Clinical Training in Whole-Person Care
You were trained to see the whole person. Then told to leave out the part that matters most to them.
THE FRAMEWORK
This Isn't About Becoming a Spiritual Director
You don't need a theology degree. You don't need to lead prayer in session. You need a framework that accounts for what your client actually brings into the room — including their faith, their values, their sense of meaning, and their moral life. That's not pastoral work. That's clinical competence.
The Biopsychosocial-Spiritual-Moral Model
Most clinical frameworks account for biology, psychology, and social context. Some add spirituality. None account for the moral life — your client's conscience, their sense of right and wrong, the virtues they're reaching for and the ones they're struggling with.
The BPSSM framework holds all five dimensions together. Grounded in Catholic Christian anthropology. Built for every clinical setting.
Built for clinicians. Open to everyone who serves.
Licensed counselors and therapists. Social workers. Psychologists. Chaplains. Parish leaders. Case managers. Educators. If you work with people and want to honor the fullness of who they are, this training is for you.
Formation. Education. Accompaniment.
Formation and Continuing Education
Three learning pathways.
Start where you are. Go as deep as you need.
Level 1 — Foundations (35 courses · 17.5 CEUs) Series 1: Foundations of Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy Series 2: Human and Spiritual Development Series 3: Catholic Cultural Awareness and Ethics Series 4: Optimizing Clinical Decision-Making Series 5: Spiritually Integrated Interventions
Level 2 — (Coming Fall of 2026) Advanced Clinical (70 courses · 35 CEUs) Series 6: Deepening the Therapeutic Relationship Series 7: Assessment and Case Conceptualization Series 8: Advanced Interventions Series 9: Trauma, Moral Injury, and Recovery Series 10: Addictions and Recovery Series 11: Children and Adolescents Series 12: Ethics and Professional Practice Series 13: Capstone and Integration
Level 3 — (Coming in 2027) Supervisor Formation (16 courses · 8 CEUs) Series 14–17: Clinical Supervision Training
Elijah Institute is recognized by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7719. We offer faith-based programs that nurture your spiritual and academic journey. All our offerings are carefully curated to uphold excellence and integrity, with clear distinctions between credit-eligible courses and others.
Trusted Voices
Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
"As Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, I support the mission of the Elijah Institute in its dedication to the integration of Catholic faith and evidence-based psychotherapy. In a world where the need for authentic, faith-informed mental health care is growing, I support the Elijah Institute’s desire to provide essential training fo
"As Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, I support the mission of the Elijah Institute in its dedication to the integration of Catholic faith and evidence-based psychotherapy. In a world where the need for authentic, faith-informed mental health care is growing, I support the Elijah Institute’s desire to provide essential training for mental health professionals who seek to serve individuals, families, and Catholic communities with both professional excellence and spiritual integrity. I commend their efforts to form practitioners who uphold the dignity of the human person and foster true healing through a synthesis of psychological expertise and Catholic anthropology."
Anthony Isacco, PhD
Program Director, Professor, Head of Clinical Research
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is pleased to support the mission of the Elijah Institute in its commitment to retrieving and deploying the Catholic tradition’s rich practices of accompaniment, spiritual direction, examinatio
Anthony Isacco, PhD
Program Director, Professor, Head of Clinical Research
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is pleased to support the mission of the Elijah Institute in its commitment to retrieving and deploying the Catholic tradition’s rich practices of accompaniment, spiritual direction, examination of conscience, virtue formation, and whole-person care—and making them accessible to individuals seeking to explore their faith and grow toward flourishing.
The Elijah Institute’s work builds directly on the Catholic Christian Meta-Model of the Person (Vitz, Nordling & Titus, 2020), which is foundational to our own Integrated Clinical Psychology master’s program. Through its formation curriculum and the Biopsychosocial-Spiritual-Moral framework, the Elijah Institute equips practitioners, pastoral leaders, and lay ministers to draw on Christian practices rooted in Catholic anthropology—integrating prayer, conscience, accompaniment, and sacramental life into the settings where people are already showing up with spiritual questions, including counseling rooms, parishes, and schools.
We commend their efforts to help individuals and families explore the practices of the Catholic faith and to form the leaders who can guide them. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with the Elijah Institute in service of this shared mission.
Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D., ABPP Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. University Professor Professor of Psychology, Religious Studies (crtsy), & The Jesuit School of Theology (crtsy), Director, Applied Spirituality Institute Santa Clara University and Emeritus Adjunct Professor Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford University Medical School
Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D., ABPP Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. University Professor Professor of Psychology, Religious Studies (crtsy), & The Jesuit School of Theology (crtsy), Director, Applied Spirituality Institute Santa Clara University and Emeritus Adjunct Professor Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford University Medical School
Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D., ABPP Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. University Professor Professor of Psychology, Religious Studies (crtsy), & The Jesuit School of Theology (crtsy), Director, Applied Spirituality Institute Santa Clara University and Emeritus Adjunct Professor Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford University Medical School
I fully and enthusiastically support the mission of the Elijah Institute in its dedication to the integration of Catholic faith tradition and quality evidence-based professional psychotherapy using best practices and a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach. In a community where the desperate need for high quality, professional, faith-infor
I fully and enthusiastically support the mission of the Elijah Institute in its dedication to the integration of Catholic faith tradition and quality evidence-based professional psychotherapy using best practices and a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach. In a community where the desperate need for high quality, professional, faith-informed mental health care is needed and growing, I support the Elijah Institute' s desire to provide this essential training and consultation for mental health professionals and trainees who seek to serve individuals, couples, families, and Catholic community at large with both professional excellence and spiritual integrity.
Fr. James M. Perkl Pastor, Mary, Mother of the Church
Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D., ABPP Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. University Professor Professor of Psychology, Religious Studies (crtsy), & The Jesuit School of Theology (crtsy), Director, Applied Spirituality Institute Santa Clara University and Emeritus Adjunct Professor Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford University Medical School
Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D., ABPP Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. University Professor Professor of Psychology, Religious Studies (crtsy), & The Jesuit School of Theology (crtsy), Director, Applied Spirituality Institute Santa Clara University and Emeritus Adjunct Professor Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford University Medical School
"There is no contradiction between the wisdom of the Church and the science of mental health. Forming clinicians in both is not only possible—it is essential to truly serve the Body of Christ. As a pastor and a first responder chaplain, I see every day how imperative it is to provide mental health support that is deeply grounded in Cath
"There is no contradiction between the wisdom of the Church and the science of mental health. Forming clinicians in both is not only possible—it is essential to truly serve the Body of Christ. As a pastor and a first responder chaplain, I see every day how imperative it is to provide mental health support that is deeply grounded in Catholic teaching. The Elijah Institute's training is vital to health and wellbeing of our culture”
Supporting Institutions
Embrace Mindfulness & Faith in Care
Whether you’re a clinician, program director, or donor supporting mental health initiatives, this resource helps you:
- Improve client outcomes with a low-cost, high-impact intervention.
- Expand your therapeutic toolkit with a practice backed by emerging research.
- Strengthen whole-person recovery programs with a scalable, inclusive approach.
- Make informed decisions about funding, implementing, or supporting spiritually integrated care.
- See the measurable value of connecting emotional, psychological, and spiritual healing in SUD treatment.