When Church Hurts:
Recognizing and Responding to Spiritual Abuse
Presenter:Peridot Gilbert-Reed, Ph.D.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
6:00 – 8:30 PM ET
Level: Beginner
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Continuing Education
Continuing Education Accreditations applicable to this workshop:
Live: To be announced after the Live event*
On Demand: Approved for 2 NBCC and IBCC Credits*
CE Statement
Summary
Spiritual abuse can deeply wound individuals and fracture communities when religious persons/institutions misuse authority in a variety of ways to control others. Utilizing the speaker’s own research, licensed mental health professionals and ministry leaders will be able to recognize the common signs and patterns of abuse that happen in a religious setting. Furthermore, participants will be able to understand spiritual abuse’s emotional and spiritual impact, which differ from other types of abuse, and apply a response that is not only ethically informed but biblically based and faith informed with willing Christian clients. Lastly, participants will learn how to respond with wisdom and care to those who have experienced spiritual abuse.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Define spiritual abuse by identifying common signs and patterns of spiritual abuse within religious contexts.
- Analyze the emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact of spiritual abuse on individuals and communities.
- Examine biblical and ethical responses to spiritual abuse, including accountability and restoration.
- Develop strategies to create and maintain safe, spiritually nourishing environments, through trauma-informed, compassionate approaches rooted in Christian principles.
Continuing Education Statement
Live: To be announced after the Live event
The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) offers some psychologists, therapists, counselors, social workers, and play therapists Continuing Education (CE) credit due to good standing with certain states and a limited number of professional organizations. It remains the responsibility of each participant to be aware of state licensure and CE requirements. Participants should check their state and/or local regulations regarding required Continuing Education hours. *For Professionals needing Live CE Credits, Webinars Must be watched live. Webinars will remain Live until 12 am ET.
Psychologists
- The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. AACC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Licensed Mental Health Professionals
- The AACC is approved in multiple states to give Continuing Education to licensed mental health professionals. When requesting CEs, please indicate in which state you are licensed in on the Continuing Education Form. If this is not indicated, you may receive the wrong CE certificate for your state.
- The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), #1400, is approved as a provider for social work Continuing Education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. ASWB Approval Period: (09/06/2023 to 09/06/2026). Licensed social workers should contact their individual regulatory boards to review current Continuing Education requirements for licensure renewal. Any presentation that is less than 50 minutes in duration is not approved by the ASWB for Continuing Education credits.
American Association of Christian Counselors has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7543. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. American Association of Christian Counselors is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
On-Demand: NBCC & IBCC
Effective immediately, participants can now earn 2 NBCC and IBCC credits for CounselTalk webinars that are not attended live. To receive this credit, participants must complete a 10-question quiz and an evaluation following the On-demand (recorded) CounselTalk webinar.
The CounselTalk webinar will switch to “On-Demand” credit after 11:59 pm on the day of the webinar.
American Association of Christian Counselors has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7543. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. American Association of Christian Counselors is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
IBCC: The training offered through AACC-sponsored conferences and training programs also meets the ongoing CE requirements for counselors, life coaches, and crisis responders who are credentialed through the International Board of Christian Care (IBCC) or one of its affiliate boards: the Board of Christian Professional and Pastoral Counseling (BCPPC), the Board of Christian Life Coaching (BCLC), the Board of Mental Health Coaching (BMHC), and the Board of Christian Crisis and Trauma Response (BCCTR).
Learn more about our Continuing Education Policies
Presenters
Peridot Gilbert-Reed, Ph.D.: Peridot Gilbert-Reed, Ph.D., is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist as well as a supervisor in both areas. She received her Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology with a concentration in theology from Liberty University. Her research focuses on spiritual abuse and spiritual bypass (as received by another person). Her research, combined with her own lived experience with spiritual abuse, provides a unique lens into spiritual trauma and its impact. She is a professor at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Louisiana as well as an adjunct professor for Liberty University.