Brendan Egan
A Journey of Returning, Deepening, and Healing. For Brendan Egan, his first encounter with Clinical Pastoral Education came at age 25 during seminary training. Even then, he sensed that CPE…
When the world slowed down during COVID, Kynan Sutherland found himself at a crossroads. A carpenter by trade and an active member of his Zen Buddhist community, he began to reflect deeply on how he could best serve others. “I’d been working with people in my spiritual community for a long time and felt moved to learn more about pastoral care, how to support people through crisis or significant change,” he recalls. “I was ready to move from overtly physical work to overtly pastoral work.”
That reflection led him to the University of Divinity’s Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program in 2023, a decision that would reshape his vocation and his understanding of presence, care, and listening.
Kynan’s experience of CPE was rich and challenging. “The framework was new to me, and some of the language was unfamiliar – Christian-inflected, I would say, but ultimately enriching,” he reflects. What stood out most was the shift from teaching to truly listening.
“The course taught me the value of walking into every situation with empty hands,” he says. “Instead of giving answers, I learned to listen for people’s unique resources and help them draw strength from them. CPE clarified the difference between formal teaching and professional pastoral care.”
Supervision was a key part of this growth. “I’ve continued with the same supervisor since CPE, and I have immense gratitude for the chance to reflect on my practice every few weeks. The student community and my placement mentor, Danni Moore, were also invaluable. Danni introduced me to real-world pastoral care, and she continues to guide me now as we share the role of Pastoral Care Coordinators at Dhelkaya Health.”
After completing CPE, Kynan stepped into a long-service-leave role at Dhelkaya Health (Castlemaine Hospital). “It was a remarkable opportunity to apply everything I’d learned,” he says. “I was responsible for maintaining the full pastoral care program, and later, Danni and I negotiated a shared role. Together we now cover Acute, Rehab, Residential, Palliative and Complex Care.”
Beyond the hospital, Kynan continues to draw on his CPE training in his Zen Buddhist leadership. “CPE enriched my capacity to be with people during times of great change, distress, or joy. Whether in hospital or in the sangha, the heart of the work is the same – listening, presence, and compassion.”
Kynan describes the program as intense – more than it appears on paper – but deeply rewarding. He encourages future students to approach CPE with commitment and openness. “Treat the course as full-time, no matter what the marketing says,” he advises with a smile. “And make sure you have a spiritual community to draw from while studying and beyond.”
While he acknowledges that CPE reflects a largely Christian heritage, Kynan sees great potential for growth in inclusivity. “CPE could expand to better reflect Australia’s increasingly diverse spiritual landscape,” he says. “There’s a shared heart between CPE and Buddhist practice – the cultivation of great listening, presence, and respect.”
For Kynan, CPE has been nothing short of transformative. “It launched me into a whole new career,” he says. “It deepened my faith in people’s capacity to grow, and in the quiet power of being fully present with another person. I’ve learned to trust that, and to trust others.”
