Clinical Pastoral Education

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is a distinct form of interfaith professional education for ministry. Its aim is to assist students of all faiths and no faith (e.g., pastors, priests, rabbis, imams, humanistic care-providers, etc.) in their development as spiritual care providers.

At the heart of CPE is an experiential encounter with persons in need. Students provide spiritual care in diverse clinical settings, meeting regularly with their CPE peers and educators to receive feedback and reflect on the interplay between their personal history, values, and beliefs and their practice of ministry. Students develop greater self-awareness and skills in active listening, empathetic communication, ethical decision-making, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The CPE program at St. Luke’s University Health Network is unique in the diversity of its clinical and educational contexts. Students learn the art of chaplaincy in the hospitals that range from a nationally known Level 1 Trauma Center to the rural hospitals, and have access to the resources of St. Luke’s School of Nursing (the nation’s oldest nursing school), Temple/St. Luke's School of Medicine, and St. Luke’s Penn Foundation (the innovative community-based model of care for mental illness and addiction).

Our CPE programs offer innovative trauma-informed curriculum and place a strong emphasis on spiritual integration, interdisciplinary engagement, and care-giver resilience. CPE students provide spiritual care and emotional support to patients, families, and staff, working alongside chaplains of diverse religious, spiritual, and humanistic backgrounds, and in relationship of in-depth clinical and educational collaboration with St. Luke’s Palliative Care Fellows. Many of our CPE graduates have become St. Luke’s Staff and Associate Chaplains, with professional chaplaincy certification, and now serving as Mentors and Clinical Preceptors for our current CPE students.

Who can benefit from Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Luke’s?

• Persons in ministry and/or ministry training
• Clergypersons and laity who wish to become Board-Certified Chaplains
• Persons seeking ordination in faith groups that require CPE as a prerequisite
• Care-providers from other professional disciplines who seek to deepen the spiritual dimension of care as a part of their work with clients and families. At this time, St. Lukes’s is unable to accept international CPE applicants.

Application for Clinical Pastoral Education Program:

• Complete the ACPE application form, identifying whether you are applying for Residency, Summer or Extended Internship. This is a fillable form PDF. Please note that the application includes several written essays.
• Complete ACPE Consent Form.
• To understand St. Luke’s protocols governing the CPE Admissions process, please review: Admissions Policy & Procedures. To understand St. Luke’s protocols governing the management of CPE student records, please review: Annual Notice.
• There is no Application fee.
  
• We welcome CPE applications throughout the year. This is a competitive program, and we strongly encourage an early submission of documents. Please note that we do not interview all candidates.
• Criteria for Admission: a willingness and readiness to learn as demonstrated in written application materials and interview; curiosity about self and others; and an ability to provide ethical spiritual care with persons of diverse faiths and cultures without imposing one’s own perspective.
• Please note: Because of the nature of the work at St. Luke’s University Health Network, all CPE students will be required to submit healthcare and behavioral health clearance documentation, including up-to-date vaccination records, Criminal Background Check, Child Abuse Clearance, and FBI finger printing. Specific details provided upon acceptance into the CPE program.

To send your completed application:

Judy Gary
Administrative Assistant
St. Luke’s Spiritual Care Department
St. Luke's University Hospital
801 Ostrum Street
Bethlehem, PA 18015
Phone: 484-526-4772
Fax: 484-526-4336
Email: St.Luke'sCPE@sluhn.org

Clinical Pastoral Education Programs

CPE Residency
Dates:
August 24, 2026 – August 31, 2027

This full-time program offers three CPE units of 400 hours each, which includes a minimum of 100 hours of structured group and individual education, a minimum of 250 hours of supervised clinical practice in spiritual care, and at least 50 hours of unstructured learning, i.e., literature research and review, and verbatim writing. There are two integration periods for focused clinical practice between Units I and II, and Units II and III. Residents also share in our 24/7 on-call schedule with Staff Chaplains, Associate Chaplains, and Chaplain Interns.

Residents have access to patients, families and staff on all clinical units at our Bethlehem campus, a Level 1 Trauma Center, for making spiritual assessments and providing spiritual care, and within a culture of safety and healthy work-life balance.

• Renumeration: Annualized salary is $38,400, with employee benefits package which includes health insurance, holidays, and paid time off.
• Criteria for Admission: At least one completed unit of CPE from an ACPE-accredited Center; Master’s-level education or equivalency per ACPE, the Association of Professional Chaplains, Inc. and the Common Standards for Professional Chaplains.

Click here to apply for the CPE Residency program »

CPE Extended Internship
Dates:
January 11, 2027 – June 5, 2027 (17 hours per week for 25 weeks)
June 28 – November 19, 2027 (20 hours per week for 20 weeks)
December 6, 2027 – May 5, 2028 (20 hours per week for 20 weeks)

Extended Unit is a part-time 400-hour program designed to help students integrate clinical spiritual practice with personal and interpersonal learning through a minimum of 100 hours of structured group and individual education, a minimum of 250 hours of supervised clinical practice in spiritual care, and at least 50 hours of unstructured learning, i.e., literature research and review, and verbatim writing.

• Clinical spiritual practice includes assignments on patient care units and sharing in the 24/7 on-call ministry with Staff Chaplains, Associate Chaplains, and Chaplain Residents, at our Bethlehem campus, and/or at other St. Luke’s campuses throughout the region, including St. Luke’s Penn Foundation in Sellersville, with Staff Chaplains serving as mentors and ACPE-preceptors.
• Personal and interpersonal learning focus on wellness, self-care, and team relationships.

CPE Summer Intensive Internship

Summer Unit is a full time 10 week/400-hour program designed to help students integrate clinical spiritual practice with personal and interpersonal learning through a minimum of 100 hours of structured group and individual education, a minimum of 250 hours of supervised clinical practice in spiritual care, and at least 50 hours of unstructured learning, i.e., literature research and review, and verbatim writing.

CPE Faculty

The Rev. Natalia Shulgina, PhD, PharmD, BSN, is a Manager of Clinical Pastoral Education and ACPE Certified Educator. Natalia is of Russian-Korean descent and among the first Russian-speaking educators in the history of ACPE. She is an ordained elder in the Russia United Methodist Church, Lay Cistercian oblate at Gethsemani Abbey, and long-term practitioner of Zen meditation. Most recently, Natalia served as a ACPE Certified Educator and Pastoral Care Manager at UNC Health REX. With background in surgical nursing, clinical pharmacology, and practical theology, she brings a strong interdisciplinary orientation, research competency, and cultural diversity to her CPE practice. Natalia has taught in congregational, seminary, and university settings, and has a special interest in systems-centered and trauma-informed educational practice, caregiver resilience, and compassion-centered spiritual health. She shares her life and learning adventures with her husband Mark and Rhodesian Ridgeback Rey.

Allie Ulrich, M.Div., BCCC, is an ACPE Certified Educator. Allie has over a decade of experience in the field of spiritual care, serving as a chaplain in mental healthcare settings, hospice care, a community hospital, and most recently at RWJUH in NJ, a Level 1 Trauma hospital where she also began her supervisory training. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and Rutgers University, Allie brings a diversity of clinical, educational, and intercultural experiences to her practice of CPE, including time spent living and volunteering in Guatemala. Allie serves as a lay leader in a diverse Anglican congregation, and shares her life and adventures with her husband Jeff. She enjoys hiking, birdwatching, playing music, and creating artwork in her free time.

Learn More

• CPE – General FAQs
  
• Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Luke’s Penn Foundation

ST. LUKE’S CPE PROGRAM IS ACCREDITED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION, INC. (ACPE):

1 Concourse Pkwy, Suite 800, Atlanta, GA 30328
Email: acpe@acpe.edu | Website: www.acpe.edu
Phone: 404-320-1472 | Fax: 404-320-0849