Free Webinar: Skipping Past Emotion: Understanding Spiritual Bypassing in Religious and Spiritual Trauma
Facilitated by: Kennesha Rodgers, MA, LAPC, CTP
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual/Zoom
CE Hours: 1 CE Hour for NBCC, PA SW, LPC, LMFT, and Psychologists, PA SW, LPC, LMFT, and Psychologists, PA SW, LPC, LMFT, and Psychologists, PA SW, LPC, LMFT, and Psychologists
About the Workshop
Faith can be a source of comfort and belonging, and for some it is also where deep wounds begin. Spiritual bypassing is the use of spiritual beliefs, practices, or language to avoid, minimize, or dismiss real emotional pain. It is a common thread in religious trauma. Phrases like “everything happens for a reason,” “just forgive and move on,” or “you need more faith” can leave people feeling silenced, ashamed, or responsible for their own suffering.
This webinar we will explore how spiritual bypassing shows up in therapeutic work. We will also look at how it differs from healthy spiritual coping, why it can intensify trauma symptoms, and how to respond in ways that honor both a person’s pain and their beliefs. Participants will leave with practical language, reflective questions, and trauma-informed strategies for supporting healing without asking anyone to abandon or defend their faith.
Learning Objectives
- Define spiritual bypassing and recognize common phrases, behaviors, and group dynamics that reinforce it in religious trauma contexts.
- Distinguish between spiritual bypassing and healthy spiritual coping, and explain how bypassing can interfere with trauma processing and recovery.
- Identify at least three trauma-informed strategies for responding to spiritual bypassing, whether in a client’s story, a community setting, or one’s own self-talk and practice, while respecting each person’s spiritual autonomy.
Continuing Education Hours and Training Credits
Please note that participants must attend the entire training event to receive CE/training credits. Partial credit is unable to be offered.
Credit Hours for Pennsylvania social workers, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors and psychologists:
Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy (Lic. #004115) is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors to offer continuing education for social workers, marriage and family therapists and professional counselors.
The Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy (Lic. # PSY000215) is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology to offer continuing education for psychologists. Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy maintains responsibility for the program.
National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) Credit
Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7013. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC are clearly identified. Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
The Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy is committed to providing exceptional continuing education experiences and assuring fair treatment of all participants. In the event that a participant is not satisfied with their continuing education experience, this statement is provided to offer guidelines for submitting and responding to official grievances.
