Program Placements

Students in the MA Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy (MA SCP) program complete a mandatory Clinical Practicum placement or Supervised Psychospiritual Education (SPE) placement as part of the program. The placement combines supervised clinical experience with academic learning, enabling students to integrate theory, spirituality, ethics, and psychotherapy skills in real-world settings.

Luther offers a Practicum Orientation in the fall term for all incoming students. This is intended to provide students with the necessary information to plan for and pursue their placement.

Luther provides students with a list of approved clinical partners with sites located in Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Hamilton, London, Toronto, and the Greater Toronto Area.

It is the student’s responsibility to arrange the placement. Students are required to apply to placement opportunities at the clinical sites, participate in interviews, and keep up with required paperwork after securing a placement position. Luther cannot guarantee that students will be accepted into a placement; this is the sole discretion of the placement site/clinical Supervisor. Students should be prepared to take next steps toward securing a placement immediately after attending the fall term Practicum Orientation.

Luther’s Administrative and Clinical Practicum Coordinators support students throughout the placement process including placement guidance, documentation requirements, and communication with practicum sites and supervisors.

Students can expect to dedicate approximately 20 hours per week to their unpaid placement activities.

To graduate from the program, students are required to complete a minimum of 160 Direct Client Contact (DCC) hours and 36 Supervision Hours but are welcome and encouraged to accrue more hours.

College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario

The MA SCP program is a recognized program with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

For full information on the registration requirements and process, see the Apply to CRPO resource.

Please note that registration requirements are determined by the CRPO and may change from year to year. Luther does not oversee registration requirements and cannot speak on behalf of the CRPO.

Clinical Practicum

Students complete a supervised Clinical Practicum psychotherapy placement at community counselling agency or private psychotherapy clinic. The practicum provides opportunities to apply classroom learning in real-world settings while developing professional competence as a psychotherapist.

Clinical Practicum placements are completed concurrently with Luther's Practicum I (Fall) and Practicum II (Winter) courses where students participate in case discussions, reflective learning, and professional development activities.

Supervised Psychospiritual Education (SPE)

Students can opt to pursue a Supervised Psychospiritual Education (SPE) placement through teaching centres accredited by the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC). SPE offers a unique integration of spirituality, theology, psychology, and the social sciences. Placements are available in settings such as hospitals, health-care institutions, correctional facilities, educational institutions, faith communities, and community agencies.

For more information, see the Overview of Educational Programs offered by CASC.

Students who pursue an SPE placement do not attend a classroom-based course at Luther. All learning takes place at the placement site.

Clinical Learning Opportunities

Through the placement, students can gain experience in:

• Conducting psychotherapy and counselling sessions with individuals, couples, families, or groups.
• Assessment, treatment, documentation, and case management.
• Working with diverse client populations and presenting concerns.
• Ethical decision-making and professional practice.
• Receiving ongoing clinical supervision and feedback from experienced practitioners.

Depending on the site, students can gain experience in:

• Individual psychotherapy
• Couples and family therapy
• Group facilitation
• Crisis intervention
• Assessment and treatment planning
• CRPO recognized psychotherapy modalities (i.e. CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic and Existential approaches)
• Spiritually integrated psychotherapy
• Virtual and, or in-person counselling services

Pre-requisite Courses and Placement Timelines

To be eligible for placement, whether pursuing a Clinical Practicum or SPE placement, all students must complete the required pre-requisite courses:

• TH663Y Assessment
• TH664H Professional Studies and Ethics
• TH664L Pre-Practicum
• One of:
  • TH663L Sexuality and Gender for Care Providers
  • TH663M Family Therapy Overview
  • TH663Z Theory of Change
  • TH664O Neuroscience of Psychotherapy
• Any other one counselling course

The placement timeline depends on whether a student’s registration status is Full-Time or Part-Time.

Full-Time students complete their pre-requisite courses in the first year of the program and begin their placement in the second year.

Part-Time students are eligible to begin their placement after completing the required pre-requisite courses at their own pace. Often, Part-Time students choose to first complete all program courses, saving their placement (and any concurrent courses) for their last year of the program.

Placements may begin in either May or September. The start time is dependent on the placement site.

Placement Requirements

Students should be aware that placements require:

• Clinical supervision with a qualified Registered Psychotherapist (RP)
• Site-specific onboarding and safety training
• Participation in case consultations, staff meetings, professional development activities, and documentation responsibilities

Students are expected to comply with confidentiality and professional practice standards at all times.

Additional Considerations

Placement sites may require the following:

• Vulnerable Sector Check
• Immunization records
• Tuberculosis testing
• Mask fitting (for healthcare settings)