Specialist Training Course in Pastoral Counselling The Specialist Training Course in Pastoral Counselling is an ecumenical educational program run by Semmelweis University in cooperation with the University of Evangelical-Lutheran Theology and the St Athanasius College of Greek Catholic Theology. The length of the course is four semesters (120 credit points); the language of instruction is Hungarian.
Semmelweis University acted as the initiator of the course and continues to assume responsibility for the program’s organisational tasks providing the necessary infrastructure for logistics and education. The two cooperating ecclesiastical institutions, through their delegated founders of the program, guarantee the integration of the program’s theoretical and practical courses into theological studies. The goal of the program is to provide further education in the fields of social sciences and humanities to students with a degree in Religious Studies, to strengthen students’ mental health and to develop their interpersonal skills. Through theoretical and practical courses, participants are given help to improve their competence in recognising and understanding the problems of individuals and groups in need, to assist them in their spiritual development and decision making processes, and to locate their resources. Students are also prepared to perform the tasks of individual and communal pastoral counselling at highly a professional level. The relevant academic subjects (education, psychology, sociology, mental health and clinical studies) are represented in a nearly equal proportion. Their interaction and interconnectedness, as well as their connection to pastoral counselling, are highlighted in a complex way.
For further information contact: Gábor TÖRÖK PhD (torok.gabor@public.semmelweis-univ.hu)