Spiritual abuse is a popular topic in books, blogs, and social media. Yet, there is a paucity of academic research on the topic. There is no agreed-upon definition, and few resources exist to determine whether an individual has experienced spiritual abuse. This...
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists
602 | How Did I Get Here?: Complexities of Moral Injury, PTSD, and Substance Abuse from a Combat Veteran’s Perspective
The Mission of the PTSD Foundation of America is to bring hope and healing to combat Veterans and their families suffering from the effects of combat-related post-traumatic stress. In this workshop, licensed mental health professionals and ministry leaders will...
603 | Ending Well: Facilitating End-of-Life Decisions and Conversations for Dignity and Legacy
Numerous necessary decisions regarding aging, illness, and end-of-life issues must be addressed. Still, many people evade the topic entirely, while others simply do not have the tools or knowledge to plan effectively. This leaves families and loved ones with the...
604 | Through the Tears: Helping Families Discuss Suicide Loss with Children
Sadly, 7,000-30,000 children in the U.S. lose a parent to suicide yearly (Watson et al., 2021). This statistic does not account for other suicide losses a child may endure. Surviving family members often avoid discussing suicide with children due to stigma and/or fear...
605 | The Intimacy Pyramid: Healthy Sexual Reintegration After Infidelity
Couples seeking restoration in sexual intimacy in marriages damaged by sexual addiction, infidelity, or betrayal want to know and follow the right path and timing for healing. This presentation will introduce “The Intimacy Pyramid” model, which licensed mental health...
606 | The Impact of Culture: Diversity in Addressing Sexual Issues
Cross-cultural psychology plays a vital role in understanding behavior throughout the world's cultures. While much of psychology research remains primarily Western and Eurocentric, there is a stronger awareness of the importance of representation and diversity in the...
607 | The Gray Divorce: The Overlooked Impact on Their Adult Children
Since 2010, the number of parents divorcing after 25, 35, or 45+ years has doubled and is expected to triple by 2030. Adult children of such parents are often presumed to have resilience. Sadly, parental divorce (Gray Divorce) is a significant stressor to adult...
608 | Peacemaking: Resolving Conflict and Restoring Relationships for Clinicians and Ministries
Studies have consistently demonstrated comorbidity between unresolved interpersonal conflict and various mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, self-esteem, suicidality, substance use, family stability, workplace performance, and overall well-being....
609 | Security in the Storm: How Adult Attachments Can Mitigate Stress During Uncertainty
Since the onset of COVID-19, pandemic-related stressors have emerged and impacted multiple life areas, including work and school (Costa-Cordella et al., 2022; Ting, 2022). These stressors have also affected intimate relationships (Stanley & Markman, 2020), potentially...
610 | Imitating the Master: Christ-modeled Self-compassion for Treating Anxiety in Emerging Adults
According to university counseling centers, anxiety is the most common presenting problem among emerging adult college students, with 60.8% presenting anxiety (AUCCCD Annual Survey, 2021). Self-compassion interventions are known to be effective at reducing anxiety in...