A Professional Mental Health Coach is a trained, non-licensed support professional who helps individuals navigate challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction within a clearly defined, ethical scope of practice. These coaches provide biblically grounded, clinically informed support and often work in collaboration with licensed counselors. They are especially valuable during transitional phases of care, such as when individuals are stepping down from therapy, no longer meet clinical criteria for a diagnosis, or when insurance coverage limits ongoing treatment.

Professional Mental Health Coaching is a structured, client-centered process that supports individuals in achieving greater mental well-being and personal growth. It is not a substitute for therapy or clinical treatment. Instead, it complements those services by offering continuity of care and equipping clients with practical, faith-integrated tools for daily living. Professional Mental Health Coaches are fee-based providers who empower clients to build resilience, regulate emotions, and apply evidence-based coping strategies. Using a holistic approach, they address emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and spiritual dimensions to support long-term wellness.

For more information, view the Professional Mental Health Coach Code of Ethics.

The role of a Professional Mental Health Coach is to walk alongside individuals facing mental and emotional challenges, offering practical support, encouragement, and accountability within a biblically grounded and ethically defined framework. While they do not diagnose or treat mental disorders, they help clients apply healthy coping strategies, build recovery plans, and stay on track in their healing journey. They often work in collaboration with licensed professionals and are especially helpful during the recovery phase when clinical treatment ends but ongoing support is still needed.

A Professional Mental Health Coach may:

• Help clients develop and maintain personalized recovery plans
• Provide support for issues like anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction within appropriate boundaries
• Offer accountability and encouragement to reinforce growth and prevent relapse
• Assist clients in building life skills, setting goals, and managing emotional wellness
• Collaborate with churches, ministries, or counseling practices to extend care beyond clinical settings

Becoming a successful Professional Mental Health Coach starts with the right training, a clear sense of calling, and a commitment to serve others with excellence and integrity. Through Light University’s biblically grounded, clinically informed certification, you will gain the knowledge, tools, and practical skills needed to support those facing emotional and mental health challenges.

To set yourself up for success:

• Complete the Mental Health Coach core training (MHC 101, 201, and 301) or the Youth Mental Health Coach core training (YMHC 101, 201, and 301)
• Enroll in the Professional Mental Health Coaching Certification to learn how to build a coaching practice or join a team
• Clarify your scope of practice and ethical responsibilities
• Stay connected to professional networks and continuing education
• Pursue opportunities to serve in churches, nonprofits, or private practices where your training meets real needs

Success in this field is not easy. It takes hard work, persistence, and a willingness to keep growing. There are no guarantees, but with consistent effort and faithful service, you can make a lasting impact in the lives of others.
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The Professional Mental Health Coaching Certification is a 24-hour, self-paced training program that you can complete on your own schedule. You have up to one full year from the day you enroll to finish the course. While some complete it in just a few weeks, the timeline is entirely up to you.

The cost to become a Professional Mental Health Coach through Light University is typically $1,600. However, a special scholarship is available for those who have enrolled in or completed the 42-hour Mental Health Coach or Youth Mental Health Coach program. With the scholarship, the total cost is just $315, which includes a $279 program fee and a $36 technology fee.

Flexible payment options are also available through Affirm, allowing you to spread the cost over time. Payment plans may require a credit check and are subject to eligibility. You can select this option at checkout.

The Professional Mental Health Coaching Certification is not legally required, but it is highly recommended if you want to serve with excellence, credibility, and confidence in the mental health coaching field. It equips you with advanced tools to support clients ethically and effectively, especially in recovery-focused settings where ongoing care is needed after clinical treatment ends. Certification also helps you stand out to churches, counseling practices, and potential clients as someone who is trained, prepared, and committed to best practices.

Once you complete the Professional Mental Health Coaching program, you are eligible to apply for certification through the International Board of Christian Care (IBCC). This credential recognizes your training and commitment to ethical, faith-based mental health support. More details on the application process, fees, and requirements will be available soon.

These roles all help people grow, heal, and thrive—but they differ in training, scope, and setting:

Life Coach:
Focuses on personal and professional growth by helping clients set goals, overcome obstacles, and move forward in life. Not designed to address mental health struggles or emotional recovery.

Mental Health Coach (42-hour training):
Trained to provide basic emotional and spiritual support in ministry, church, or community settings. Offers encouragement, listening, and guidance to individuals facing common mental health challenges like stress, grief, or relational strain—within a clearly defined, non-clinical scope. Ideal for volunteers, lay leaders, and pastoral care teams.

Professional Mental Health Coach (Advanced Certification):
Builds on the Mental Health Coach foundation to equip individuals for professional, career-level work. Trains you to serve clients ethically and effectively during the recovery process, structure coaching sessions, navigate boundaries, and either start your own practice or work in a clinical-adjacent setting. This role is designed for those ready to do the work of mental health support vocationally.

In short:
Life Coaches focus on goals, Mental Health Coaches serve in volunteer or ministry roles, and Professional Mental Health Coaches are trained to serve in the mental health space with career-level readiness.

A Professional Mental Health Coach is a non-licensed support professional trained to help individuals build coping skills, stay on track in recovery, and move toward emotional and spiritual wellness. They do not diagnose, treat, or provide therapy. Instead, they offer encouragement, accountability, and practical tools to help clients apply what they’ve learned in counseling and continue growing.

A Licensed Mental Health Professional, such as a counselor, psychologist, or clinical social worker, is trained and authorized by the state to diagnose mental health disorders, develop treatment plans, and provide psychotherapy.

They can work together by serving the same client at different points in the healing journey:

• A licensed professional provides clinical care during the active treatment phase.
• A professional mental health coach offers support in the recovery phase, after clinical goals have been met or between sessions.
• Coaches can reinforce progress, prevent relapse, and help clients apply healthy habits in everyday life.
• When working in a collaborative setting, both roles help ensure the client receives well-rounded, ethically appropriate care.

In short: licensed professionals treat; coaches support. Both play a valuable role in long-term healing and growth.