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 and CSAT Candidate 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).
Frank Moncher received his Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of South Carolina in 1992, following which he spent several years on faculty of the Medical College of Georgia. From 2000-2010 he was on the faculty of the Institute for the Psychological Sciences. Since 2010, Dr. Moncher has worked for the Diocese of Arlington and Catholic Charities as a psychologist and consultant. In addition, Frank consults with other diocesan tribunals and with religious orders and dioceses to provide psychological evaluations of candidates for religious life. He is licensed as a clinical psychologist in Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Father John Szada is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. He attended Penn State University for his undergraduate degree and remains connected with the institution. Subsequently, he entered Mount St Mary's Seminary and was ordained in 1978, and Father Szada has now been a priest for 45 years. He pursued an interest in Psychology after ordination, and received a PhD from Capella University in 2017. He was appointed the official exorcist of the diocese in 2011 and continues to function in that ministry, where he receives numerous referrals and has performed a number of formal, solemn exorcism rites. Father Szada's keen interest is in determining the cause of the affliction, mental illness, or spiritual attack, and completed his dissertation on the topic.
Dr. Anna Pecoraro is a licensed clinical psychologist and registered nurse. She completed masters and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology and masters in human sexuality at Widener University. Dr. Pecoraro completed a post-doctoral fellowship in addictions research and treatment at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She is an associate professor at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, Divine Mercy University and specializes in doing psychotherapy with individuals suffering from sexual addictions and/or betrayal trauma.