Counselling and Spirituality

The Faculty of Human Sciences at Saint Paul University offers graduate programs leading to a graduate diploma in Couple Counselling and Spirituality and to a master’s (MA) and doctoral (PhD) degrees in Counselling and Spirituality, all of which are conferred jointly by the Senates of Saint Paul University and the University of Ottawa under the terms of the federation agreement between them.

Program Description

The PhD program prepares counselors specialized in spirituality, who are also scholar/researchers, for careers as clinicians as well as university professors and researchers.

Students will specialize in one of three fields: issues relating to special populations within society, existential and spiritual issues in counselling, and counselling in multi-faith and cross-cultural settings. These fields are described below.

Special Populations. The unique spiritual, social, and mental health needs of special populations are studied from a multidisciplinary perspective. Systemic issues related to special populations include but are not limited to the following: the challenges facing people who are homeless, people living in poverty, victims of abuse and trauma, women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Existential and Spiritual Issues in Counselling. This field addresses clients’ search for meaning and purpose in their lives. Spiritual and existential issues in counselling surface when people try to make sense of their lives, especially during moments of existential crises, trauma, major loss, death, sickness and life transitions.

Counselling in Multi-faith and Cross-cultural Settings. To respond to the personal and social needs, values and goals of diverse cultural and religious groups in Canada, counsellors must understand these cultures and their spirituality.

Objectives of the program

The goal of this program is to educate counsellors specialized in spirituality who are also researchers capable of independent and collaborative research. As researchers, they will be able to contribute to the knowledge base that informs counselling and spirituality.

Graduates from the PhD program will be prepared to:

• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of one of the three fields mentioned above;
• Design and conduct research that contributes to the advancement of the discipline of Counselling and Spirituality;
• Practice as counselor with a specialization in spirituality.

The program is offered in English and in French.

In accordance with the University of Ottawa regulation, assignments, examinations, research papers and theses can be produced in either English or French.

• ARMSTRONG Laura, Full Professor
  Children’s Mental Health Literacy; Suicide Prevention; Mental Health Promotion; Program Evaluation; Measure Development & Validation.
• BELLEHUMEUR Christian, Professor
  Counseling, Psychotherapy, Spirituality and Imagination (Imaginary); Human Development and Positive Psychology; Psychospiritual Integration of the Counsellor; Psychology and Spirituality.
• BILODEAU Cynthia, Professor
  Supervision and Counselor Training; Anxiety, Shame and Personality in Process and Outcome Research; Psychometric Test Development and Evaluation.
• GRAFANAKI Sotiria, Professor
  Psychotheraphy training and effectiveness; client and counsellor experience of therapy interaction; positive psychology and implications for counselling, flow and counselling, spirituality and leisure, counsellor self care and sources of renewal
• KILREA Kelly, Assistant Professor
  Spiritual awakening / profound spiritual transformation: The experience, process, integration, and embodiment of spiritual awakening. Effects of profound spiritual transformation on daily functioning and lived experience. The impact of spiritual awakening on identity, relationships, emotional regulation, motivation, leadership, and parenting. Psycho-spiritual development in youth and adults.
• LYNN GALL Terry, Professor Emerita
  Stress and Coping
• MAISHA Buuma , Professor
  Sociocultural norms (social taboos), self-image and interpersonal violence Trauma: sexual violence, family violence and armed conflicts Contextualization of psychotherapy in Sub-Saharan Africa
• MALETTE Judith, Professor
  Rétrospective de vie; les images de Dieu et de soi; yoga et psychothérapie
• MARTÍNEZ DE PISÓN Ramón, Professor
  Counselling and Spirituality, Christian Anthropology, sin and evil, death and the afterlife, spirituality, religion and violence, shame and suicide. Highlights the relationship between philosophy, theology and psychology.
• ROVERS Martin, Full Professor
  Inter-Partner Touch in Couple Counselling; Aging Parents, Adult Children Caregivers and Family of Origin Dynamics; Couple and Family Chaplaincy.
• YAMIN Stéphanie , Professor
  Program Evaluation and Neuropsychology

Admission to the graduate programs in counselling and spirituality is governed by the “General Regulations” of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS).

Applications to the PhD program are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• A master’s degree in a related discipline such as counselling, spirituality, practical theology, health care, psychology, social work, pastoral studies or a discipline judged equivalent to these, with a minimum overall average of 75% (B+);
• Completion of at least one course in each of the following: research methods, professional ethics, psychopathology and treatment, theory of counselling, spirituality and religion;
• Completion of at least three undergraduate courses in the area of spirituality and religion and one graduate course such as IPA5134, or IPA5144. Depending on the candidate’s background the Admissions Committee may require additional courses prior to admission such as IPA6120, IPA6108, IPA5106, and IPA5131;
• A good academic performance and research potential as shown by official transcripts, major research paper, master’s thesis, research reports, publications in peer-reviewed journals, abstracts, presentations, etc. The admission dossier must include a written description in the form of a basic outline of the proposed research project;
• At least 120 hours of supervised direct, face-to-face, contact with clients;
• Successful completion of an admission interview with the Admissions Committee. The factors evaluated at this interview will include the relevance of the candidate’s proposed research topic, the candidate’s previous experience, the capacity of the candidate to succeed in doctoral-level studies, personal aptitude and interpersonal skills, and the availability of appropriate core faculty to direct their research;
• Three confidential letters of recommendation, including at least one addressing clinical skills and one addressing academic strengths from a professor who has known the applicant and is familiar with the candidate’s work;
• A statement of purpose indicating the interests, career goals, research focus, and other factors relevant to the proposed research area;
• Identification of two potential thesis supervisors, ranked in order of preference, who must be members of the program and of the FGPS.

Language requirement

All applicants must be able to understand, speak and write proficiently in either English or French and must have a passive knowledge (ability to read and understand university level texts) of the other language. Applicants whose first language is neither English nor French must provide proof of proficiency in one or the other. The list of acceptable tests is indicated in the “Admission” section of the General Regulations of the FGPS.

Transfer from Master’s to PhD Program

Students in a master’s program who have achieved an 80% (A-) average in their last two years of undergraduate studies may be allowed to transfer to the PhD program without being required to write a master’s thesis provided they meet the following conditions:

• Completion of 5 graduate courses (15 credits) with a grade of A- or better in each;
• Satisfactory progress in the research program;
• Written recommendation from the supervisor and the thesis advisory committee;
• Approval by the graduate studies committee.

The transfer must take place within sixteen months of initial registration in the master’s. Following transfer, all the requirements of the doctoral program must be met.

Some additional documents, and in some cases specific forms, are required. For more information, please see the page Step 4: Gather the documents needed for the assessment of your application.

The following requirements must be met:

• Six compulsory graduate course of 3 credits each: IPA8101, IPA8102, IPA8103, IPA8104, IPA8105; IPA8106;
• Completion of a minimum of 1500 hours of clinical practicum, with at least 250 hours within Saint Paul University: IPA8201 and IPA8202;
• Comprehensive examination (IPA9998);
• Presentation and defence of a thesis (IPA9999) based on original research carried out under the direct supervision of a faculty member in the Faculty of Human Sciences and the FGPS. The thesis can be either a monograph or a series of articles prepared for publication in scholarly journals (See the FGPS guide: “Preparing a Thesis or a Research Paper: A Guide for Graduate Students and Supervisors.”).

Comprehensive exam

The comprehensive examination, which has a written and an oral component, allows students to demonstrate the depth and breadth of knowledge gained from course work, and their ability to integrate concepts, principles and theories, and apply these to counselling and spirituality. In addition, the comprehensive exam provides students with the opportunity to defend their written work orally.

The procedures for the Comprehensive exam are available on the program website.

The evaluation of the written and oral exam is on a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory basis.

A student who fails the comprehensive examination has the right to one retake. A second failure leads to compulsory withdrawal from the program.

Thesis proposal

The proposal and ethics approval must be completed before data collection can commence.

Minimum Standards

The passing grade in all courses is C+. Students who fail two courses (equivalent to 6 credits), the thesis proposal, the comprehensive exam or whose progress is deemed unsatisfactory must withdraw from the program.

Residence

All students must complete a minimum of six sessions of full-time registration.

Duration of the Program

The requirements of the program are usually fulfilled within four years. The maximum time permitted is six years from the date of initial registration.

Thesis Advisory Committee

The Thesis Advisory Committee is formed during the first session of registration in the program. It is composed of the thesis supervisor and two additional faculty members. At least two members of the Committee must be from the Faculty of Human Sciences.

Contact Us

Office of Admissions, Registrar and Student Services
Room 148
Saint Paul University
223 Main Street
Ottawa, ON
K1S 1C4
CANADA

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Telephone: 613-236-1393
Fax: 613-782-3014
admission@ustpaul.ca

Hours of Operation

Please leave your documents in the mailbox in front of room 148 when our offices are closed.