How to Effectively Support Someone in a Spiritual Emergency
Understand, recognize, and skillfully support psycho-spiritual crises—without pathologizing them.
Applies to Level 1 Certification
This course is part of the Level 1 Spiritual Emergence Coach® Certification. You can take this course individually or as part of the complete certification bundle. Upon completion, this course will count toward your Level 1 certification requirements.
About This Course
Spiritual Emergency is a profound transformational crisis in which intense psycho-spiritual experiences overwhelm a person’s usual capacity to function. It may arise through meditation, yoga, prayer, intensive retreats, near-death experiences, trauma, grief, fasting, psychedelic experiences, plant medicines, collective upheaval, or strong intuitive and psychic openings. Because these experiences can resemble psychosis, mania, or other psychiatric conditions, they are often misunderstood and treated only through a conventional biomedical lens.
This course is designed to help you understand that difference more clearly. It offers a grounded, research-informed framework for recognizing when a person may be moving through a spiritual crisis rather than a primary mental disorder, and for responding in a way that is supportive, discerning, and humane. Rather than automatically pathologizing these experiences, the course helps you see how they can be approached with greater nuance, safety, and compassion and that the outcome of appropriate care is human flourishing.
You will gain a deeper understanding of why spiritual emergency is so often misread, how conventional responses can sometimes worsen the situation, and what kinds of support are more likely to help. The course also highlights the transformative potential of these crises. When well supported, spiritual emergency can lead to greater inner peace, deeper compassion, clearer purpose, and a renewed desire to contribute meaningfully to the world.
This course is for people who want to support spiritual transformation without reducing it to pathology alone. It offers a more complete framework for understanding these experiences and helping others move through them with greater clarity, care, and respect for their deeper meaning.
Who This Is For
For professionals
For clinicians, counselors, coaches, and mental health professionals including pastoral and school counselors, ministers and priests seeking better assessment and support skills for spiritual emergence and crisis.
For people with lived experience
For individuals, loved ones, and carers seeking clear guidance and practical tools to better understand and navigate the awakening process.
Meet Our Certified Coaches
Learning Objectives
Recognize spiritual emergency in its many forms
Identify at least 12 ways a psycho-spiritual crisis may present
Describe 9 common catalysts of spiritual emergency
Improve your ability to recognize spiritual awakening phenomena
Distinguish patterns, trajectories, and contexts of spiritual emergency from those of specific psychiatric diagnoses
Avoid common errors that can lead to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment
Develop a more effective and appropriate care plan
Describe best practices for supporting someone in spiritual emergency
Know when collaboration is needed and how to build an appropriate care team
Support transformative outcomes rather than focusing only on symptom suppression
Explain the positive long-term possibilities when spiritual emergency is understood and managed well
Better accompany someone through crisis toward integration, stability, and well-being
What You'll Get
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
Bonus support materials
Unique videos and interviews. Articles and worksheets for self-reflection. References to peer-reviewed research and key books for further study.
Certificate of completion
All participants who complete the course will receive a certificate of course completion from IMHU.
Syllabus
Defining the Territory of Spiritual Emergence
Distinguishing between Spiritual Emergence (a lifelong growth process) and Spiritual Emergency (a crisis of disorientation and dysfunction)- Exploration of the origins of these terms, coined by Stanislav and Christina Grof, and the establishment of the Spiritual Emergence Network
- A detailed examination of the specific types of crises, including Psychic Opening, Kundalini Awakening, Shamanic Journey, Dark Night of the Soul, and Near-Death Experiences (NDEs)
- Moving from identifying with the ego (social roles) to identifying with the Soul or primary identity
Recognizing and Discerning Spiritual Emergency
- Comparing the biomedical "disease model" with a trauma-informed approach that acknowledges subtle phenomena like chakras and energy
- Learning to discern between standard psychosis and a spiritual emergency by looking for markers like acute onset, good premorbid functioning, and a transpersonal emphasis
- Reviewing the stories of individuals like Marcelo, Lauren, and Sean to understand how different support systems lead to varied outcomes
- Identifying the characteristics of a positive resolution, such as increased peace, creativity, and a desire for service
Successful Models of Care
- An in-depth look at Dr. Lauren Mosher’s "being with" approach
- A study of the Finnish approach that treats psychosis as a relational phenomenon
- Understanding the value of peers with lived experience who offer authentic connection and positive expectations for recovery
Pratical Grounding and Physical Health
- Using micronutrients, vitamins, and dietary changes (e.g., avoiding stimulants like sugar and caffeine) to restore mental balance
- Practical methods to bring an individual back into their body, including exercise, nature walks, barefoot contact with the earth, and adequate hydration
- A cautious evaluation of the ethics and long-term effects of psychiatric medications, focusing on their use for acute stabilization (like inducing sleep) rather than as a lifelong solution
- Managing environmental stressors, such as minimizing exposure to electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) from cell phones and computers
Integration, Healing Modalities, and Self-Care
- Assisting the individual in creating a meaningful narrative of their experience and identifying new life goals
- Exploration of various therapies such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), artistic expression, essential oils, and energy work to support ongoing stability
- Emphasizing that "you cannot pour from an empty cup," this section covers the necessity of teamwork, rest, and personal support for those providing care
- Reviewing the work of scientists like Rupert Sheldrake to question the dogmas of modern science and open the door to a "renaissance" of scientific inquiry into consciousness
Your Instructor
Emma Bragdon, PhD
Dr. Emma Bragdon is a pioneer in body–mind–spirit wellness with 50 years of experience in integrative approaches to mental health, healing, and human development. She has written seven books, co-produced two documentary films, and has taught experiential learning for adults since 1985. Emma volunteered with the Spiritual Emergence Network (SEN) for seven years, editing their journal and coordinating conferences at Esalen Institute with founders Stanislav and Christina Grof. Her PhD dissertation, "How to Support Someone in Spiritual Emergency," launched a lifelong specialization in this field. From 2001–2012, she conducted field research at Spiritist Community Centers and Psychiatric Hospitals in Brazil, studying their 120-year-old model of integrative care. Since 2012, she has served as "ambassador" to non-Brazilians for the Spiritist Psychiatric Hospital in Goiânia, Brazil, facilitating seminars for health professionals worldwide.
About Continuing Education Credits
For licensed health professionals seeking CE credits for license renewal
CE Provider Information
CE credits are provided by Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA). SCA is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists, social workers, MFC, professional counselors, and nurses.
Level 1 Certification Courses
Explore all courses in the Level 1 certification pathway. Complete all required courses to earn your Spiritual Emergence Coach certification.
Define Spiritual Emergence & Emergency
Understand the fundamental concepts and terminology of spiritual awakening experiences and how to distinguish between spiritual emergence and emergency.
Stories of Awakening: Spiritual Alchemy
Learn from real-world examples and case studies of spiritual awakening experiences to recognize patterns and understand diverse manifestations of spiritual emergence.
How to Effectively Support Someone in a Spiritual Emergency
Master the essential skills and strategies for supporting individuals through intense spiritual experiences with live webinars, peer learning, and expert guidance.
Practicum: Learn Skills for Effective Management of a Spiritual Crisis
Our LIVE on-location 2-day intensive workshop provides hands-on experience with supervised practice, role-playing, and real-world scenario training.