Workshop Summary: Spirituality can be a foundational piece of an individual's worldview, shaping their understanding of life's meaning, their connection to the world beyond themselves, and their relationship with a higher power. Often, spirituality is expressed through religion, a structured system of beliefs, rituals, and practices that align with their spiritual perspective. A healthy spirituality and religion can profoundly impact one’s life, improving mental health, enhancing social connection, and serving as a coping mechanism during times of challenge. However, many people fall victim to religious and spiritual abuse, where individuals with religious authority exploit their power to harm and manipulate others. This can impact a person’s day-to-day functioning while also damaging their ability to cope with life’s trials and bring confusion to their worldview, resulting in existential stress. As therapists, we will learn to identify the signs of religious trauma and abuse and look at tools to help assess and discuss how to move our clients toward healing.Bottom of Form By the end of our time together, you'll be better equipped to offer a helping hand that's both knowledgeable and kind.

Learning Objectives:  

Participants will…
1) Participants will be able to define religious and spiritual abuse.

2) Participants will explore multiple tools used to assess religious and spiritual trauma and abuse for use in practice.

3) Participants will learn to differentiate between religious and spiritual abuse in comparison to other types of abuse.

4) Participants will be able to identify appropriate interventions to use with clients who have experienced religious and spiritual abuse.

Speaker Bio: Chris is a Licensed Professional Counselor from Virginia Beach with a career spanning two deeply connected fields: pastoral care and mental health counseling. His initial work serving as a pastor drew him to a passion for caring for his community at large through the lens of mental health work. This led him to pursue his training in professional counseling and begin working in the field. He currently serves as the Clinical Director at Turning Point Counseling and Consulting, is a co-creator of Clinician Connection, and is pursuing his doctorate in Counseling Supervision and Education, focusing on equipping counselors for work with Religious and Spiritual Trauma. Outside of the office, Chris regularly provides training, consultation, and education on mental health topics at local churches, colleges, and other organizations in the community. He's driven by a commitment to bridge the gap between people who desire good mental health and meaningful faith.