Brought to you by the Virginia Mental Health Counselors Association
About the Event:
An introduction to the impact of religious and spiritual trauma on clients, working through a C-PTSD lens in treatment planning, and breaking down hierarchical power structures in the therapeutic space.
Learning Objectives
Understanding the definition and implications of religious trauma in clients
Learning how religious upbringings impacts relational styles, attachment wounds, and interpersonal skills
Exploring techniques and methods to utilize in session with religious trauma clients
About the Presenter
With over 16 years working in the mental health field, SC Nealy (they/she) has their second Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is on the Board of Directors at Equality Arlington and NOVA Pride working in promoting LGBT+ rights and inclusion in legislative policies throughout Virginia. SC was also named the 2024 Humanitarian and Caring Person Award recipient from Virginia Counselors Association and recipient of Arlington County 2025 Women (Person) of Vision Award from Arlington County, 2025 Queer Leader’s Award for Corporate Inclusion/Workplaces from We Create Spaces, and is an NBCC's Approved Clinical Supervisor with a focus on training LGBT+ identifying therapists in how to work within the LGBT+ community and advocate for more ethical inclusion of LGBT+ issues in the mental health field. With a person-centered, emotion-focused approach aimed at finding solutions, healing trauma, building resilience, improving interpersonal relationships, connecting the mind and body, and working through triggers and past pain, SC wants their clients and supervisees to feel heard, understood, and valued in the therapeutic space and in their lives.
They are also the Founder and Clinical Director of a revolutionary new group mental health practice, called LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative, of all queer and gender diverse therapists aimed at bringing collaborative, inclusive training and work spaces to clinicians. Personally, SC identifies as gender fluid and queer/lesbian. They are a parent of 2 kiddos living in Arlington, VA and co-parent joyfully with their co-parent. They also write queer romance novels on the side and continue to work extensively in queer advocacy both politically and locally.