Therapy With Clients Deconstructing Religious Upbringings (3 CEU's)

TRAUMA, CULTURE & RELATIONAL DYNAMICS
Therapy With Clients Deconstructing Religious Upbringings – 3 CEUs

Overview:
Clients questioning, reevaluating, or deconstructing aspects of their religious upbringing often navigate deeply complex emotional, relational, and identity-related experiences. For many individuals, religion shapes far more than spiritual beliefs; it influences family relationships, morality, community belonging, identity development, values, gender roles, sexuality, life purpose, and perceptions of safety and worth. As clients begin examining long-held beliefs or distancing themselves from religious systems, they may experience grief, guilt, shame, fear, confusion, anger, loneliness, or significant identity disruption. Therapists may encounter clients struggling with concerns such as “Who am I without this?” or fears of disappointing loved ones, losing community, or betraying core aspects of themselves.

In this presentation, Dr. Zairys Feliz, Ph.D., LCSW, participants will examine culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches for working with clients navigating religious deconstruction and evolving spiritual identities. Attendees will explore the distinction between healthy religious experiences and experiences involving spiritual harm, control, fear, or relational injury while recognizing the diversity of client experiences across faith traditions. The course will address common clinical themes including guilt-based conditioning, purity culture, family conflict, identity loss, existential concerns, sexuality and gender-related struggles, grief, and fears related to autonomy and belonging. Participants will learn practical strategies for supporting exploration without imposing therapist beliefs, facilitating emotional processing, honoring cultural and spiritual complexity, and helping clients develop identities that integrate values, meaning, and personal choice. Through case examples and applied discussion, attendees will gain practical tools for navigating an increasingly common and emotionally nuanced area of clinical practice.

Objectives:

1. Identify emotional, relational, and identity-related challenges commonly associated with religious deconstruction processes.

2. Recognize distinctions between adaptive religious experiences and experiences involving spiritual harm or psychological distress.

3. Apply culturally responsive and trauma-informed interventions that support identity exploration, emotional processing, and client autonomy.

Scope and Limitations Disclosure
This course provides licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals with an overview of culturally responsive approaches for working with clients navigating religious deconstruction and changing spiritual identities. Participants will learn practical assessment and intervention strategies relevant to outpatient clinical practice. This training does not provide theological instruction, religious counseling certification, or comprehensive specialization in spiritual trauma treatment. Participants are expected to apply course material within their professional scope of practice, ethical standards, and ongoing cultural humility.

Financial and Commercial Disclosure
The presenter has no relevant financial relationships or conflicts of interest to disclose. Any references to therapeutic frameworks, cultural concepts, spiritual themes, interventions, or resources are included solely for educational purposes. Participants are not required to purchase any additional materials to complete this course.

Refund Policy – Live CE Trainings (Virtual & In-Person)
All registrations for live CE trainings are subject to this refund policy. By enrolling, participants agree to these terms. Cancellations made 7 days or more prior to the scheduled training date are eligible for a full refund minus a $25 administrative fee, or participants may elect to receive a full credit toward a future training. Cancellations made less than 7 days before the scheduled training are non-refundable; however, registrations may be transferred to another eligible training or another attendee with prior written approval. Participants who fail to attend a scheduled live training, do not complete attendance requirements, or fail to satisfy course participation requirements are not eligible for refunds or CEUs. If a training is canceled or rescheduled by the provider, registrants will be offered either a full refund or the opportunity to transfer to another training. Refunds will not be issued if participants are unable to earn CEUs due to incomplete attendance, failure to complete required evaluations, or licensing board eligibility restrictions.