Professional Practice

Certified Spiritual Care Practitioners and the Certified Psycho-Spiritual Therapists are professionals who practice with integrity and accountability according to the CASC/ACSS Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, and the CASC/ACSS Standards of Practice. Our practice is informed by a holistic understanding of human life as spiritual, biological, psychological, social and cultural.

What We Do

Certified Spiritual Care Practitioners

Certified Spiritual Care Practitioners seek to improve the quality of life for individuals and groups experiencing spiritual, moral and existential distress related to changes in health, maturation, ability, and life circumstances. We use a holistic, relational approach to assess the nature and extent of the concerns; collaboratively develop a plan of care; provide therapeutic interventions to promote, maintain, and restore health and/or palliate illness and injury; and evaluate the implementation of the plan of care to ensure its efficacy. We use interventions informed by religion, spirituality and the social sciences (psychology, sociology, theology, anthropology) as well as counselling and psychotherapeutic theories, ethical standards, human diversity, and the range of human traditions. Such interventions can include, but are not limited to, psychotherapy.

Certified Psycho-Spiritual Therapists

Certified Psycho-Spiritual Therapists engages in a collaborative process with individuals, families, communities, organizations, and other institutions for the purpose of the assessment, treatment and meaning-making of cognitive, emotional, spiritual, relational, behavioural, identity, educational, moral or developmental disturbances and challenges across all stages of the human life cycle. We integrate spirituality into our psychotherapeutic work in the context of a therapeutic relationship. We integrate psycho-education, mental health, wellness, spirituality, religion, pathology, and human development principles. We use interventions informed by religion, spirituality and the social sciences (psychology, sociology, theology, anthropology) as well as counselling and psychotherapeutic theories, ethical standards, human diversity, and the range of human traditions.

Both professions respect the rich diversity of life and understandings of religion and spirituality. We initiate and engage in consultations and referrals with other professional colleagues, groups or organizations. We also engage in ongoing professional development, self-assessment, critical analysis and research.

Members of CASC/ACSS are employed in a variety of ministries and work settings, some of which include:

• health care facilities
• pastoral counselling centres
• prisons and correctional facilities
• industrial facilities
• developmental handicap services
• parishes, congregations
• private practice