Monthly Archives: April 2024

Congrats to New Diplomate

Bukal Life Care wishes to congratulate Chaplain Renato Eustaquio for passing his board for Diplomate of Pastoral Supervision, with CPSP-Philippines. Diplomate Renato trained under Bukal Life Care, and did his S.I.T. program supervised by Diplomate Celia Munson.

Formal Certification Meeting

The following is the message from Diplomate Renato:

I thank God for this meaningful journey of pastoral care and supervision.

I started this journey in 2007 with Rev Chaplain Debra Elaine Miller as my first CPE Supervisor.

Then I went on overseas missions for 5 years.

As the Lord led me back to my home country in 2012, my seminary classmates Rev Dr Bob Munson and Diplomate Celia Munson visited us in Bulacan and left a thick manual of College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy Philippines.

That visit led to 3 more CPE units. Three years of diligent studies and travel to Baguio from time to time for the intensive training, until I was Board Certified as a Clinical Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor by CPSP Phils in 2017.

In 2019, The Chaplains Office was set up in Dr Yanga Hospital, and become the accredited CPE Center of CPSP PH in Bulacan. Then we started to equip future pastoral clinicians through our blended program. We have had chaplain trainees based in Japan, Australia, Canada, the UK, and from different cities and provinces in the Philippines. We have trainees who are professional chaplains, from corporate discipline, social workers, psychologist, pastors, missionaries, church and convention leaders.

In 2021, Rev Debbie Miller started to help as TCO Didactic Instructor providing clinical contents needed by our trainees.

God also opens to us doors for corporate chaplaincy, hospital chaplaincy, and school chaplaincy services.

We see the Lord providing all these opportunities as His affirmation of The Chaplains Office commitment to equip future clinically trained ministers, clinical chaplains, pastoral counselors, and diplomate in clinical pastoral supervision.

God is faithful.

Thank you Rev Dr Paul Tabon, Rev Dr Sim Dang-awan, Rev Dr Ryan Clark, Rev Dr. Larry Paul B. Gusto, Diplomate Merlita Paghubasan Montecastro , Diplomate Vo Cristobal Canoy, Rev Dr Calixto Sodoy, Chaplain Jehny Pedazo, and to our CPSP family for guidance and inspiration.

Thanks to our Bukal Life Care family and Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary where I was trained for pastoral care discipline for 4 years.

Thanks to Dr Yanga Hospital for being the home of The Chaplains Office. To Ya

For Doxo Ingredients and sister companies for the opportunity to serve as their corporate chaplain.

And to The Chaplains Office family, our past and current trainees.

Agnes Barnedo
Marilyn Nitram
Jhoi Pergis
Gina Ventura
Hanna Eumee Castro
Eduardo Domingo
Eddie Briones
Junel Chavez
Becky Gambuta II
Dan Abangco
Ditas Martin Leonardo
Norminda Forteza
Tessie Chua
Abby Rose Lopez Abraham
Kristine G. Eustaquio
Reiner Simple Bartolome

Your valuable insights on every class, case, and activity bring so much learning experiences to each one of us.

Now that God has humbly enabled me to become a Diplomate in Clinical Pastoral Supervision (DPS), I pray that the little that I could offer and contribute to our CPSP family would help further the chaplaincy and pastoral care ministry in the Philippines and beyond. Supervising pastoral clinician trainees, equipping them for pastoral care has brought so much joy in my heart. Healing through pastoral caring has grown in me, as I see God’s hands guiding me in this meaningful and transforming journey.

Thank you Dra Joy and Dane. To Eustaquio, Esguerra, and Berces family.

Thank you to my church family: IHJCC and DCC.

And thank you for all who have helped us in ways possible, and have prayed for us. God bless you all.

To God alone be the glory.

All glory, and honor, and praise belongs to the LORD God Almighty, the KING of kings and LORD of lords!!! Jude 1:24

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Psalm 115:1

Caring form the heart,

Rev Chaplain Nato
Diplomate in Clinical Pastoral Supervision (DPS)
College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy Philippines

Two Summer CPE Groups Starting in May 2024

We have two groups starting up in May.

#1. Our Full Unit Summer Intensive will be from May 21 until August 9 (approximately 12 weeks).

#2. Our Half Unit Summer Intensive will be from May 27 until July 12 (approximately 7 weeks).

Both groups are face-to-face units being held in Baguio City, Philippines with a mixture of hospital and community training. The training is certified by CPSP-Philippines.

For additional information please see our BROCHURE.

For a CPE application, please download it, fill it out, and return to bukallife@gmail.com. CLICK HERE for the application.

For other information or questions, please email us at bukallife@gmail.com.

Why It is Clinical Pastoral TRAINING not Clinical Pastoral Education

Recently, the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) decided to stop calling its training program Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and start calling it Clinical Pastoral Training (CPT). Why is that?

Well, there are at least three reasons— perhaps more.

#1. Clinical Pastoral Training was the original term of the process developed by Anton Boisen for theological students. Years letter, it became known as Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). However, CPSP seeks to embrace the Boisenian roots of the movement. As such, a return to the original nomenclature was deemed important.

#2. The process of the program is better understood in terms of Training than Education. While the terms overlap somewhat in meaning, “education” is more theoretical and knowledge-based in its orientation. Training is more oriented towards learning practical skills particularly related to a specific vocation. It tends to be more hands-on and than education, and less dependent on the classroom.

#3. The program (CPT) as it presently exists presumes a theological and ministerial education (particularly in terms of a Master of Divinity degree or similar). This educational foundation is what the training is built off of.

A couple of more bits of information on this issue are in the following:

FAQ from CPSP

A General Discussion of Differences between Training and Education

Does this mean that we at Bukal Life Care will throw away the term “Clinical Pastoral Education” (CPE) and replace it with “Clinical Pastoral Training” (CPT)? The short answer is “Not at this time.”

That being said, we intend to focus on the program as a TRAINING PROGRAM led by SUPERVISORS in a TRAINING ORGANIZATION, and NOT an EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM led by TEACHERS in an EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.

Our focus is to hone skills of ministerial professionals in the dual crafts of clinical chaplaincy and pastoral counseling. This process is primarily practical adult training that is built on the foundation of a theological education.

At the same time, we don’t seek to confuse people. Worldwide, the program we maintain is most commonly known as CPE. We don’t seek to make people think that the CPT program we have is different in substance. While there may be subtle differences, we are part of the same clinical pastoral movement that started in 2025 in the United States and 1965 in the Philippines.