Addiction and Mental Health Recovery Coaching is a practical, faith-integrated certificate pathway designed to equip everyday helpers to come alongside people who are facing addiction, mental health concerns, trauma, grief, stuck patterns, and the recovery process. The focus is on steady support, compassionate conversations, wise next steps, and knowing when to refer someone to additional care.

The certificate comes from AACC / Light University and is endorsed by Celebrate Recovery. This allows students to receive training through AACC and Light University while also connecting the pathway to Celebrate Recovery’s trusted recovery ministry context.

This pathway keeps the core strength of mental health coaching while adding a stronger recovery lens. It brings together AACC and Celebrate Recovery to help students understand addiction, recovery, trauma, group dynamics, emotional distress, boundaries, spiritual care, and referral awareness in a way that serves churches, recovery communities, and people-centered ministries.

This program is a strong fit for Celebrate Recovery leaders, ministry leaders, Christian coaches, small group leaders, pastoral care teams, educators, wellness professionals, parents, and anyone who is often the person others turn to when life gets heavy. You do not need to be a licensed clinician. What matters most is a willingness to learn, a heart to serve, and a desire to offer biblically grounded, practical support.

Celebrate Recovery remains a peer-led recovery ministry with its own leadership pathway and structure. This certificate is an additional equipping resource that can complement recovery-focused ministry by helping leaders recognize concerns, relate with compassion, respond with wisdom, and refer well when additional help is needed.

No. Completing this certificate does not automatically qualify someone to serve in an official Celebrate Recovery role, become a Mental Health Champion, or act as a clinical mental health provider. It provides additional training and a practical framework for support within the appropriate role, church structure, and ministry guidelines.

No. The program is designed for everyday helpers, ministry leaders, and recovery leaders. It does not qualify someone to diagnose, treat, or provide licensed clinical care. Instead, it equips students to offer non-clinical support, use helpful coaching conversations, and recognize when someone needs professional, pastoral, crisis, or recovery-specific resources.

A recovery coach comes alongside people with steady, non-clinical support as they move through addiction-related struggles, emotional challenges, grief, trauma, and healthy change. Coaches learn to identify patterns, listen well, support next steps, encourage accountability, and connect people to appropriate care when the situation requires more support.

You will be better equipped to recognize what may be happening beneath the surface, relate with empathy and spiritual sensitivity, respond with practical language and healthy boundaries, and refer well when someone needs clinical care, pastoral care, crisis support, or recovery resources.

The course includes foundations of Celebrate Recovery and mental health coaching, addiction and the recovery process, trauma and PTSD, anxiety and depression, dual diagnosis and substance abuse, neuroplasticity and hope, red flags in group members, motivational interviewing, boundaries, crisis response, psychiatric medication myths and realities, grief, ADHD, emotional dysregulation, and building a mental health-friendly recovery ministry.

The certificate includes approximately 42 hours of self-paced, online training. Students can complete the course on their own schedule while working through the lessons, presenters, and course materials.

Some students complete the program in a few weeks, while others spread it out over several months depending on their availability. The flexible format is designed to fit around life, work, family, and ministry commitments.

Students receive access for one full year from the date of enrollment, giving them time to complete the videos, materials, and course requirements at their own pace. If access expires before completion, extension options may be available according to the current course policy. Please review Light University’s terms of use for the most current access and extension information: LightUniversity.com/terms-of-use/

The normal course price is $966. With scholarship approval, the program is available for $99. Scholarship approval may be subject to application review and current program availability.

The scholarship pathway reduces the cost of the training from the normal course price to the approved scholarship price. Please see the pricing section on this page for current scholarship availability, cost, and application details.

No prior formal addiction, recovery, counseling, or coaching training is required. The program is designed to provide a practical foundation while also serving leaders who already have experience walking with people through recovery, ministry care, or people-helping roles.

Yes. Upon successful completion, students receive a certificate through AACC / Light University that is endorsed by Celebrate Recovery. The certificate can be used for personal records, ministry records, and professional development documentation.

After completing the certificate pathway, students meet the educational requirements to become a Certified Mental Health Coach through the International Board of Christian Care, IBCC. Students should review the current IBCC requirements and application process here: https://www.ibccglobal.com/credentials/board-christian-coaching

Yes. This course provides 42 hours of continuing education for IBCC credential holders seeking certification as a Mental Health Coach or completing continuing education requirements for a mental health coaching credential.

Students should review the current credentialing requirements for their specific IBCC credential or certification pathway to confirm how these hours apply.

Yes, the training is designed to help churches, small groups, recovery ministries, pastoral care teams, and people-centered communities build a more informed and compassionate culture of care. Students should always serve within their church’s leadership structure, ministry guidelines, and appropriate scope of care.

Enrollment is typically intended for one student per account. Churches or ministries that want to train multiple leaders should use the final page to direct visitors to the appropriate team enrollment, group scholarship, or contact option if one is available.