Pastoral Narrative Therapy Course

Pastoral Narrative Therapy Course

PASTORAL NARRATIVE THERAPY – TRAINING 2026

This programme has already commenced, but can still be joined via our introductory short course on 17-18 April 2026. More here Narrative Therapy Introduction Courses

Classes

We have two official campuses—Centurion, Pretoria (main campus also hosting the official online group), and Constantia Kloof, Roodepoort. Beyond these, there are learning communities across the country where students can connect and grow together. Some online students who live near each other even meet up in person, sometimes gathering in a home setting. We also have international students who join us from around the world.

While we value in-person connection wherever possible, our learning platform is designed to support strong engagement and interactive learning no matter where students are based.

All of that in a nutshell. Now, let’s take it from the top.

Introduction

South Africa has a unique history with this kind of therapy where the development of Narrative Therapy in the South African context was and is significantly advanced by pastoral communities. That does not mean one must talk about faith but that we honour people’s stories of faith, of what they believe, without being prescriptive or dogmatic.

People interested in pastoral narrative therapy are typically intrigued by both the pastoral aspect of the work as well as working with stories. ‘Pastoral narrative’ is therefore a unique offering that deals both with pastoral concerns but is also fully training in ‘Narrative Therapy’ as one would encounter it all over the world. Please reach out to us if you have any reservation, theologically or otherwise.

Previous enrollment and past introduction videos

The videos will be updated soon. Except for references to earlier years, the content remains relevant.

The remainder of this page is divided into a registration form section and other documents and a section offering course information.

Registration forms

CHOOSE YOUR LEARNING CAMPUS

Important: Discounts and sponsorships mentioned on this website are only available for the regions mentioned under PNT26A. Regions PNT26B are regions that are managed by learning partners which may have their own discount structures but should not be assumed. More about the different regions and specific registration forms, click on the headings below.

Areas not mentioned and local partnerships

The following areas have not had student registrations that consistently allow for annual local intake. Students must register for online or Pretoria-local studies (PNT26A). However, prospective students or prospective partners (churches or organisations) who see themselves helping to develop local capacity at a faster rate to address the need in different areas, they should reach out to us as soon as possible. Such students may well be sponsored partly or fully by us. For partnering churches or organisations, most of the fees are reinvested into the local initiative. We’d be delighted to hear from other counselling or pastoral centres.

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Course information

The Pastoral Narrative Therapy course has been developed to provide ordinary people, or aspiring and existing helping-practitioners, with practical exposure to pastoral narrative care, to be hope-collaborators in the world.

While developing understanding of their own life stories, students are equipped to co-create hope and facilitate healing in a wide variety of situations relevant in the Southern African societal context.

Some choose to formally go into counselling, use it in coaching and other helping roles, hope-collaboration skills are aimed at anyone whether they are parents, teachers, hairdressers, doctors, engineers, managers, or leaders.

1. Outcomes

• To gain insight into one’s own story, of one’s family and therein create the potential for restoration or growth;
  To help along and contribute to the restoration of the lives of individuals, marriages, families, and communities.
• To recognise the toxic elements (discourses) of different cultures;
  To discover the role that people’s faith narratives play in their emotional- , relational- and spiritual well-being;
• An integrated understanding of pastoral narrative therapy;
• The capacity to integrate pastoral theology and narrative therapeutic skills in a meaningful and creative way in practice and everyday life;
• To develop possibilities for students to operate in a pastoral therapeutic way within different specialisation fields (such as trauma, addiction, marriage);
• To make a pastoral therapeutic contribution of hope and healing in communities.

2. Uniqueness of the course

• During and after the course the student becomes part of the Coram Deo Community: a community that is based on respect, support and fellowship;
• With lecture and consulting rooms, Coram Deo Pretoria offers a strong support structure for the student to thrive in. At different campuses, different facilities and support structures help students flourish;
• Due to an established academic culture the student will receive excellent training;
• Coram Deo offers the student the opportunity to have pastoral narrative therapeutic conversations with people.
• If the student chooses to continue his/her studies for a third year, the student may enrol in the Continuous Learning- and/or the Supervision Programme.
• Coram Deo’s senior pastoral therapists are there to guide the student throughout this programme;
• At Coram Deo we integrate the narrative paradigm with pastoral theology and human sciences. A narrative approach, as a social science, has various application possibilities in various modalities from psychology to social work to professional mentorship, facilitation and coaching professions. This is a mouth-full. Do come and talk to us!
• Students who complete the course would feel competent to contribute their skills to their work environments.
• Especially when continuing with the supervision programme there would be further counselling opportunities at Coram Deo.

3. Course leadership

Dr Elmo Pienaar, national managing director, along with experienced counselors, lectures, local student experience-facilitators and learning partners.

4. Course content

Modules presented during the two years:

• The narrative paradigm
• Pastoral Theology
• A pastoral narrative approach to:
  • Marriage and relationship counselling
  • Child therapy, or teenagers and young adulthood*
  • Various forms of abuse
  • Bereavement and trauma counselling
  • Dependency (e.g., substance and alcohol)
  • Depression and anxiety

* Due to the limited number of weeks of the year the module rotates annually between children and teenagers. The module not included can be taken separately as part of our open programmes.

5. Method of presentation

• Lectures
• Group Discussions
• Practice skills in class
• Research
• Assignments
• Online assisted learning

6. Programme duration and format

• The course is a two-year advanced programme, presented in collaboration with the University of Pretoria Enterprises division;
• Students attend one, three-hour class per week (excluding school holidays);
• Classes are attended either in-person* in various regions or online;
• Classes are mostly participatory and, or, experiential and it is important for students to get into the habit of going through their reading material;
• Weekly reading material is estimated at 30-50 pages;
• Students must attend lectures for roughly 33 weeks of the year;
• Attendance of 80% is required.

* Students who intend to enrol for in-person/ local classes are encouraged to also avail themselves of the online learning format. All training organisations experienced during Covid that online alternatives may well be required during certain times. Some situations may necessitate learners to complete their studies online.

7. Studying online

The online learning format is exactly as for in-person attendance. Online learning has benefits and drawbacks. Convenience and accommodating students who might relocate are but two benefits. Note that all students who study online are seen as students studying directly with Coram Deo head office in Pretoria. Where independent / licensed campuses offer online class this should be the exception and is allowed only for the purpose of serving the local community (See section on ‘learning communities’).

In addition to live weekly class an online portal, narrativeacademy.co assists both online and local students during their studies.  For online students the portal will be even more important.

With limited exception the online learning format does not accommodate independent distance learning. It requires live, participatory classes as for local attendance.

Students studying online can reach out at any time. We have two blogs that prospective students can read. This will help ensure a meaningful online learning experience:

• http://coramdeo.co.za/what-online-or-blended-learning-is-like/
• http://coramdeo.co.za/thrive-in-your-online-class

8. Online portal and learning pods

All students (and prospective students) must create a free online learning profile at

www.narrativeacademy.co Prospective students can do that today.

Once you have verified your email address, sign in and look for the group in the search function. Search for ‘first year enrolment prospective students’ Then locate and click on the button ‘request to join.’ Please be sure to look in your ‘spam folder’ since your email programme might initially not recognise the domain and mistakenly see communication from the website as spam.

The platform serves as a unifying learning platform for all places the programme is presented across the country or around the world. Licensed or independent campuses will however have some leeway in how they utilise the platform. The platform is however the only official place where the pastoral narrative therapy course may be put forward in a structured way in support of local and online classes.

In areas where we do not have enough students to present in-person attendance but sufficient to treat as a cohort, the platform will fulfil an important role in aiding local connection and learning. Local students may well then convene weekly while tuning in to online class as a group (whether gathering in a student’s lounge or where a church may act as local host venue).

9. Variations to weekly class format

The format of attending one class per week is the default format for Gauteng, most regions and online learning. This may change closer to commencement depending on several variables like student intake numbers, discontinuation of studies or how many lecturers might have to travel to some regions. While historically, over two decades, the default format was presented over 95% of the time, anyone who enrols must note that due to circumstances not within our control the format might change. These are some of the possible format changes:

• Having two classes every second week (as opposed to one class every week) which may be the case for in-person attendance in the George-Mossel Bay region. For some years this is the standard format in that region.

• Limited enrolment per region may necessitate weekly online class where students might have wanted to attend in-person. Opportunities may then be created for students to connect locally either on a structured ad hoc basis or monthly. The purpose would then not be to teach the material again but rather to reflect together on material, to connect relationally and advance practice opportunities.

• Also note that local (in-person) classes that experience higher number of students discontinuing their studies at some stage will also require students to proceed with online studies. This unfortunately is not within our control but we have made every effort to ensure that students who start will be able to complete their learning journey.

10. Minimum number of students

A minimum number of 20 students per group is needed, to present the course in the preferred format of in-person class attendance once a week. If fewer students per region enrol, they can be accommodated in a variety of other formats. Be sure to check in periodically where we update schedules as needed: coramdeo.co.za/class-schedules/

For several reasons students sometimes cannot continue their studies. This impacts the viability for a group to continue with their preferred format of in-class attendance. Students who enrol do so with the knowledge that where a local group’s size reduces significantly, this may well require them to complete their studies by attending class live online once a week or join other local groups if they are available for that year.  Such other classes may not necessarily be on a day and time that suit them. Should this happen, we will still ensure that the student can complete their studies. Do speak to us.

11. Class schedules

Class schedules differ per region and are published online only. For some students, format and the specific days of class might be strong determining factors for studying (See also section on ‘Minimum number of students’).

Be sure to check in periodically where we update schedules as might be needed: coramdeo.co.za/class-schedules/

12.   Assessments

There are no traditional-formal exams.

During the two years the students must complete five assignments, and a number of semi-structured practical conversations.

During the first year the following two assignments are compulsory:

• Power discourses
• Theological discourses

During the second year a selection of three assignments of the following themes must be completed:

• Different forms of dependency
• Marriage and relationship counselling
• Trauma
• Abuse
• Child or teenage therapy
• Depression and anxiety

Class attendance of 80% is also a requirement.

Learning-communities-campuses-and-huddles

This section is only for leadership of congregations or organisations who are interested in advancing the course locally. This may even include presenting the course in towns outside of current campusses/ learning communities. It does take time to do the legwork for such options and conversations must start early.

A campus need not be grand. It is seen as an area, a venue, where students can attend local classes. We distinguish between direct campuses and self-sustaining campuses.

All areas where there exists an agreement with a local steering entity, and where they have sufficient resources to present the programme are seen as self-sustaining, licensed, or independent learning partners. These are seen as campuses of Coram Deo for only those Coram Deo programmes that are agreed upon to be presented by the learning partner.

All aspects of administration are dealt with directly by the local campus although Coram Deo may from time to time include such students in various communication directives. Ultimately such students remain students of Coram Deo although students might also want to attend other programmes that the entity present in their own capacity.

In addition to Pretoria, Constantia Kruin and Mossel Bay have served as strong learning campuses. Constantia Kruin, though a self-sustaining campuses is also fully a Coram Deo Pastoral learning centre whereas in Mossel Bay the programme is presented by the Caritas care centre. Other areas that in the past had enough resources to promote and facilitate the programme include Benoni, George, Durbanville, and Lydenburg.

We are confident that students will experience a special learning journey with any approved learning partner.

Direct campuses include Pretoria (head office), all online cohorts and in the past Swakopmund (in Namibia), and Durbanville. Any partnering church or entity that acts as a learning campus for the first time do so as a direct campus.

Depending on the resources in the local area classes are presented through a combination of local lecturers, traveling lecturers and at times online lecturers.

 Areas where there are not enough students to accommodate in-person attendance are dealt with as huddles. Usually, huddles are part of the online cohort. They convene either in a student’s lounge, or a local training room offered by a church. When online students are asked to discuss a concept, the huddle discusses the material in the comfort of their home or local training venue.

Huddles may grow into direct campuses over time which may later become a self-sufficient campus. Self-sufficient campuses may in some years fall back to being direct campuses or convene as learning huddles.

Whichever the case may be, Coram Deo has over time amassed significant learning communities across the country. Even though an area may not have a cohort every year (which will then necessitate being part of the online cohort individually or as a huddle) there are practitioner learning communities. Wherever a possibility we link up students to local learning communities of earlier years.

14. Further studies at the University of Pretoria

After completing the advanced programme with Coram Deo successfully, this puts students on track to apply for and enrol in the postgraduate diploma in theology at the University of Pretoria.

Our advanced programme can be recognised for several of the subjects of the UP postgraduate diploma. This in effect helps students save thousands.

The university do however also have an admission criterion of a bachelor’s degree (in any discipline) for the postgraduate diploma or bachelor’s equivalent training.

This in turn could pave the way to undertake a master’s degree and then a PhD. If our advanced programme was not presented for evaluation of the postgraduate diploma it can be considered to substitute the course work aspect of the university master’s degree.

Our frequently asked section contains more about the relationship with our tertiary education partner.

15. Counselling association registration

While a significant part of our purpose is to train everyone to be hope collaborators (moms, friends, grand dads, everyday community members, many other professions who work with people), past students have registered at the official pastoral counselling board over the years and set up private practices (The council for pastoral and spiritual counsellors (CPSC) is a council of the SAQA registered Association for Christian and Religious Practitioners).

Students who want to formally set up a counselling practice must at some point register at an appropriate accountability organisation at a designation level, like with CPSC. During the second year of studies they can also register at SignoPro, a voluntary accountability interdisciplinary association for narrative and collaborative practitioners..

The programme is at present not formally registered with the HPCSA, SACSW or SACE. Nevertheless, we are aware that several of our students from psychology, social work or teaching were able to receive recognition from these professional bodies for completing the programme.

Ministry professionals such as pastors qualify for 100CMD (‘VBO’) points upon successful completion. We would be happy to work with you and to approach your professional body for recognition.

We have been doing this for twenty years and the programme is highly regarded in many circles, academia and otherwise.

16. Who may enrol?

The standard academic admission requirement is a matric certificate with preferably three years further education, or the equivalent in work experience (Recognition of Prior Learning). If you are uncertain, please come and talk to us.

For students who intend to continue with the university postgraduate diploma the formal academic requirements become important. Other than matric the academic requirement is however not a prerequisite to simply do the programme for self-development, work in community settings and generally to be equipped to advance hope in the world.

Formal academic training is not a requirement for promoting hope. This programme helps everyone to do that responsibly.

17. Difficulty of the programme

The programme uses material of various levels of difficulty. It starts off with an easy to read introduction. Yet, it also incorporates material for those who intend to study further. They will need to complete the programme at a high level in preparation of qualifying for the postgraduate diploma at the university. Attending class will help a great deal with material of different difficulty levels. That is what lecturers are there for, to help understand the material and create learning experiences to practically integrate concepts.

18. Commencement dates and enrolment deadlines

Classes usually commence during a full week between January up to the middle of February. Please see the website for the specific class dates and on which weekday your class is schedule during the week in your area: coramdeo.co.za/class-schedules/

For Pretoria and online studies:

Classes commence during the first week of February. Students either join the Monday evening online group (Weekly 18:00-21:00 starting 2 February), or the in person attendance cohort gathering Tuesday mornings 09:00-12:00, from 3 February).

Our last information session will take place Thursday evening, 28 January 2026 at 18:30. Attend online or in person. The enrolment deadline is the end of January. Late registration can be permitted up to 13 February but cannot be guaranteed as it is subject to student numbers and other factors.

Our Roodepoort campus starts earlier, during the last week of January with in person attendance weekly on a Thursday 18:00-21:00.

19. Registration

Our administrative preference is for prospective students to fill out the electronic interactive registration form (click here). The print version is also available to download from the website.

A registration form (if not included in this version of the prospectus) can be accessed online via the following pages.

• coramdeo.co.za/pastoral-narrative-therapy-course/
• coramdeo.co.za/afr/kursusse/narratiewe-pastorale-beradingskursus/

Alternatively, send a blank email now to pnt-intake@coramdeo.co.za and all relevant links will be automatically emailed to prospective students within minutes. Be sure to look in your spam folder should you not have received it.

A non-refundable and non-transferable registration fee of R400 is payable to book your participation in the programme (this is mostlhy for early enrolment in the previous year already). This is part of the full non-refundable deposit of the R1189 and for those who are only enrolling in January or early February this is the full deposit to be paid.

20. Costs

Cost of tuition: The annual cost of tuition is R11,891 The total cost for the two years is R23,782. From this the full deposit is deducted and the remainder of the tuition fees are divided into monthly payments by debit order. Other arrangements can be made (for instance 6 installments over two years) but a 5% discount is triggered automatically for debit order payments or advance settlements. Special rates and discounts offered may apply, decided on annually: https://coramdeo.co.za/special-rates-discounts-sponsorships/ but only debit order payments are applied from the first year already.

FOR DEBIT ORDERS: Only the R400 part of the full deposit is required paid into the bank account details provided. The monthly payment then is R970 (23 months). If the full deposit is paid this amount comes down to R935 per month. Proceed to fill out the debit order form here and select your start date between 1 to 5 February. This will be set up to run for 23 months. When needed changes can be made.

Payment can be made via EFT or card at head office in Pretoria. Payment to partner regions / campuses is paid directly to them. See section ‘Address and contact details’ relevant also to payments.

The cost of tuition may vary slightly if studying in Roodepoort. The stated costs and discounts are relevant to Pretoria and for online studies. Local campuses might offer their own cost saving instruments.

Cost of books: Students will be required to purchase three books, the list of which will be sent to those who register. Books can be ordered from various online providers. Due to the rand-dollar exchange there is some fluctuation but together the books are estimated to cost R2,500. However, material that students need to start with are provided.

Other: There is an additional literature rights fee of R200/year, payable on request.

Payment can be divided as follows:

First year of studies

The full deposit is payable with commencement (usually by the end of January): R1,189 (If you need to make an arrangement, contact the finances department after registration).

The registration fee is part of, and deducted from the full deposit but payable immediately when registering: R400 (The remaining part of the full deposit is then R789 to be paid by the end of January).

The registration fee and deposit are non-refundable but transferable to another student.

Please note that for all non-refundable deposits not used towards studying (only at Pretoria and online connected to Pretoria from any region) can be issued with an article 18A tax reduction certificate. We are formally an NPO and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO). These tax reduction certificates we issue you with must be submitted during the current tax year. Let us know you require a tax reduction certificate for your non-refundable deposits as soon as you know you will not be able to study. This also means that you can safely lock in any early-bird discounts, in that even though non-refundable it is used towards making a positive contribution to our world. Your bonus for doing good is that you literally don’t have to pay taxes on the amount of the deposit. It is however transferable to another student in the same year who wish to study.

Just as the registration fee is already part of the deposit, the full deposit is already part of the cost of tuition. It is not extra. After the deposit is paid the outstanding tuition cost for the two-years can be paid:

• Monthly (23 instalments as explained above) or …
• With a full deposit paid the six instalments over two years: End of March, July and October each year. R3765.50 per installment.

Students who paid at least 66% of their fees can request an extension for the remaining balance (Ts & Cs apply).

Lower your cost of tuition even further by taking part in our Seeds of Hope campaign and other cost saving instruments for PNT26A campuses. Active Seeds of Hope student-participants on second tier level also gain lifetime access to material on our learning platform.

Some discounts are offered as credit on student accounts and capitalised only during the second year of studies. Students who would have qualified for discounts during the second year forgo such discounts should they discontinue their studies

Special rates Discounts Sponsorships

Second year of studies

The fee for both years is the same. Since it is a two-year programme there is no deposit or registration fee to be paid for the second year. Students who pause their studies will have to pay an administration fee when they resume.

Bank details

Mind that two learning partners have their own bank accounts. Students studying local in Constantia Kruin (Roodepoort) pay their fees to these campuses directly.

21.   Special rates and discounts

Students intending to study in Mossel Bay and Roodepoort are encouraged to reach out to campus leaders to learn about any financial arrangements that might be available. For all other campuses, notably Pretoria, online and any potential first-time campus not mentioned at time of publication see https://coramdeo.co.za/special-rates-discounts-sponsorships/

If offered, early discount from when enrolment opens in September up to the end of October in the year prior to commencement is usually significant.

22. Address and contact detail

Classes are presented at Coram Deo pastoral centres or venues that serve as official hosts for Coram Deo learning communities.

For general inquiries prior to studies contact 012 998 8323 / or- 9083, or 076 135 7367 during administrative office hours (weekdays 08:30-13:30). Alternatively email info@coramdeo.co.za. Students already registered: students@coramdeo.co.za

Where relevant we will put you in touch with local community members in these areas.

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The Journey

Dear student

For the past twenty years we have been blessed to be part of God’s agenda of healing in the world. We know this from feedback we receive for why people enrol and what the programme has meant for them.

Let your journey of hope begin

Some enrol because they eventually want to set up a counselling private practice. Others do so for the tremendous self-development journey that the programme facilitates. Yet others want to be better helpers in their daily lives in their congregations, communities, as managers, teachers or in just about any area of human connection.

The beauty in all of this is how students’ lives change and sometimes the place and motivation that they start off from are vastly different than where they end up. There is a bit of a mystery to all of this, and we can never know fully know in advance what God is up to. And be sure, God is up to something.

We are looking forward to meeting you.

All the best in the process of discernment.

Regards

Dr. Elmo Pienaar National Managing Director Coram Deo Pastoral Centre NPC

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• Durbanville (in the Western Cape);
• George (South Cape);
• Bloemfontein (Free State)
• Durban (KwaZulu-Natal)
• Benoni (East Rand);
• Lydenburg (Mpumalanga);