Hear about the upcoming TV Series “UNSHACKLED” from iTHIRST Founder and Executive Director Keaton Douglas
Classes Start September 9th: Spiritual Companionship Training Certification
Register today to attend Tuesday and Thursday evening classes taught by Keaton Douglas:
https://www.shu.edu/academics/ithirst-spiritual-companionship-training
Fall 2025 Session Dates: September 9th through October 30th
Registration is open
Tuesday/Thursday evenings, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Cost of Program: $675
Discounts are available for Seton Hall alumni. Interested alumni should email CEPS@shu.edu for more information.
Addiction is a defining problem of society, with physiological, and mental health components that must be addressed. Ultimately, however, the desolation, the abandonment and the guilt which are all “hallmarks” of the addicted life are in many ways spiritual problems which require a spiritual remedy.
The iTHIRST online training seeks to provide this spiritual remedy to those with substance-abuse disorders through the development and implementation of programs designed to educate and prevent, to provide support to treatment facilities and those incarcerated, and to develop an aftercare community for the afflicted and their families.
The words “I thirst” were among the last words of Christ on the Cross, as well as the words painted in every Chapel belonging to the Missionaries of Charity, St. Teresa of Calcutta’s order. St. Teresa said these words are a reminder that the Missionaries were there to “quench the thirst of Jesus for souls, for love, for kindness, for compassion, for delicate love.”
The iTHIRST training will be taught by Keaton Douglas, co-author of The Road to Hope: Responding to the Crisis of Addiction and founder of the iTHIRST initiative, which is an acronym for “The Healing Initiative—Recovery, Spirituality, and Twelve Steps.” The initiative seeks to give people in recovery the spiritual tools they need to stay clean and lead the faith-based fight against substance-use disorders, especially opioid use. It also educates the clergy and laity about substance abuse disorders so that the Church might be a resource for the afflicted and their families. Read more about Keaton in the articles linked.
Shalom World TV & iTHIRST
It’s Time for our iTHIRST “Close-Up”!
Keaton Douglas, Executive Director of iTHIRST, has been invited to develop a 12-episode television series exploring the intersection of our Catholic faith and addiction recovery for Shalom World TV. This global network reaches 8 million viewers across 140 countries on five continents.
Keaton will soon be meeting with the creative team, and details regarding filming and broadcast will be shared as they become available.
We are both humbled and excited that Shalom World recognizes the profound impact of iTHIRST’s mission!
Exciting Grant News!
iTHIRST has been awarded a $200,000 grant in partnership with Catholic Extension, funded by the Lilly Foundation. This grant is specifically designed to bring Catholic faith-based recovery resources and spiritual consolation to rural communities across the U.S. and its territories.
With this funding, we will develop an iTHIRST app that will offer scalable recovery resources, spiritual reflections, and tools for establishing a multifaceted recovery ministry within parishes and beyond. Additionally, the grant will support 12 Spiritual Companionship Trainings in both English and Spanish over the next four years, as well as the creation of a specialized curriculum aimed at bringing spiritual consolation, hope, and healing to incarcerated youth.
We are deeply grateful to Catholic Extension for their partnership and for recognizing the profound impact of our mission!
iTHIRST Africa
iTHIRST Africa – iTHIRST is thrilled to announce the launch of our first all-Africa iTHIRST Spiritual Companionship Training cohort, set to begin this fall! Participants from seven nations, including Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Cameroon, and South Africa—are expected to take part in this transformative program.
Our dedicated African team is actively recruiting for the class and eager to bring hope and healing to countless individuals across the continent.
A heartfelt thank you to Fr. Joseph Oganda, Lynn Tidgwell, and Irene Mutooni for their leadership and dedication in making this initiative a reality!
AFIDEV Community– The iTHIRST Team proudly supported the launch of the largest therapeutic community for drug and alcohol addiction in all of Western Africa, located just outside Abuja, Nigeria. Under the leadership of Frs. Vitalis and Athanasius—both certified iTHIRST Spiritual Companions—the AFIDEV Community officially opened this past fall after years of dedicated planning.
Here are photos showcasing some of the facilities, along with a special moment featuring the community’s first “homemate” completing his program. Surrounded by his peers, he received well-earned recognition for his journey and has returned home a transformed man!
A heartfelt thank you to our dear friend Jody Riscen, esteemed clinical director at Haven Health in New Jersey and a valued supporter of iTHIRST, for providing essential clinical guidance to our Nigerian team!