About Us

The Centre of Excellence for Research in Psychotherapy and Spirituality (CERPS) seeks to contribute knowledge at a broader level and at a more specialized level. At a broader level, in regard to its research activities, the Centre provides a forum for dialogue among researchers, trainers and practitioners in the vast area of counselling, psychotherapy, and spirituality. By its interdisciplinary character, it aims to contribute to the integration of counselling, spirituality, psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, philosophy and/or pastoral theology.

The Centre encourages applied research and welcomes all ways of knowledge relevant to the field of psychotherapy and spirituality. Therefore, it supports theoretical, empirical and/or clinical research that is quantitative or qualitative in nature. At a more specific level, the Centre seeks to understand the health and well-being of individuals, couples, family, and the greater community. The Centre operates from a framework of positive psychology in looking at personal, social and spiritual factors that can inform resilience, coping, hope, compassion, connection, and meaning and purpose; factors that are foundational to mental health. The Centre strives to understand these factors within the context of Canadian society but also internationally and as they pertain to diverse populations (e.g., culture, ethnicity, gender, religious or spiritual tradition).

The Centre conducts research and training with the goal of fostering growth in the area of mental health and in particular attends to the role of spirituality in healthy living. The Centre also strives to be a network for knowledge dissemination and exchange so that research findings can influence policy, services, and community well-being.

Objectives

To conduct research projects that tap into the areas of positive psychology, psychotherapy, mental health, spirituality and well-being,
To engage in the exchange of knowledge with other researchers, students, government policy makers, and community agencies,
To build research networks, nationally and internationally,
To support new professors in the development of their research career,
To support members in their application for external funding of research projects,
To disseminate research findings through the production of publications and the organization of research conferences,
To develop links with other institutions and research groups so as to foster the research domain of psychotherapy and spirituality,
To support the development of academic research within the existing programs of the School, such as MA and Ph.D. theses,
To train graduate students in research skills, project development, research dissemination and the application of research findings to real-life situations,
To foster a passion for research at the undergraduate level by providing opportunities for students to engage in volunteer work on research projects,
To foster interdisciplinary collaboration (such as counselling, spirituality, psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, philosophy and/or pastoral theology),
To support the effort of research dissemination through the Journal of Counselling and Spirituality/Counseling et spiritualité (e.g., supporting the recruitment of potential reviewers for articles and book reviews),
To offer the potential for post-doctoral work at Saint Paul University, and
To invite visiting scholars to participate in research and teaching at Saint Paul University.

ADVISORY BOARD

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Centre of Excellence for Research in Psychotherapy and Spirituality (CERPS)

Saint-Paul University
223 Main Street
Ottawa (Ontario)
K1S 1C4
Canada

613 236-1393, ext 2304
psychotherapyresearch@ustpaul.ca