Supportive Care and Spirituality in Palliation

The Faculty of Human Sciences at Saint Paul University offers a Graduate Diploma: Supportive Care and Spirituality in Palliation. This diploma is conferred jointly by the Senates of Saint Paul University and the University of Ottawa under the terms of the federation agreement between them.

The Graduate Diploma: Supportive Care and Spirituality in Palliation is intended for people who already work in the field: nurses, doctors, nurses’ aides, psychologists, psychotherapists, pastoral workers, volunteers, etc. This hybrid program combines distance learning and on-campus sessions.

 The core courses in this program will allow you to learn about and understand:

• the history of the development of palliative care and end-of-life care, their nature, different approaches, and unique features
• how pain and other patient symptoms are managed
• the various needs of patients and their caregivers (psychological, spiritual, social, religious, etc.)
• ethical considerations in providing palliative care and services, in order to intervene appropriately while respecting the dying person and his or her loved ones
• the stages of grief that family members, caregivers and friends may experience

Admissions scholarships available of a value up to $1500 

• 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

Candidates must satisfy the following conditions:

1. Hold an Honours Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in psychology, health sciences, nursing, practical theology, or in a related discipline, with an average of at least B, or an undergraduate medical degree (MD).
2. Comply with one of the following criteria (in each case, the candidate should provide a confirmation letter from a third party, in which the duration of the activity is described):
   • Have relevant work experience (in medicine, nursing, etc.) or volunteer experience in a palliative care setting for a minimum of one year.
   • Have relevant work experience with individuals who are severely ill or who are at the end of life, as a psychologist or psychotherapist for a minimum of one year.
   • Have relevant experience in pastoral care for a minimum of one year.
3. Provide the following documents:
   • Letter of intent (500 words) and curriculum vitae.
   • Two (2) letters of recommendation (from professors, employers, professional mentors, religious leaders, etc.); for candidates who have graduated within the previous seven years, at least one letter must be from a university professor.
4. Undergo an interview with the program coordinators (to verify the candidate’s goals and his or her suitability for the program).

Program Requirements

The program consists of five courses (15 credits):

• IPA6131 Grief (3cr.)
• IPA6132 Themes Related to End of Life (3cr.)
• IPA6133 End of Life Pain Management (3cr.)
• IPA6134 Ethical Issues at the End of Life (3cr.)
• IPA6151 Spirituality and Adaptation to Illness (3cr.)

Duration of the program

Students may complete the diploma requirements part-time over the course of two or, at most, three years.

Minimum standards

The passing grade in all courses is 65% (C+). Students who fail two courses or the same course twice are withdrawn from the program.

Contact Us

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

Notice to gmail address holders, be sure to check your junk mailbox regularly, as due to your server's firewalls our email response to your application may end up there.

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.