2026 MMHA 13th Annual Conference: Mormon-ish, Navigating the Space In Between

MORMON MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION

13TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Mormon-ish: Navigating the Space in Between

Thursday, July 30, 2026 and Friday, July 31, 2026

In-Person at the University of Utah and Interactive Online

14.5 CEUs

Day 1: Thursday (Clinical Track)

8:00–8:30 PM 

Morning Coffee & Chat

Arrive, network and settle in for Day 1

8:30–9:00 PM 

Conference Opening

Welcome remarks and orientation by the committee

9:00-–10:30 PM 

Clinical Keynote (1.5 CEUs)

Juancarlos Santisteban, MA, LMFT

Healing from Racism: a Radical Proposition

Choosing Belonging in the Space In-Between

10:30–11:30 PM  

Mid-Day Experiential 

Emilee Henriquez, LCMHC

Soundbath

A dedicated 30-minute mindfulness and nervous system resetting experience.

11:30–1:00 PM  

Lunch

12:45-1:00 PM  

Lunch and Learn

Malia Burgess, LCSW, MFA & Marty Erickson, PhD, LMFT

Special 15-20 Min Brief Presentation on Encircle and Encircle Therapy.

1:00-2:00 PM  

Live-poll presentation (1 CEU)

Martin Erickson, PhD, LMFT

Mormon-ish and Wounded-ish: A Live-Poll Experience of MMHA Therapists' Humanity

A real-time, completely anonymous aggregate polling presentation analyzing the therapist's personhood, wounded healer dynamics, and internal templates.

2:00-3:00 PM 

Presentation (1 CEU)

Kimberly Applewhite, PsyD

Generational Perspectives on Intersectionality and Mental Health of Diverse Latter-day Saints

An essential session highlighting generational splits regarding church policy, racial stress, and LGBTQ+ intersectionality.

3:00-4:00 PM  

Interactive Clinical Workshop (1CEU)

Becky (Rebecca) Edwards, MS, ACMHC

The Self-Led System: IFS Tools for Navigating Faith Journeys with Compassion and Curiosity

An experiential workshop utilizing Internal Family Systems (IFS) to address internal polarizations and inner critics during faith crises.

5:00 PM onward         

Evening Event

Networking Happy Hour

Hosted at Simple Modern Therapy (The Milk Block)

Day 2: Friday (General & Community Track)

Focus: General audience suitability, community systems, intersectionality, and lived experiences. Aligns with crossover segments.

9:00-10:00 AM

Presentation (1 CEU)

Ashley Kirkpatrick, LAC

Performance vs Presence: Reclaiming Masculinity After the “Mantle”: Moving Beyond Performative Identity Toward Authentic Connection

An IFS-informed exploration of performative scripts, "Mantle Burnout," and relational shutdown in male LDS clients.

10:25-11:55 AM

Presentation (1.5 CEUs)

Julie de Azevedo, PhD, LCSW

The Heroine’s Journey and Latter-day Saint Women’s Development

A compassionate and developmentally informed framework for understanding the complex intersection of Mormon culture, women’s mental health, and identity development

12:20-1:20 PM

Presentation (1 CEU)

Hailey Maire-Grant, LCSW, CST

The Body After Belief: Nervous System Responses to Mormon Culture, Shame, and Sexuality

An exploration of how religious and cultural conditioning can become physiologically embedded in the body and nervous system, particularly around themes of sexuality, worthiness, identity, emotional expression, and relational safety, with special attention given to those who remain connected to Mormon culture while simultaneously experiencing pain, grief, ambivalence, or disillusionment

1:20-2:30 PM 

Lunch

2:30-4:00 PM

Presentation (2 Ethics CEUs)

Natasha Helfer, LCMFT, CST-S; Mike Fuller, LCSW; Aimee Mortenson, CCMHC, CST, LPC, NCC, MS

Navigating Religious Incongruence, Sex Addiction, Pornography Models, and Purity Culture in LDS Practice

A dynamic, integrated session bringing together four major submissions into a single powerhouse panel, offering a nuanced look at navigating religious incongruence to support sexual wholeness, untangling moral shame, clarifying ICD‑11 CSBD criteria in contrast to “sex addiction” frameworks, and understanding person‑in‑environment distress within high‑demand religious contexts.

4:25-5:25 PM

Presentation (1 CEU)

Heather Sundahl, LMFT, MA

Mormon Women and Intergenerational Trauma: Reclaiming and Transforming LDS Culture into Spiritual Anti-venom

A dynamic, integrated session bringing together four major submissions into a single powerhouse panel, offering a nuanced look at navigating religious incongruence to support sexual wholeness, untangling moral shame, clarifying ICD‑11 CSBD criteria in contrast to “sex addiction” frameworks, and understanding person‑in‑environment distress within high‑demand religious contexts

5:55-6:55 PM

Presentation (1 CEU)

Chelsey Liaga, LMSW

Motherhood in the “In-Between”: Identity Disruption and Authenticity After Mormonism

A dynamic, integrated session bringing together four major submissions into a single powerhouse panel, offering a nuanced look at navigating religious incongruence to support sexual wholeness, untangling moral shame, clarifying ICD‑11 CSBD criteria in contrast to “sex addiction” frameworks, and understanding person‑in‑environment distress within high‑demand religious contexts.