    Minister -- This term refers to a person who has been authorized by a religious endorsing body through ordination, consecration or equivalent means (as determined by the person's religious endorsing body and attested by the appropriate office of the person's religious endorsing body) to exercise specific religious leadership and service within and on behalf of the religious endorsing body which furthers its purpose and mission and which is supported by a covenant with a local religious body which will oversee his/her work in ministry.

    Pastoral Counselor -- This term refers to a minister who practices pastoral counseling at an advanced level which integrates religious resources with insights from the behavioral sciences.

    Pastoral Counseling -- This term refers to a process in which a pastoral counselor utilizes insights and principles derived from the disciplines of theology and the behavioral sciences in working with individuals, couples, families, groups and social systems toward the achievement of wholeness and health.

Certified Pastoral Counselor Membership Categories

Certified Pastoral Counselor
The standards for this membership category of time-limited certification include:

    • B.A. and a Master of Divinity or a Masters or Doctoral level degree in theological/spiritual or biblical studies, or a Masters or Doctoral level degree in Pastoral Counseling, from schools accredited by agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
    • Religious body endorsement to ministry
    • Active relationship to a local religious community
    • Completion of a supervised self-reflective pastoral experience, the most common of which is one unit of clinical pastoral education
    • Three years in ministry
    • 375 hours of pastoral counseling together with 125 hours of supervision of that counseling with one-third of such supervision to have been with an AAPC Diplomate, an AAPC Fellow (who is under supervision of supervision), or in an AAPC approved Training Program in Pastoral Counseling

    Fellow
    There are two tracks for Fellow, the traditional AAPC track and a newer Mental Health Disciplines track.

    Fellow, AAPC Track
    Standards are as follows:

    • All of the requirements for Certified Pastoral Counselor plus:
    • Completion of advanced conceptual and experiential preparation for the Body of Knowledge. This standard may be met with one professional degree in theological/spiritual discipline or mental health discipline and a second graduate degree in a related field or additional courses, as needed, to meet the requirements of the Body of Knowledge.
      • The Body of Knowledge includes the completion of 58-78 semester hours of work which may include or extend beyond the first professional degree noted above. These hours are distributed among the areas of religious foundations, core clinical theory, pastoral counseling theory, specialized technical studies, and a practicum.
    • 1,000 hours of pastoral counseling together with 125 hours of supervision (totaling 1,375 hours of pastoral counseling and 250 hours of supervision).
    • Religious body endorsement to ministry (ordained, consecrated, or equivalent as determined by the persons' religious body)
    • Active relationship to a local religious community
    • Submit an Integrated Theory of Therapy paper

    Fellow, Mental Health Disciplines track
    Standards include:

    • Hold a Master of Divinity, or a Masters or Doctoral level degree in either theological/spiritual or biblical studies, or a Masters or Doctoral level degree in Pastoral Counseling from schools accredited by agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
    • Documentation of professional credentials such as state licensure/certification for Marriage and Family Therapists, Clinical or Counseling Psychologists, Professional Counselors, Clinical Social Workers, Psychoanalysts, Psychiatrists, and Certified Pastoral Counselors, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialists and Addiction/Substance Counselors. Persons holding certification as a Clinical Member and/or Supervisor in the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy are also eligible.
    • Religious body endorsement to ministry (ordained, consecrated, or equivalent, as determined by the persons' religious body)
    • Active relationship to a local religious community
    • Complete Body of Knowledge
    • Submit an Integrated Theory of Therapy paper

    Diplomate
    Standards for certification at this level include:

    • Certification as an AAPC Fellow
    • Demonstrated achievement in at least three of the following areas:
      • academic (Doctoral level degree)
      • research
      • publication
      • leadership in AAPC
      • contribution to church and community
      • contribution to another mental health discipline
    • Hold a state license/certificate to supervise or be approved by a cognate group to supervise in specific mental health disciplines, or receive fifty hours of supervision of supervision
    • Provide at least 150 hours of pastoral counseling supervision
    • Submit a paper with annotation and bibliography of one's supervisory theory
    • Complete a minimum of 30 clock hours of graduate level course work in clinical supervision

General Membership Categories

Pastoral Counseling Educator

This membership category is for ministers who provide educational and theoretical leadership in pastoral counseling, pastoral care, pastoral theology, psychology of religion, and related fields. Requirements include:

    • Doctoral level degree
    • Endorsement by dean of the applicant's academic institution
    • Active relationship to a local religious community

    Pastoral Care Specialist

    This category is intended for lay persons and those persons who are already functioning as a parish minister, rabbi, or military chaplain, or who are credentialed as Institutional chaplains. Minimum requirements include:

    • Active relationship to a local religious community
    • Completion of 50 hours of specialized training in a variety of supportive pastoral care topics such as brief term, supportive counseling methods, crisis intervention, divorce recovery, etc.

    Professional Affiliate

    This membership category is for professionals in one or more of the following areas:

    • Ministers, pastoral counselors or persons who practice pastoral counseling as defined by the AAPC
    • Members of a human service profession who have an interest in the ministry of pastoral counseling, pastoral counselor training or in pastoral counseling centers, and who are duly licensed/certified by a state or province, where applicable, or who are otherwise credentialed by a professional human service association
    • Persons who are in training and preparing to meet qualifications for certification as a pastoral counselor at the Certified Pastoral Counselor membership category. Applicants must submit a plan for completing requirement for Certified Pastoral Counselor within five years of approval as a Member (Pastoral Counselor-in-Training).

    • Student Member

    The Student Member is a general membership category for students enrolled in seminary or an academic program – undergraduate or graduate. Applicants should have an inquiry level of interest in the field of pastoral counseling.

    Student Member is a temporary status. It is valid only while enrolled in a degree program.


Religious Body Endorsement

    Applicants for certified membership categories are required to have endorsement by a recognized religious body. This is a specialized process conducted by the religious endorsing body in which the applicant holds membership. The specific qualifications and procedures for endorsement vary with each religious body. The interpretation of the definition for minister is made by the applicant's religious body and may or may not include ordination.

    A Verification of Faith/Religious Group Activity is available for lay persons and for those persons who are ordained or consecrated by their faith groups but who cannot receive ecclesiastical endorsement as pastoral counselors. More detailed information on this procedure may be found in the Certification Committee Operational Manual, or by contacting the Association Office.

    NOTE: Religious Body endorsements may take a few months to obtain and in some cases require meeting with a committee. It is recommended that requests for endorsements be made well in advance of the due date for application to AAPC.

    Applicants for general membership categories will be required to submit a letter from an appropriate official of their local religious community (church, synagogue, etc.) who knows of the applicant's active relationship to that religious community.


Responsibilities of Membership

    The AAPC is committed to the continued growth and development of its members. Certified members are expected to maintain an active pastoral counseling practice, participate in a responsible program of continuing education, and maintain a consultative relationship with peers.

    All members must renew membership by the payment of annual dues for the fiscal year (July 1-June 30). Failure to do so will lead to suspension of membership services and ultimate termination of AAPC membership.


Application Process and Procedures

Applications: Application packets may be printed from this web page. Look at the links below. They may also be ordered by contacting the Association Office.

Submission of Applications: Completed applications, including all required supporting documentation and processing fee, are to be sent to the Association office.

Processing and Review: All applications will be processed by the Association office. Applications for those categories requiring a committee consultation will then be forwarded to the appropriate Certification Committee Chair. The Chair will notify the applicant regarding documents to be submitted, and time and place of the consultation.

Click below to view the appropriate membership application.

Click below for forms that accompany the applications:

Membership Standards and Certification Committee Operational Manual

The Operational Manual is now online. Please click the following links: