Description: Rituals can be powerful tools for fostering meaning, connection, and emotional integration in group therapy settings. This webinar explores howintentional, therapist-guided rituals can support group cohesion and deepen therapeutic work. Participants will also examine the ethical considerationsinvolved in introducing ritual practices and learn practical strategies for integrating them in culturally responsive and trauma-informed ways. Learning Objectives: - Define ritual in a clinical context and explain how it differs from routine therapeutic techniques in group therapy.
- Identify at least three therapeuticfunctions of ritual in group settings, such as enhancing cohesion, supporting meaning-making, and facilitating emotional processing.
- Evaluate ethicalconsiderations when introducing rituals in therapy, including informed consent, cultural humility, and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
- Apply a framework for designing simple therapeutic rituals that are trauma-informed and adaptable across diverse client populations.
Presenter Bio: Rachel Johnson, LCSW, is a doctoral student in social work at the University of Utah and a practicing clinician specializing in trauma-informed therapy. She works with adolescents and adults, with a focus on healing from childhood sexual abuse through attachment-based and evidence-based approaches including EMDR, IFS, DBT, and ACT. Rachel has extensive experience facilitating psychoeducational groups and trainings, particularly with survivors of trauma, and has contributed to research on resilience, mental health, and violence prevention. Her work integrates clinical practice, research, and teaching, with a focus on fostering connection, meaning-making, and ethical care in therapeutic settings. |
