Navigating Sexual & Religious Identity - Part One

This is a CE course that satisfies the requirements for the professions of: Licensed Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists, and National Certified Counselors. (Participants are responsible for verifying that the training meets their specific CE requirements.)

About This Course

Join us for the first in a series of online continuing education events offering introductory and intermediate level of training around the integration of diverse sexual or gender identities with a Christian religious identity. This first training is an introduction to helping clients navigate the difficult conflict between who they are in terms of their sexual identity and their religious faith. Sexual Identity Therapy (SIT; Yarhouse, 2019) and religious identity exploration are client-centered, identity-focused approaches to navigating conflicts between sexual identity and religious identity. Christians who struggle with a conflict between their sexual or gender identity and religious identity have few therapeutic options available to them.

The School of Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy at Wheaton College is approved by both the State of Illinois, Department of Financial & Professional Regulation as a continuing education sponsor for Social Workers (159001237), Professional Counselors (197000212), Marriage & Family Therapists (168000202), and Psychologists (268000032), and may offer continuing education hours for events that meet continuing education requirements for the state of Illinois; and by the National Board for Certified Counselors as a Continuing Education Provider for National Certified Counselors (4597). Wheaton College is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

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What is the Sexual & Gender Identity Institute?

The Sexual and Gender Identity Institute (SGI) is comprised of professionals who conduct original research on sexual or gender identity and faith to help further our understanding of these complex experiences for individuals, to be a resource to families navigating these experiences; and to be a resource to Christian institutions (e.g., churches, colleges and universities, campgrounds, parachurch ministries, and so on) as they make decisions about these topics and how to best serve others. The foundational research that shapes SGI today began in 1998 when Dr. Yarhouse began conducting research at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. That research lab formally became an institute (referred to as the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity) in 2004. That institute was renamed when it transitioned to Wheaton College in 2019 (The Sexual & Gender Identity Institute or SGI).

Course Staff

Mark Yarhouse PsyD

Mark A. Yarhouse, Psy.D., is the Dr. Arthur P. Rech & Mrs. Jean May Rech Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College, where he directs the Sexual & Gender Identity Institute. He is currently conducting a study of the experiences of gender diverse students at Christian colleges and universities. Dr. Yarhouse has served as a subject matter expert to the National Institute of Corrections on LGBT+ persons in corrections and was part of the American Psychological Associations consensus panel that provided input to the SAMHSA on care for LGBT youth. He was named Senior Fellow with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities to conduct a study of students navigating sexual identity concerns at Christian colleges and universities. Dr. Yarhouse is currently the Chair of the task force on LGBT+ issues for Division 36 (Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) of the American Psychological Association. He was also invited to write the featured white paper on sexual identity for the Christ on Campus Initiative edited by Don A. Carson for The Gospel Coalition.

Course Staff

Kelly Arensen; MPH, SGI Admin Coordinator

Kelly supports all facets of SGI in its research, instructional, and clinical endeavors through a variety of administrative tasks and roles, bringing to the position her public health and grant writing experience.

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