Earn Your Certificate in Addiction and Mental Health Recovery Coaching
Endorsed by Celebrate Recovery
A 42-hour certification program designed to equip church leaders to come alongside people navigating mental health struggles, and the ongoing challenges. This program is not intended to replace Celebrate Recovery or other recovery-focused church ministries, but to serve as a complementary tool that provides practical equipping that builds understanding, ongoing development, and compassionate support skills for those walking with others on their healing journey.
Friends and Family Deadline Extended: August 31th
Led by Mental Health & Ministry Experts
42+ Hours of Mental Health Coach Training
On-Demand Learning (24/7/365 Access)
Scholarships Available
Built for Church Leaders and those serving in ministry
Celebrate Recovery and the American Association of Christian Counselors have partnered to equip church leaders, wellness professionals and anyone who is often the person others turn to when life gets hard with a brand-new 42+ hour Addiction and Mental Health Recovery Coach training program.
Inside the Training
Understand What Trauma Can Do
Discover how trauma can shape reactions, relationships, trust, and recovery so you can recognize and respond to what may really be behind the hurt, hang-up, or habit. Trauma does not always show up the way we expect, and what looks like resistance or disconnection is often something much deeper. This lesson gives you the framework to show up with greater compassion and the kind of presence that makes people feel safe enough to open up.
Recognize When Something Needs Attention
Explore how to notice warning signs that someone may be struggling beyond what they are saying, and when the next step may need to include additional help. The people who are hurting the most are often the ones saying the least. This lesson teaches you how to create space for honesty, trust what you are sensing, and recognize when someone needs more than encouragement to take their next right step.
The Root of the Trigger
Understand how triggers work, why they are unique to every individual, and how to respond with patience and care even when you do not fully understand what someone is going through. Every pattern has a story and every trigger has a root. This lesson helps you slow down, stay curious, and create the kind of safety that makes real change possible.
You Don’t Have to Say the Right Thing
Get equipped to show up for someone who is grieving or hurting without rushing their process, explaining away their pain, or feeling like you have to have all the answers. The pressure to say something helpful can get in the way of simply being present. The people in your groups do not need you to have it all figured out. They need you to show up and stay.
Includes
Course 1 - Foundations of Celebrate Recovery and Mental Health Coaching
| Foundations of Celebrate Recovery and Mental Health Coaching | Presenter |
| The Mission and Structure of Celebrate Recovery | Pastor Johnny Baker, Jeni Baker, Cheryl Luke |
| Mental Health Coaching and the Church’s Role in the Continuum of Care | Mercy Connors |
| Guilt, Shame, and Forgiveness | John Thomas |
| God Attachment and Addiction | Zach Clinton |
| Understanding the Addiction Cycle and the Hope for Change | David Jenkins |
| Anxiety and Depression | Linda Mintle |
| Understanding Trauma and PTSD | Shannae Anderson |
| Understanding the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) | Shannae Anderson |
| Dual Diagnosis and Substance Abuse | Brian Kelley |
| How the Brain Heals: Neuroplasticity, Recovery, and Hope | Karl Benzio |
| Recognizing Red Flags in Group Members | Roger Stanton |
| Boundaries and Ethical Responsibilities | Mercy Connors |
| Spiritual Care and the Danger of Bypassing | Mark Mayfield |
| The 4 R’s of Mental Health Coaching | Ron Hawkins |
Course 2 - Mental Health Coaching Skills
| Mental Health Coaching Skills for Celebrate Recovery Leaders | Presenter |
| Creating Safety: How to Lead a Healthy CR Group | Jeni Baker |
| Listening that Heals: Practicing Empathy and Presence | Mark Mayfield |
| Guiding Without Pushing: Using Motivational Interviewing Techniques | Zach Clinton |
| Coaching with the Spirit: Spiritual Discernment in Conversations | Zach Clinton |
| People Are Different: Understanding Personalities and Triggers | Johnny Baker |
| Helping People Move Forward: Goal Setting and Recovery Planning | Jason VanRuler |
| Walking With, Not Dragging: Encouragement and Accountability | Mac Owen |
| Boundaries that Bless: Leading Without Losing Yourself | Jennifer Ellers |
| When Conflict Shows Up: How to Respond with Grace and Strength | Mac Owen |
| When People Resist: Dealing with Denial and Deflection | Shannae Anderson |
| Staying Grounded: Responding to Crisis Moments | Rodney Holmstrom |
| Cheering the Journey: Celebrating Progress in Recovery | Cheryl Luke |
| Protecting Trust: Ethics, Confidentiality, and Referrals | Mercy Connors |
| Leading Without Burning Out: Self-Care for CR Leaders | Andy Petry |
Course 3 - Addressing Mental Health and Behavioral Disorders
| Addressing Mental Health and Behavioral Disorders | Presenter |
| Understanding Depression and Mood Disorders | Gary Sibcy |
| Emotional Dysregulation and Mood Instability | Mark Mayfield |
| Recognizing Personality Disorders | Shannae Anderson |
| Understanding Cognitive Distortions in Mental Health | Zach Clinton |
| Recognizing Psychosis and Getting Help | David Jenkins |
| Trauma-Informed Group Leadership & PTSD | Jennifer Ellers |
| Substance Use, Opioids, and Recovery: The New Battlefront | Brian Kelley |
| Responding to Crisis: Panic Attacks, Self-Harm, and Suicidal Ideation | Roger and Sarah Stanton |
| Handling Distress & Disruptive Behavior with Grace and Authority | Shannae Anderson |
| Psychopharmacology: Understanding the Role of Medication | Karl Benzio |
| Ministry of Presence in Grief and the Journey to Healing | Rodney Holmstrom |
| Neurodivergence and the Brain: Coaching Strategies for ADHD, Autism, and Learning Differences | John Kuhnley |
| Understanding Shutdown, Apathy, and Stuckness in Mental Health Recovery | Jason VanRuler |
| Building a Mental Health-Friendly CR Ministry | Sarah Stanton |
You don’t have to be a professional therapist to make a difference.
In Celebrate Recovery, you are often the first person someone turns to. And behind every hurt, hang-up, or habit is a story that is still unfolding.
What You Are Seeing
Big Emotions
Someone whose emotions feel bigger than the room can hold.
Old wounds
A hurt that keeps resurfacing no matter how much work they have done.
Stuck Patterns
Addiction, isolation, or grief that seem impossible to move through.
Hard moments
A conversation where you are not sure what to say or where to begin.
What You’re Carrying
Pressure
Wanting to say the right thing and not make the situation worse.
Uncertainty
Knowing when to walk alongside someone and when to refer them to additional help.
Desire to go deeper
Wanting to help people beyond surface-level encouragement.
The weight of someone's pain
Caring deeply about someone but not always knowing what to do with what they have shared with you.
The people in your groups are not looking for perfection. They are looking for someone who stays present in the hard moments, walks alongside them with genuine care, and know when and how to refer them toward the professional level help that could change the trajectory of their life.
This course gives you the practical framework to do exactly that.
Recognize
what is really happening.
Relate
with care.
Respond
with wisdom.
Refer well
when someone needs more help.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AACC certified Mental Health Coach?
A Mental Health Coach is a trained, non-clinical support person who helps individuals navigate common mental health struggles and move toward healthier, more stable patterns of life. Mental health coaches use practical coaching strategies and biblically grounded care to help people set goals, build strengths, and take meaningful next steps.
This training does not prepare individuals to diagnose or provide clinical treatment. Instead, it equips everyday people, ministry leaders, and coaches with a clear, practical approach to support someone through challenges like anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, addiction, and relationship stress.
Mental Health Coaches may serve in churches, schools, nonprofits, coaching practices, or community settings, coming alongside people with compassion, wisdom, and hope while encouraging appropriate support and resources when needed.
How does being a Mental Health Coach apply to my role in Celebrate Recovery?
This training is a powerful resource for anyone walking alongside individuals facing mental health struggles—a vital part of our community in Celebrate Recovery.
However, please note that ‘Mental Health Coach’ is not an official role or title within the ministry of Celebrate Recovery. CR is, and will always remain, a peer-led program. This is not required training for Celebrate Recovery leaders or to serve as Mental Health Champions or Advocates.
This training is not a replacement for core Celebrate Recovery leadership training, nor does it qualify you to become a CR leader. Instead, it serves as an optional extension and enhancement, offering additional tools and insights to equip you for mental health support.
While this certification does not qualify you to serve as a Mental Health Champion at the local level or a Mental Health Advocate at the global level, it will powerfully equip you to come alongside others, offer meaningful support, help individuals process challenges, and guide them toward appropriate care and resources within the church.
Who is the Mental Health Coach Training with an emphasis in CR for?
This training is for anyone who wants to support others as they grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually using practical, faith-integrated coaching strategies.
This program is a strong fit for Christian coaches, ministry leaders, small group leaders, pastoral care teams, educators, wellness professionals, and anyone who is often the person others turn to when life gets heavy.
“At AACC, we believe the Church has been called to be a front line of hope and healing for a hurting world. That is why we are honored to lock arms with Celebrate Recovery in this shared mission: to equip leaders who can care for the whole person with biblical truth, clinical insight, and Christ-centered compassion. Together, we can help more people encounter the freedom, restoration, and lasting hope found in Jesus Christ.”
Dr. Tim Clinton
President, AACC
AACC & Celebrate Recovery Leadership
Pastor Johnny Baker
Pastor Johnny, a nationally recognized speaker and author, has been a part of Celebrate Recovery since the beginning of the program. Serving alongside his parents, the founders of Celebrate Recovery, his life was among the first lives changed by the program. Johnny has served on CR staff since 2004, became the pastor of Celebrate Recovery in 2012, and is now succeeding his father, Pastor John Baker, as the leader of the worldwide movement. As an adult child of an alcoholic who became an alcoholic himself, Johnny is passionate about breaking the cycle of dysfunction in his family and helping other families find the tools that will lead to healing and freedom.
Rodney Holmstrom, M.A.
Rodney Holmstrom M.A., M.A. is the Global Field Director of CR. He has also served the past 18 years as CR pastor of Fellowship Bible in NW Arkansas. He is enthusiastic about helping families and communities break the cycles of dysfunction to help them in finding purpose in their pain from their hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Rodney is also a Licensed Professional Counselor and practices in NW Arkansas. He and his wife of 32 years, Carol, have two married adult children, his son, Jason married to Leasha, and his daughter, Taylor, married to Luke. He and his wife are proud grandparents to three grandchildren.
Zach Clinton, Ph.D.
Zach Clinton, Ph.D., LPC, serves as Executive Vice President of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), the world’s largest and most diverse Christian counseling organization. He is also host of the renowned Built Different Podcast as well as President and host of Ignite Men’s Ministry and Conferences. A Licensed Professional Counselor at Light Counseling, he also serves as an athletic counselor specializing in sport and performance psychology at Liberty University. Alongside his father, Dr. Tim Clinton, he co-hosts the national broadcast and radio show, Life, Love, Faith, & Family, a program dedicated to developing your mental health and relationships. As a former Division 1 college baseball player, Dr. Clinton loves working with professional and collegiate athletes and has a deep passion for helping today’s generations build self-esteem, emotion regulation, leadership qualities, and perspective shifts. He has dedicated his life to reminding people that no matter how dark, difficult, or painful life can be, they are never out of the fight! He is the author of Even If and Forged, and is thrilled to be married to his lovely wife, Evelyn, as they make their home in Central Virginia.
Course Presenters
Jeni Baker
Mac Owen
Jennifer Ellers, M.A.
Gary Sibcy, Ph.D.
Andy Petry
John Thomas, Ph.D.
Cheryl Luke
David Jenkins, Psy.D.
Roger Stanton, M.A.
Sarah Stanton, M.Ed.
Elisas Moitinho, Ph.D.
Mercy Connors, Ph.D.
Shannae Anderson, Ph.D.
Mark Mayfield, Ph.D.
Jason VanRuler, M.A.
Brian Kelley, Ph.D.
John Kuhnley, M.D.
