Supporting Ethical, Inclusive, and
Affirming Mental Health Care for ENM Clients

Breaking Sacred Chains:
Reclaiming Identity After Religious Trauma

Last Updated: August 15, 2024
Format: Self-paced, Non-Interactive, Online Learning
Duration: 1 hour (video & audio; closed captions included)
CE Credits: 1 (ASWB ACE Approved, Provider #2119)

This course is part of the "Empowering Pathways" program

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Restore What Control Took Away - Gently, Ethically, and with Clinical Clarity
✅ Identity-affirming | ✅ Trauma-informed | ✅ Immediately applicable

Clients emerging from high-control religious systems often carry invisible wounds. This training offers a respectful, non-pathologizing framework to help clinicians recognize religious trauma, understand identity disruption and attachment impacts, and apply Religious Trauma Treatment Model (RTTM) with confidence - so healing can begin with language that honors lived experiences.

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Course Overview

By the end of this concise, practical training, you'll be able to:

📌 Identify how religious trauma can present clinically - across the lifespan and in session.

📌 Recognize identity and attachment disruptions tied to high-control belief environments.

📌 Understand RTTM phases and how to use them to support identity reclamation without pathologizing clients.

📌 Orient treatment planning around client agency, safety, and self-definition.

There are no refunds granted for this course.


Who is this course for?
Social workers, counselors and therapists seeking grounded, beginning-level
introduction to religious trauma and RTTM.

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A SUBHEADING GOES HERE
What You'll Learn
What is Religious Trauma?

Clear definitions, clinical language, and how trauma may surface in session.

Identity & Attachment Impacts

How high-control environments shape self-concept, belonging, and relational patterns.

Mechanisms of Control

Beliefs, authority structures, and behavioral shaping that erode agency.

RTTM at a Glance

Phases, clinical relevance, and how to apply RTTM to support identity reclamation.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is designed to be easy to consume information on a beginner level.

This training is ideal for:

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  • Licensed therapists, social workers, and counselors
  • Clinicians new to religious trauma work
  • Practitioners seeking a non-pathologizing, identity-affirming approach
  • Professionals building culture humility around spirituality & mental health
Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

  • Recognize the effects of religious trauma on identity, attachment, and mental health.
  • Explain the phases of the Religious Trauma Treatment Model (RTTM) and their clinical applications.
  • Assess how belief systems and high-control environments shape self-perception and behavior.
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Ann Russo
LCSW, MA, Theology
Sex-Positive Therapist, CEO, and Founder of AMR Therapy

Ann Russo is a therapist, author, and creator of the Religious Trauma Treatment Model. She is the founder and clinical director of AMR Therapy, a remote mental health practice. Her work focuses on religious trauma, sexual empowerment, and queer issues. She has a forthcoming book with PESI on healing religious trauma.

Course & Provider Statements

Provider Approval Statement
Empowering Pathways (Provider #2119) is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/15/2024 - 08/15/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1 continuing education credit.

Course Completion Requirements
Watch the course video (or listen to the audio). review provided materials, pass the post-test with 80% correct or higher and complete the course evaluation. Download your certificate instantly after passing the test.

Instructions for Requesting Accessibility Accommodations
For special accommodations, email: [email protected]

Attendance Tracking
Attendance for the course is tracked using an integrated technology platform. When trainees sign in and out of the course, the platform records their access times. The system monitors their progress through the video modules, ensuring they complete all required sections. Upon successful completion of the post-test with a passing score, the platform automatically generates a certificate of completion for the trainee. This comprehensive tracking ensures accurate attendance records and confirms that all course requirements are met before issuing certificates. 

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