What You'll Get

  • 10.5 CE Credits

    Continuing Education Credits available for eligible healthcare professionals.

  • Professional Support

    Ongoing LIVE online meetups for discussion & Q&A with spiritual emergence experts.

  • Lifetime Access

    5 on-demand webinars with expert teaching available whenever you need them.

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for people who want to support spiritual transformation without automatically treating it as pathology, including:

  • Healthcare professionals – psychologists, psychotherapists, counselors, social workers, nurses, and other clinicians who want a clear, research-informed framework for differentiating spiritual emergency from mental disorders and for offering safe, effective support.

  • People with lived experience – those who have gone through (or are going through) intense spiritual openings and want language, understanding, and tools for integration.

  • Family members and friends – loved ones who want to better understand what’s happening and how to provide grounded, compassionate support.

  • Spiritual care providers and community leaders – teachers, guides, and facilitators who regularly encounter spiritual crises in their communities.

What is a Spiritual Emergency?

Spiritual Emergency is a profound, often dramatic transformational crisis. A person is overwhelmed by psycho-spiritual experiences—such as a Dark Night of the Soul—and may no longer function well at work, in relationships, or in daily life.

These experiences can be catalyzed by:

  • Spiritual practices (yoga, meditation, prayer, intensive retreats)
  • Near–death experiences, fasting, trauma, or grief. 
  • Recreational drugs, spiritual plant medicines, or psychedelic-assisted therapy. 
  • Global or collective crises. 
  • Strong intuitive or psychic openings and other natural sensitivities.


Because the crisis can look like psychosis, mania, or other psychiatric conditions, it is often misunderstood and treated only as mental illness—typically with anti-psychotic medications and a purely biomedical approach. Over time, this can harm someone whose core issue is a spiritual crisis, not a primary psychiatric disorder.

When well supported, however, Spiritual Emergency can lead to:

  • Greater inner peace, empathy, and clarity. 
  • Deeper wisdom and compassion. 
  • A renewed desire to live in service and contribute positively to the world.

What You'll Learn

By the end of this program, you’ll be better able to:

Recognize spiritual emergency in its many forms.

  • Identify at least 12 ways a psycho-spiritual crisis may manifest. 
  • Describe 9 common catalysts for Spiritual Emergency.

Differentiate spiritual crisis from primary mental disorders.

  • Compare patterns, trajectories, and contexts of Spiritual Emergency with those of distinct psychiatric diagnoses.
  • Avoid common pitfalls that lead to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.

Design an effective care plan.

  • Outline best practices for supporting someone in Spiritual Emergency.
  • Understand when to collaborate with other providers and how to build an appropriate care team.

Support transformative outcomes, not just symptom suppression.

  • Explain the positive, long-term possibilities when Spiritual Emergency is managed appropriately.
  • Recognize how to walk with someone through crisis toward greater integration and well-being.

Integrate this work into your role.

  • Apply guidelines, tools, and practices in your work as a healthcare professional, healer, spiritual guide, or family member—within your scope of practice.


How the Course Works

Flexible, self-paced learning with live support and ongoing community.

  • 5 pre-recording online lectures

    Watch at your own pace. Each module includes core teaching plus supportive materials (videos, articles, worksheets, and suggested reading).

  • Bonus support materials

    Unique videos and interviews. Articles and worksheets for self-reflection. References to peer-reviewed research and key books for further study.

  • Ongoing LIVE online meetups with experts

    Every other Sunday: 1:30–3:00 pm ET (New York) 10:30 am–12:00 pm PT (Los Angeles) 6:30–8:00 pm in UK/Ireland 7:30–9:00 pm in EU

  • Start anytime, pace yourself

    Webinars and bonus materials are available on-demand. You will have unlimited access—no expiration date.

  • Certificate of completion

    All participants who complete the course will receive a certificate of course completion from IMHU.

How This Course Fits Into Spiritual Emergence Coach© Certification

This course is Phase One of IMHU’s two-part pathway to becoming a Certified Spiritual Emergence Coach® (SEC).

  • Phase One: Online Course (this program) Foundations of Spiritual Emergence/Emergency Assessment, differentiation from pathology, and best practices for care Tools for supporting others and yourself

  • Phase Two: Spiritual Emergence Coach® Practicum (live, in-person). Experiential 2-day workshop offered several times per year in the USA, UK, and occasionally other locations. Focus on practical skills: assessment, grounding, boundaries, team-based support, and working with real-world cases

Participants who complete both courses, demonstrate proficiency in the skills we teach, agree to our policies and ethical guidelines and complete a final personal interview may be listed in the IMHU Spiritual Emergence Coach® Directory. This listing helps people around the world find trained support and helps you network with other providers in this emerging field.


You can bundle this online course with the Practicum for a discount and move efficiently toward certification as a Spiritual Emergence Coach®.

Select a payment option

If paying additional fee for CEs--please also submit application for CEs below.

Bundle: This Course and the Practicum

Save money by bundling AND qualify to become a Spiritual Emergence Coach®

If you purchase both courses together you can get a discount. The Practicum is given several times a year, live on location.
Click Here for Bundle

Instructor(s)

Senior Instructor

Emma Bragdon is the Founder and Executive Director of Integrative Mental Health University, IMHU.org. She earned her PhD in Transpersonal Psychology in 1987 and was licensed in California as a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist in 1988. As a pioneer who has helped define the field of spiritual emergency, Emma has published 7 books and co-produced 2 documentary films. Within IMHU Emma has trained over 110 Spiritual Emergence Coaches• who are available to support individuals disoriented or in distress as they open spiritually. She also leads a small group of healthcare providers to Brazil once a year to learn about the Spiritist paradigm of mental healthcare from Spiritist practitioners. Emma maintains a private practice, consulting internationally via zoom. See imhu.org/store for more info. on books/films. See EmmaBragdon.com for personal consultations.

Testimonials

from past students

“FIVE STARS! I learned so much from this course, so much so that it was a catalyst for my own personal transformation and growth. It also came at the perfect time and has helped me through some traumatic experiences and helped me to stay strong for and help others going through spiritual emergency. I loved every minute of this and cannot wait to share the vital knowledge I have gained. Everyone should take this course! Thank you so much, Emma Bragdon!!! ”

Bryn Square

“FIVE STARS! It is very healing to have your own personal experiences named and identified, and then to be able to take that information into a self practice and then out into our communities and begin to help others. Thank you to Emma for all of your teaching and work that you have done to bring these healing tools to the world.”

Tessa Cooke

““Five Stars! “I really enjoyed this webinar series. It rounded out my knowledge of Spiritual Emergency. I took extensive notes…If you are wondering about the intersection of severe mental distress and spiritual awakening–this is a wonderful place to get a deep understanding.” ”

Phil Borges, Co-producer of Crazywise film

“FIVE STARS! “This course provided a much-needed orientation to a disorienting experience, both personally and professionally. The material was presented in a very professional, normalizing manner that served to set a tone that inspires me in talking to other professionals about these matters as if this was just a matter-of-fact discussion – very useful!” ”

Dan Metevier, PsyD.

“FIVE STARS! “(I had) the opportunity to widen my scope of knowledge about the differences between Spiritual Emergence and Emergency and to increase my understanding of alternative treatment/helping models in other cultures…The lecture materials are stellar and I enjoyed the resources that followed each lesson. Emma is a fantastic teacher.” ”

Linda Ruthen, MSW

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“FIVE STARS! “We so need what Dr. Bragdon has to teach us. I recommend her courses highly and without reservation.” ”

David Anick, MD (psychiatrist)

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“FIVE STARS! “Emma is a leading voice and figure in the realm of spiritual emergence. I feel honored and blessed to be part of Emma’s courses.” ”

Kyle Buller, MA (Counseling Psychology)

“FIVE STARS “I enthusiastically recommend attending Dr. Bragdon’s workshop, “Effective Help for Someone in Spiritual Emergency”. Her many years as a psychotherapist, healer, scholar and presenter shine through as she presents her life’s work, creating many rewarding opportunities for expansive professional and personal enrichment.” ”

Ted Esser, PhD. Director of Spiritual Emergence Network in USA

Information on Continuing Education (CE) Credits

  • What is the CE fee and how do I get my credits?

    The CE fee is $75 USD for 10.5 hours of credit. To receive CEs, you must complete all course materials online and attend 2 live discussion groups. You can either pay the CE fee when you register for the course or register separately at the CE page: https://courses.imhu.org/courses/ce-credit

  • Who issues the credits?

    CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is co-sponsoring this program. The Spiritual Competency Academy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Spiritual Competency Academy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

  • Who approves the CE credits?

    The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by sponsors of CE who are approved by the American Psychological Association. LCSW, LPCC, LEP and LMFTs, and other professionals from outside of California need to check with their state licensing board as to whether or not they accept credits from programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.

  • What about for nurses?

    SCA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN Provider CEP16887) for licensed nurses in California. RNs must retain their certificate of attendance for 4 years after the course concludes. Nurses outside of California must confirm acceptance with their licensing boards.

  • What if I have questions?

    For questions about your certificate or the content, logistics, or other support issues regarding this course, please contact [COSPONSOR] at [EMAIL}. For questions about whether APA CE is valid for you, contact your licensing board directly. For general questions about APA CE, contact SCA at [email protected].

  • Can Health and Wellness Coaches (HWC) earn CE credits?

    Health and Wellness Coaches can apply for CE credits for this course directly through NBC-HWC. They wish to review on a case-by-case basis before allowing CE credits.

  • Can I earn partial credits?

    The APA does not allow partial credit to be earned for a course; we cannot provide a participant who missed a live session (or was more than 15 minutes late or left early from any live session) with fewer CE hours for our 10.5-hour class. This applies to all participants seeking credit. Otherwise, the participant forfeits all of their CE hours.

Bundle: This Course and the Practicum

Save money by bundling AND qualify to become a Spiritual Emergence Coach®

If you purchase both courses together you can get a discount. The Practicum is given several times a year, live on location.
Get the Bundle

MORE REVIEWS FROM PRIOR STUDENTS

5 star rating

After having a Spiritual Emergency and NOT feeling Supported at all - it is very encouraging to be able to assist with guidance to others who are experiencing negative outcomes that can be stigmatizing people with mental Illness designation for a LIFETIME

Debra Anderson

Emma has a heart and a mission to chip away at the “Written In STONE’ “ nature of our broken mental health systems.

Emma has a heart and a mission to chip away at the “Written In STONE’ “ nature of our broken mental health systems.

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5 star rating

Excellent course!

Dida Kutz

This course was scholarly and a revelation, and greatly needed in my life for both personal and societal reasons

This course was scholarly and a revelation, and greatly needed in my life for both personal and societal reasons

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5 star rating

Brilliant, Informative, and Transformative Course!

Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square

I learned so much from this course, so much so that it was a catalyst for my own personal transformation and growth. It also came at the perfect time and has helped me through some traumatic experiences and helped me to stay strong for and help ot...

Read More

I learned so much from this course, so much so that it was a catalyst for my own personal transformation and growth. It also came at the perfect time and has helped me through some traumatic experiences and helped me to stay strong for and help others going through spiritual emergency. I loved every minute of this and cannot wait to share the vital knowledge I have gained. Everyone should take this course! Thank you so much, Emma Bragdon!!!

Read Less
5 star rating

A breath of fresh air!

Tessa Cooke

It is very healing to have your own personal experiences named and identified, and then to be able to take that information into a self practice and then out into our communities and begin to help others. Thank you to Emma for all of your teaching...

Read More

It is very healing to have your own personal experiences named and identified, and then to be able to take that information into a self practice and then out into our communities and begin to help others. Thank you to Emma for all of your teaching and work that you have done to bring these healing tools to the world.

Read Less
5 star rating

Just what I’ve been needing and didn’t know it existed!

jan ferris

I am finding this course one of the best I’ve ever taken. The material is clearly, and well presented, in a interesting and entertaining way. I find it very easy to digest and speaks to me on the level of my own personal experiences and in my wo...

Read More

I am finding this course one of the best I’ve ever taken. The material is clearly, and well presented, in a interesting and entertaining way. I find it very easy to digest and speaks to me on the level of my own personal experiences and in my work with many of my psychotherapy clients. Thank you for pulling this all together in this easy to digest and fun way. I’m delighted.

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5 star rating

Informative and necessary

Linda Scherer

This course is loaded with useful information and a necessary training to work effectively with people through mental health crisis at this time. It has been life changing for me.

This course is loaded with useful information and a necessary training to work effectively with people through mental health crisis at this time. It has been life changing for me.

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