Staff Stories - May 15, 2025

Reviving CPE Day

Convening Clinical Pastoral Leaders from the National Capital Region

By Syazana Durrani

On April 4, 2025, I had the distinct pleasure of being among the nearly 50 participants gathered at Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads for the first in-person Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Day since 2019.

CPE Day is a gathering of spiritual care students and educators at regional centers across the D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area. The purpose of the event is to foster connection and collaboration among students and educators working in the same region. It has long served as a space for peer learning, mutual encouragement and shared reflection on the work of spiritual care.

At a time when most spiritual care training is conducted online (a holdover from the pandemic), this in-person gathering was a powerful reminder of the sacredness of presence—not only with those we serve, but also with one another. This year’s event brought together chaplains-in-training from diverse clinical settings—hospital and hospice, civilian and military, denominational and interfaith. Participating CPE programs included Goodwin Living, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

Restarting the CPE Day Tradition

CPE Day in the DMV area, like many regional gatherings across the country, began as a grassroots effort. Goodwin Living Director of Clinical Pastoral Education Liz Pomerleau remembers large gatherings during her time as a Certified Educator Candidate. “When I worked with our former CPE Director Dan Duggan, CPE Day brought together programs from all across the region – from Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Va. to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md,” she said. “We’re hoping to re-engage the longstanding partners who could not attend this year in future gatherings.”

This year’s revival was sparked by the educator group at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, who voiced a desire to renew this meaningful tradition. “CPE Day is a wonderful tradition that I was delighted to have a part in rekindling,” said Jonathan Fisher, Director of the CPE Program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “The pandemic changed so much of how we meet. Many of our meetings converted to online meetings and continued in that setting because it’s just so convenient and efficient to meet that way. However, online platforms cannot recreate the networking, comradery and connection that can be had around a table.”

“As I watched students and educators from across the DMV connect and dialogue with one another, I saw lifelong friendships and professional relationships form,” he continued. “These collegial relationships are what sustain trauma-informed chaplains through the ups and downs of chaplaincy work.”

Rooted in Relationship: CPE at Goodwin Living

As Goodwin Living hosted this year’s CPE Day, I had the privilege of welcoming our guests on Liz’s behalf while she was away attending a leadership training session. In that moment, I was proud to name what makes the Goodwin Living CPE experience unique.

CPE is an interfaith professional education program for spiritual care providers. Grounded in action-reflection learning, it prepares students for chaplaincy through clinical practice, group learning and supervision. CPE is required for board certification as a healthcare chaplain and is offered at hospitals, senior living communities, Veterans Affairs and military sites nationwide. Each center offers its own focus and training environment—from trauma-informed chaplaincy in military and urban hospital contexts, to long-term relational care in senior living and hospice settings.

The Goodwin Living CPE Program is unique in its integration of spiritual care across the aging continuum—serving residents in independent living, assisted living, memory support, skilled nursing and long-term care. Our students also train at Inova Health System, including the Level I trauma center at Inova Fairfax, offering a blend of both reflective and high-intensity clinical experiences.

We’re not a hospital where chaplaincy moves at the speed of crisis. Our students slow down. They build relationships. They learn from the wisdom and dignity of older adults who don’t just receive spiritual care—they offer it. At Goodwin Living, caring for older adults means being invited to truly know them. Our students learn from the incredible life stories and histories that Goodwin Living residents so generously share. They name their grief and losses, their joys and sorrows, imparting wisdom that students carry with them not only in their personal lives, but also in their ministries. This is how our older adults model spiritual care: by demonstrating the loving vulnerability to both give and receive it.

I often say that being with older adults is like being among trees—they are rooted, resilient and full of stories.

The Spirit of Connection

The spirit of deep connection inspired by the presence of older adults shaped the tone of our CPE Day. Participants engaged in peer-led storytelling, informal educational presentations, structured group discussions and rich cross-program dialogue about their formative experiences.

Many shared how energizing it was to realize they weren’t alone—that peers across the region are also immersed in this sacred, complex and transformative work. “I really appreciated the genuine connections with other caring professionals in the CPE field,” shared one participant.

“CPE day was a refreshing opportunity to connect with other pastoral professionals and feel understood,” said another participant. “I loved learning about the different programs in our area and meeting other chaplains.”

Goodwin Living was honored to host this first in-person CPE Day since the pandemic, and we hope this marks the beginning of a renewed rhythm of connection and collaboration across the region. Until then, we carry forward the connections made and the reminder that we are never doing this sacred work alone.