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

13 CEUs

Day 1: Thursday (Clinical Track)

8:00–8:30 AM 

Morning Coffee & Chat

Arrive, network and settle in for Day 1

8:30–9:00 AM 

Conference Opening

Welcome remarks and orientation by the committee

9:00-–10:30 AM 

Clinical Keynote (2.0 Ethics CEUs)

Healing from Racism: a Radical Proposition

Juancarlos Santisteban, MA, LMFT

Choosing Belonging in the Space In-Between

10:30–11:30 AM  

Mid-Day Experiential (1 CEU)

Soundbath

Emilee Henriquez, LCMHC

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 presentation on Encircle and Encircle Therapy.

1:00-2:00 PM  

Live-poll presentation (1 CEU)

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

Martin Erickson, PhD, LMFT

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)

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

Kimberly Applewhite, PsyD

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

3:00-4:00 PM  

Interactive Clinical Workshop (1CEU)

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

Becky (Rebecca) Edwards, MS, ACMHC

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

4:00-5:00 PM 

Presentation (1CEU)

Three Generations in the Room: The LDS Family Rupture Pattern and Clinical Tools That Actually Work

Cassidy DuHadway, LCSW

A systemic and intergenerational framework for understanding how LDS‑rooted worth, belonging, and identity erupt across three generations when one member steps outside the faith’s expectations.

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)

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

Ashley Kirkpatrick, LAC

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)

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

Julie de Azevedo, PhD, LCSW

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)

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

Hailey Maire-Grant, LCSW, CST

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)

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

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

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)

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

Heather Sundahl, LMFT, MA

An examination of the mental‑health impact of patriarchal, high‑demand faith traditions on women, highlighting how cultural messages within Mormonism can become internalized and passed from mother to daughter, shaping identity, worthiness, emotional expression, and the body’s sense of safety.

5:55-6:55 PM

Presentation (1 CEU)

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

Chelsey Liaga, LMSW

A thoughtful exploration of the emotional, relational, and identity‑based challenges Mormon mothers may encounter during faith transitions, offering practical frameworks and therapeutic interventions that support authenticity, differentiation, nervous‑system regulation, and the reconstruction of self within the ongoing demands of motherhood

Conference Refund Policy

All ticket sales are final.

Refunds will only be issued if the organization is unable to provide access to the event due to an error on our part (for example, an incorrect link or a failure to deliver event access materials). If a ticket holder chooses to attend the event—whether in full or in part—no refund will be provided.

Please note that registering after the event has begun may result in missing portions of the live conference. Late registration does not qualify for a refund.

All ticket holders will receive access to the day's full set of presentation recordings as part of their ticket purchase, regardless of live attendance.

By purchasing a ticket, you acknowledge and agree to this refund policy.