TITLE XXX
OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS

CHAPTER 330-A
MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE

Section 330-A:17

    330-A:17 Pastoral Psychotherapists. –
The board shall issue a pastoral psychotherapist license to any person who satisfactorily meets all of the following requirements or their equivalent:
I. Has passed a satisfactory proctored examination in pastoral counseling. The examination shall be set and defined by the board.
II. Has a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college.
III. Has a Master of Divinity degree, or an equivalent, from a school of theology accredited by the Association of Theological Schools.
IV. Has been authorized by a denomination or faith group through ordination, consecration, or equivalent means to exercise specific religious leadership and service within and on behalf of the denomination or faith group.
V. Has completed one unit of full-time clinical pastoral education or its equivalent.
VI. Has given evidence of serving at least 3 years as a clergy person, demonstrating growing maturity in one's identity and role as a professional religious leader.
VII. Has received a doctoral degree in pastoral psychotherapy based on a program the content of which was primarily psychology, pastoral psychotherapy, and clinical studies, or its equivalent in both subject matter and extent of training.
VIII. Has done at least 1,375 hours of pastoral counseling while receiving at least 250 hours of interdisciplinary supervision of that counseling, dealing with the theological and psychological dimensions of human development.
IX. Has given evidence of having undergone sufficient theological and psychotherapeutic investigation of one's own intrapsychic and interpersonal processes so that one is able to protect the client from the pastoral psychotherapist's problems and to deploy oneself to the maximum benefit of the client.
X. Has given evidence of:
(a) An understanding of the counseling and psychotherapeutic process;
(b) An ability to develop the counseling or psychotherapeutic relationship;
(c) An ability to perform a leadership role in the context of the religious community; and
(d) An ability to integrate one's professional role and personal identity.
XI. Has attained the level of Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors or an equivalent organization.

Source. 1998, 234:1. 2010, 244:11, eff. July 1, 2010.