American Association of Pastoral Counselors

General Membership Categories

Pastoral Counseling Educator

This membership category is for ministers who provide educational and theoretical leadership in pastoral counseling, pastoral care, pastoral theology, psychology of religion, and related fields. Requirements include:

• Doctoral level degree
• Endorsement by dean of the applicant's academic institution
• Active relationship to a local religious community

Pastoral Care Specialist

This category is intended for lay persons and those persons who are already functioning as a parish minister, rabbi, or military chaplain, or who are credentialed as Institutional chaplains. Minimum requirements include:

• Active relationship to a local religious community
• Completion of 50 hours of specialized training in a variety of supportive pastoral care topics such as brief term, supportive counseling methods, crisis intervention, divorce recovery, etc.

Member

This membership category is for professionals in one or more of the following areas:

• Ministers, pastoral counselors or persons who practice pastoral counseling as defined by the AAPC
• Members of a human service profession who have an interest in the ministry of pastoral counseling, pastoral counselor training or in pastoral counseling centers, and who are duly licensed/certified by a state or province, where applicable, or who are otherwise credentialed by a professional human service association
• Persons who are in training and preparing to meet qualifications for certification as a pastoral counselor at the Certified Pastoral Counselor membership category. Applicants must submit a plan for completing requirement for Certified Pastoral Counselor within five years of approval as a Member (Pastoral Counselor-in-Training).

Student Member

The Student Member is a general membership category for students enrolled in seminary or an academic program – undergraduate or graduate. Applicants should have an inquiry level of interest in the field of pastoral counseling.

Student Member is a temporary status. It is valid only while enrolled in a degree program.