North Dakota Board of Addiction Counseling Examiners

This course is designed for master’s and doctoral-level mental health professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of the complex intersection between religion and mental health. Clients often experience powerful emotions connected to their spiritual beliefs, ranging from challenging feelings such as shame, guilt, and anxiety, to positive emotions including inspiration, motivation, and inner peace.

Participants will explore evidence-based frameworks for sensitively addressing religion and spirituality within therapeutic settings. Key topics include strategies for managing religiously-based shame and guilt, understanding spiritual anxiety, and effectively harnessing clients’ religious motivations for therapeutic growth. Emphasis will also be placed on ethical considerations, cultural competency, and respecting diverse religious traditions and experiences.

This course explores the essential role of community integration in supporting mental health recovery and overall wellness. Participants will learn to identify, navigate, and coordinate a wide variety of community-based mental health resources, ranging from outpatient services and residential care to peer support programs and beyond. Emphasis is placed on practical strategies for linking clients to appropriate services across the continuum of care, enhancing continuity, and promoting long-term engagement. Through real-world case examples and actionable tools, professionals will develop the skills needed to advocate for client needs, collaborate effectively with community partners, and bridge the gap between clinical services and everyday living supports.