CASC/ACSS is the leading national association of spiritual care and psychospiritual therapy in Canada. With over 1200 diverse members across Canada, CASC/ACSS embraces a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, with a special focus on spiritual and religious care. CASC/ACSS provides educational programs for those preparing to become Certified Spiritual Care Practitioners, Certified Psychospiritual Therapists, and Certified Supervisor Educators in a variety of institutional, community and private-practice settings. We also educate those who are preparing for ordained/commissioned religious leadership to have competence in providing spiritual care to their faith communities.  

CASC/ACSS is committed to the professional education and Certification of people involved in spiritual care, psychospiritual therapy, education and research. ​

Our Mission and Purpose

• To promote excellence in spiritual care practice, psychospiritual therapy, education and research.
• To advance the profession of spiritual care and psyschospiritual therapy in Canada
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Our Values

• ​Self Awareness and Spiritual Growth
• Education
• Collaboration
• Empathy
• Inclusiveness
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Spirituality

There are many definitions for the term “spirituality”.  CASC/ACSS views spirituality as a universal dimension of human experience, a connection to the beyond, a life energy leading to resilience with features such as meaning, purpose, values, hope, trust, love, truth, wonder, beauty, and our sense of connection to self, to others, and to life in general.  

Spiritual Diversity

CASC/ACSS Professionals and Members come from a diverse background of spirituality, culture, and worldview. Whether you identify with a Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Indigenous, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh or other spirituality, or identify as spiritual-but-not-religious, agnostic, atheist or other, you are welcome at CASC/ACSS.  CASC/ACSS Professionals serve all people, regardless of their spiritual background, gender, sexuality, culture, or any other aspect of their identity.  

Where We Work

• Health Care
• Mental Health
• Private Practice
• Corrections
• Military
• Education
  
• Corporate
  
  
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​Our Common Commitment:

• We commit to fulfill, to the best of our ability, this covenant and promise: 
• We will uphold the ethos of our profession to learn from people as “living human documents.” 
• We will treat the sacred with respect and endeavor to bring vitality to those in need.
• We will nurture and help others connect with their experience of the transcendent.
• We will meet people with authentic presence amidst our common human condition.
• We will use the sacred presence granted to us by others for their comfort, healing and recovery.
• We will diligently upgrade our professional skills, within our scope of practice, understanding our limitations.
• We will hold ourselves to our common code of ethics to safeguard others.
• We will speak the truth as we limitedly know it and treat our colleagues who hold this commitment with respect, kindness and humility even when we voice my disagreement.
• We will work with our peers to advance our profession and fulfill our shared responsibility.
• As We honour and remain true to this commitment, may we enjoy the rewards that come with integrity:
  • a fulfilled sense of meaning and purpose
  • the fruits of companionship with my colleagues
  • remembrance with all affection

International Strategic Partners

• Association for Clinical Pastoral Education
  
• Association of Professional Chaplains
  
• National Association of Catholic Chaplains
  
• Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains
  
• Association for Clinical Pastoral Education Ireland (through ACPE US)

History

​A Brief History of Spiritual Care and Psychospiritual Therapy In Canada
Supervised Pastoral Education (SPE) came out of the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) movement in the United States. American Pioneers, Dr. William Keller, Dr. Richard Cabot, and Rev. Anton Boisen,[i] introduced a new training method into theological education in the 1920s (Veinotte, unpublished). Their mission was to train clergy within the healthcare system and enable religious clergy to become part of the healing team for patients (“those that suffer”). Boisen believed that students studied patients as “living human documents” (Asquith, 1982) under supervision, much like how interns became medical doctors. Clergy developed through action and reflection, self-awareness, and spiritual growth a practical method for “doing” theology and augmented traditional methods of theological education beyond the academy. This new orientation assisted clergy to develop more effective communication skills and, through CPE’s spiritual formation, become more competent in delivering pastoral care to the sick and dying.

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