Institute for Creative Mindfulness

This online workshop aims to educate, inform and empower clinical professionals about the issues surrounding purity culture that lead to the crisis known as #ChurchToo, so that they can better serve their clients who are struggling with the aftermath of religious sexualized violence. Led by one of the leading authorities on the topic, the workshop will address the definition of purity culture and the history behind it, showing therapists why clients may be coming to them with problems caused by purity culture and the unique historical and cultural context in which it arose. Key theological concepts and doctrines that make up purity culture as well as the ways that they are most commonly manifested will be explained in this opening section. Next, the presenter will share case studies, both real-life and composite, of people affected by purity culture and the negative emotional, spiritual, sexual and relational consequences that often result from being steeped in it during formative years. She will also share from her own lived experience with the phenomenon. From there, anxieties therapists might have about not being theologically knowledgeable or feeling as though it is “not their lane” to attempt to deal with a client’s theological beliefs are addressed. This section addresses the very traceable, solid lines between purity culture and abuse/neglect/dysfunction in order to make the case that far from being a matter of theological obscurity or “sincerely held religious beliefs” that harm no one, purity culture is actually a risk factor for all kinds of negative mental, physical, and spiritual health outcomes and is absolutely an appropriate place for therapeutic intervention. Finally, the presenter and discussant lay out concrete strategies for addressing purity culture with clients, guided by these core questions: 

• What are the most effective ways to begin speaking about purity culture? What are other issues that arise as purity culture is dismantled, and how can therapists help their clients manage anxiety around those issues? 

• What strategies work best for those with specifically religious, body-based traumas? 

• How can therapists walk alongside clients in their process while also understanding the demonstrable fact that purity culture is a dangerous ideology that does not lead to health and wholeness for most?

Clinical counselor and trauma specialist Jamie Marich, Ph.D., LPCC-S, REAT, RYT-500 joins the course as the clinical discussant/co-presenter.

1. To define purity culture and articulate an understanding of the historical and cultural issues at play when it comes to speaking about and competently addressing purity culture in clinical settings.
2. To identify clinical signals and symptoms that suggest a client may be impacted by purity culture.
3. To determine where the impact of purity culture is showing up in “real life” for the client (e.g., presentations of abuse, neglect, dysfunction) and develop an appropriate plan to address.
4. To explore the role of the therapist in addressing issues around spirituality, religion, and purity culture, addressing any fears or barriers to “going there” with clients.
5. To address their client’s belief in or commitment to purity culture and to help them feel that that is a genuine part of their work as a mental health practitioner.
6. To implement tangible clinical strategies for assisting clients who are struggling with purity culture and help therapists examine the unique elements of recovering from purity culture that they can incorporate into their practice.