Spiritual Counseling &
Clinical Pastoral
Psychotherapy
A 27-module formation pathway in Spirituality & Mental Health (SMH) for Military Chaplains — three courses, nine modules each, culminating in a video teaching project that enters a permanent student teaching archive.
- 3
- Courses (SMH 1–3)
- 9
- Modules / Course
- 27
- Retirement Points / Course
- 81
- Continuing Education Hours
The Program
Formation at the intersection of faith and mental health
The Spiritual Counseling & Clinical Pastoral Psychotherapy program equips Military Chaplains with an integrated framework for spiritual and psychological care. Across three courses, chaplains deepen clinical insight, pastoral skill, and the capacity to teach what they have learned.
27 Modules of Formation
Three asynchronous courses — SMH 1, 2, and 3 — each with nine weekly modules bridging spirituality and mental health within a military context.
Only 3 Assignments Due
The only assignment due in each of these courses is a final project where you will create a 20 minute didactic or several shorter social-media-style teachings, crafted to instruct and inspire.
Student Teaching Archive
Completed projects join a living archive within the Spiritual Care Collaborative Chaplain community — a shared library of peer teaching. Exceptional final projects may become part of future courses geared toward your peers.
Certificates & Retirement Points
Earn course results in a Certificate in Spirituality & Military Mental Health, 9 retirement points, and 27 contact hours of Continuing Education.
Curriculum
Three courses. Nine modules each.
Each course is self-paced and competency is assessed through a single final video teaching project. Modules need not be individually demonstrated — complete the project to earn the course certificate and 9 retirement points.
- 1Spirituality and Mental Health 1: Introduction to Anxiety Disorders
- 2The Nature of Anxiety Disorders
- 3Panic Disorders in the Military
- 4Generalized Anxiety
- 5Somatic & Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
- 6Spiritual Counseling
- 7Integrating Spiritual and Clinical Care
- 8Case Studies
- 9Spiritual Practices
Final Project: Video teaching project (~20 min): one didactic or a series of social-media-style teachings.
Enrollment
How to join the program
The program lives inside the Spiritual Care Collaborative Chaplain community on Skool. Follow these steps to request access to the SMH courses.
Go to the Skool Communityskool.com/spiritualcarecollaborative
- Step 1
Join the Community
Request to join the Spiritual Care Collaborative on Skool. Rick Capezza reviews and approves each member.
- Step 2
Message Rick Capezza
Once approved, send Rick a direct message within the community asking for access to SMH.
- Step 3
Access on Any Device
Study through the Skool app on your phone or desktop — modules, discussions, and your project archive in one place.
- Step 4
Complete & Submit
Work the modules at your pace, then submit your ~20-minute video teaching project to earn your certificate and points.
Credentials & Credit
What you earn
Per Course
- Certificate in Spirituality & Mental Health (Spiritual Care Collaborative)
- 9 retirement points (one per weekly module)
- 27 contact hours — eligible for Continuing Education
Completion Note
- No per-module demonstration required
- Complete the final video teaching project to earn the 9 associated retirement points
- Modules support formation; the project confirms it
Spiritual Care Association Certificate
- Complete all three SMH courses (1–3)
- For those looking for additional civilian credentials, the SCC certificate plus one SCA elective course [your cost] leads to a certificate from SCA
- Earn the SCA Certificate in Spirituality & Mental Health
SCA Elective — choose one
Complete all three SMH courses plus one of the following Spiritual Care Association courses to receive the SCA Certificate in Spirituality & Mental Health.
Presenting Your Certificates
Those wishing to pursue the SCA Certificate in Spirituality & Mental Health must present certificates of completion for SMH 1–3 and the SCA Elective to Rick Capezza, SCA Military Chaplain Division Dean of Education.
SCA BCC Specialty in Military Chaplaincy (BCC-MC)
SCA Board Certified Chaplains who have passed the Standardized Knowledge Exam may combine the SCA Certificate in Spirituality & Military Mental Health to earn an SCA BCC specialty in Military Chaplaincy (BCC-MC).
Turn Your Learning Into a MA, MDiv, or DMin
Contact Rick Capezza to learn more about the Spiritual Care Collaborative’s ATS-accredited contextualized partnerships.