This webinar equips mental health professionals with the knowledge and skills to recognize, assess, and treat religious trauma. Participants will explore the origins and etiology of religious trauma, including the impact of authoritarian belief systems, spiritual abuse, high-control religious environments, and punitive doctrines. The course will examine common characteristics and symptoms such as guilt, shame, anxiety, identity confusion, and relational difficulties. Clinicians will learn how to provide trauma-informed support that respects clients’ diverse spiritual backgrounds and experiences. Evidence-based therapeutic interventions—such as cognitive restructuring, narrative therapy, and mindfulness—will be introduced to help clients process trauma, rebuild identity, and reclaim autonomy.

Upon completion of the webinar, participants will be able to:

• Define religious trauma and describe its origins, etiology, and psychological impact across diverse cultural and spiritual contexts.
• Identify common symptoms and clinical presentations of religious trauma, including emotional, cognitive, and relational disturbances.
• Apply trauma-informed, evidence-based therapeutic strategies to support clients in processing religious trauma and fostering healing and self-agency.