The Fall 2024 course will include live sessions from September 5-7, 2024. Full Schedule here.
Course Overview
CTHN’s Level 1 Training is a ten-hour training designed for Christian professional and lay counselors who desire to learn the basics for counseling clients who have experienced past trauma. The instructors will teach the course content using biblical principles and a distinctly Christian worldview. This course is an overview of counseling practices for providing healing from a traumatic event or series of events. It does not cover advanced methods of counseling, nor does it offer specific practices for helping clients who are currently being traumatized.
Christian Trauma Healing Network (CTHN) is an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7313, through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Christian Trauma Healing Network (CTHN) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Completion of this training grants participants the title of Certified Christian Trauma Care Provider, Level 1 (CCTCP-1). In addition, licensed mental health professionals may gain nine (9) Continuing Education (CE) hours for completion of this course. Please check with your state licensing board to ensure it accepts CE hours from the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).
The CCTCP-1 certification is valid for two (2) years following the training. Learn more about the recertification process to keep the certification active beyond two years.
Because this training does not include basic counseling skills, participants must have received prior training in order to attend. Accepted prior training may include any one of the following:
- At least two three-hour master’s level courses in basic counseling skills
- Completion of Certification from Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF)
- Completion of Level 1 certification from the Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC)
- Completion of the Equipped to Counsel course at a church or ministry organization
- Completion of a lay counseling course or program totaling no less than 20 hours
The course is offered in a live online venue. Participants will receive login information a week prior to the course. No video recording of the course will be distributed to participants.
Before acceptance into the Level 1 training, potential participants must complete an application. This application is designed to ensure that participants have met the prerequisite requirements. It also includes participant demographic information and a space to request accommodations for disabilities.
The cost for this course is $200.00.
Upon acceptance into the training, participants will be given instructions for submitting payment. Payment for the course must be submitted in full before the start of the course. Participants are not permitted to pay for only a portion of the course.
Participants will receive a digital copy of the course materials in advance so that they can review the case study before beginning the course. Participants will also receive a hard copy packet of materials at the beginning of the course which will include session outlines and handouts to utilize in counseling sessions and for homework.
Participants must attend all sessions of the training. Attendance will be monitored by the software program through periodic attendance checks. All participants must keep their video on during the group consultation sessions. If a participant needs to leave any session for a short period of time (no more than 15 minutes), s/he must send a private message to the training administrator.
Participants will interact with the instructors through Q&A during the scope of the course, and the instructor will answer questions as time permits. Each participant will be placed in a consultation group that will meet three times throughout the training. During the consultation sessions, participants will discuss a case study, as well as ways to use the content presented.
In addition to the group consultation sessions during the training, participants will be offered a separate online group consultation session with their consultation leader and group. This session will occur approximately one month after the training dates. This session allows participants to ask additional questions and talk about specific cases in which they are caring for traumatized individuals. This additional session is included in the cost of the training. The additional session does not add to the continuing education hours and is optional to receiving a certificate.
In order to receive the certificate of completion, participants must complete all of the following:
· Attendance at all training sessions
· Participation in consultation groups
· Course Evaluation Form
· Course Assessment
Certificates will be available to participants after they have completed the assessment and evaluation.
Beth Broom, LPC-S, CCTP-II
Beth Broom is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Level 2 (CCTP-II). She owns a private counseling practice specializing in trauma healing. She also serves as a Deacon of Care at The Village Church Denton in Denton, Texas. Beth is the founder and director of Christian Trauma Healing Network, and she co-hosts a podcast called “Counsel for Life,” engaging conversations about mental health and the Christian life.
Rick Walton, MDiv, CPT, CCTCP-L2
As a certified Biblical Counselor with ABC, Rick is passionate about Jesus and His redemption which brings healing and hope to life today and for eternity. He is an ABC training leader for the Level 1 Foundations course and a supervisor for the Level 2 practicum. Rick serves as the Co-Founder of the Gospel Care Collective Canada, and as the Director of Biblical Counselling at True North Soul Care in London, Ontario. He has received CTHN’s CCTCP L2 Certification.
Julia Fillnow, LCSW, MAC, LCAS, CCTP-II
Julia is a licensed therapist who specializes in addiction, trauma, and abuse. She currently practices at a church counseling center seeing individuals, couples, adults, and teens. Julia lives and works in Charlotte, NC and serves as a board member for Help[H]er, a ministry that provides resources and care for women in crisis, as well as the churches who seek to help them.
Kevin Stratton, LPC, CCTS-I
Kevin Stratton is Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Missouri, a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (CCTS-I), and a Certified Biblical Counselor (ABC) that works full-time at Victory Mission Men’s Shelter and part-time online with Gospel Care Collective. He has 18 years of vocational ministry experience working in churches and specializes in trauma, addiction, marriage counseling, and mental health.
Tabitha Westbrook, LPC, LMFT
Tabitha holds a BA in Psychology from NC Central University & an MA in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. Tabitha owns The Journey and The Process, a private practice with offices in Wake Forest, NC & Flower Mound, TX that specializes in complex trauma, with a focus on domestic abuse and coercive control. Tabitha is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in NC & TX, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in SD & TX, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) in NC, & a Registered Telehealth Professional in FL & SC.
Mandy Alldredge, LPC, CAIP, CCTCP-I
Mandy graduated from Houston Christian University in 2021 with a Master’s Degree in Christian Counseling and is currently a LPC through the state of Texas. She received her BA in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University in 2008. She currently works in private practice in Flower Mound and sees a wide range of people with varying issues including anxiety, phobias, trauma, domestic abuse, depression, and marital conflict.
Joe Hussung, MDiv, DMin
Joseph has 15 years of ministry experience providing soul care to a variety of age groups as an Education Pastor, Youth Pastor, and Associate Pastor. As a minister of the gospel he has helped people struggling with pornography, addictions, anxiety, and depression.
Because of his love of one to one ministry and soul care, Joseph has his Mdiv in Christian ministry and DMin in Biblical Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a regular contributor with the Biblical Counseling Coalition.
Greg Wilson, LPC-S, D.Min.
Greg Wilson, D.Ed.Min., LPC Supervisor, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and counselor supervisor, and leads Soul Care Associates, a counseling and consulting practice in Texas. He specializes in counseling adolescents, men, couples, and families through issues such as depression, anxiety, abuse, addictions, trauma, and relational conflict. He also consults with leaders of churches and other organizations on adopting best practices for care.
Jess Frank, LPC, CCTP-II
Jess Frank is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Level 2 (CCTP-II). She counsels at Fieldstone Counseling as a biblical counselor, serving primarily women, teen girls, and children/families that have experienced trauma. She also speaks and trains at various events, leads a supervision group, and writes articles for the Fieldstone Counseling website.
Michelle Terrell, MABC, CCTCP-II
Michelle Terrell is co-founder of the Exchanged Life Center (www.exchangedlifecenter.org) which focuses on Christian counselor training in the Exchanged Life modality. As head instructor, she is passionate about giving her students a hands-on, trauma-informed approach to learning. Whether supervising the masters level practicum, overseeing interns, or giving one-on-one counseling, Michelle’s calling is to equip and walk with hurting people through the brokenness of loss and pain by sowing seeds of hope, truth, and safety leading to the transformative experience of God’s love and peace of our resurrected Savior who knows our suffering personally. Michelle has her M.A. in Biblical Counseling from Luther Rice Seminary and enjoys learning, painting, family time, and dreams of learning to play the trombone!
Schedule (Central Standard Time)
September 5, 2024
12:00pm-1:15pm Session 1: Trauma and a Biblical Worldview
1:15pm-1:30pm Break
1:30pm-2:45pm Session 2: Phase 1 Healing: Receiving
2:45pm-3:00pm Break
3:00pm-4:00pm Group Consultation #1
September 6, 2024
12:00pm-1:30pm Session 3: Phase 2 Healing: Grieving
1:30pm-1:45pm Break
1:45pm-2:45pm Group Consultation #2
2:45pm-3:00pm Break
3:00pm-4:00pm Case Study Review
September 7, 2024
12:00pm-1:15pm Session 4: Phase 3 Healing: Believing
1:15pm-1:30pm Break
1:30pm-2:30pm Group Consultation #3
2:30pm-2:45pm Break
2:45pm-4:00pm Session 5: Essentials for the Helper
Trauma and a Biblical Worldview
In this session, we will discuss the definition and scope of traumatization and trauma care. Participants will learn about trauma’s effects the mind, emotions, body, soul and relationships. We will also cover an overview of a biblical theology of suffering and healing, as well as the specific methodology of Christian trauma care utilized in the three phases of healing.
Phase 1 Healing: Receiving
This session includes a discussion of the first phase of healing, in which counselors must provide safety and support to counselees through active listening, rapport-building and education about how to calm the mind, body and emotions. Participants will learn specific methods for helping counselees receive compassion and rest as they prepare to begin processing the pain of trauma.
Phase 2 Healing: Grieving
In phase two, counselors walk alongside counselees as they grieve the suffering they have experienced. Participants will gain tools for helping counselees share their stories, and we will discuss the ways shame, fear and anger play an important role in the process of grieving. Finally, participants will learn how to discover underlying negative and false beliefs as counselees share their stories, in order to challenge counselees toward living in light of God’s truth.
Phase 3 Healing: Believing
In this session we discuss specific methods to help counselees form healthy relationships, discover their strengths and values, and thrive in their relationship with God. Participants will receive specific tools to share with counselees related to goal-setting and healthy relationship-building. Finally, participants will learn how and when to complete the counseling process with a counseled.
Essentials for the Helper
Counselors must remain healthy in order to continue in the work of caring for traumatized people. This session outlines specific ways in which we can take care of ourselves and pay attention for signs of compassion fatigue. We will also discuss the role the Church plays in creating health and flourishing for those who have experienced trauma, and participants will learn how to partner with churches to build a culture of compassion.
Course Materials provided for this training include a pdf Participant Guide.