The Rite of Exorcism requires that a mental health evaluation be done by a licensed professional before an exorcism is approved by the local Catholic diocese. Mental health professionals may also help individuals and families recover and find freedom from the psychological antecedents and sequelae to the spiritual affliction, and build (or rebuild) their lives, personal identity, and relationships.
This presentation will focus primarily on the roles of the mental health professional in assessing and supporting persons who are or have been possessed; however, some generalization may be made toward working with persons who experience other spiritual afflictions. Attendees will acquire a general understanding of diagnostic and ethical dilemmas regarding the assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment of persons presenting with suspected or confirmed possession and be referred to professional literature and other related resources for further study.
Learning Objectives:
This program does not qualify for NBCC credits
Jennifer Madere is a LPC-Supervisor, EMDRIA Approved Consultant/Approved Trainer in private practice. She is a founding partner of Intuitus Group in Cedar Park, Texas. She has accompanied child and adult survivors of trauma on their journey of healing and recovery in psychotherapy since 2003.
Jennifer supervises graduate and post-graduate clinicians and consults and offers training and consultation related to treatment of complex trauma, pathological dissociation, and EMDR therapy. Jennifer also trains fellow clinicians in the ethical integration of faith and spirituality in clinical practice. Jennifer is a past President of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association, a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) and co-teaches the EMDR therapy training offered by ISSTD.
In addition to numerous professional presentations in local, national, and international conferences, Jennifer is the published author of several scholarly works on the topics of consultation and screening, assessment, and differential diagnosis for dissociative disorders.
Since 2015, Jennifer has collaborated with D. Michael Coy, LICSW, and Paul Dell, PhD to update the interpretive manual and associated documents for the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation (MID) and make the MID documents and training accessible to clinicians and researchers world-wide (see www.mid-assessment.com).
