False Self Formation in Digital Culture and Christian Identity

False Self Formation in Digital Culture and Christian Identity: Clinical Implications for Mental Health Professionals A live interactive Web Workshop hosted on Google Meet for social workers and licensed professional counselors. Continuing Education Credits Awarded/ Contact Hours: 3 clock hours (ASWB/ACE) (NBCC), 3 CE (MD BSWE) This is a hybrid event. The event will be hosted at Grace Community Church (8200 Old Columbia Rd., Fulton, MD, 20759) and broadcast online with a link provided upon purchase of admission. If you have purchased a ticket to access the recording of the session, access to the recording will be provided after the session has concluded and the recording has been edited. *If you are a CentrePointe alum and are interested in attending this session, please send an email to [email protected]. Current students may also qualify for free attendance. Please send an email to [email protected] to learn more about this opportunity. Course Description: Understanding the development of the True and False Self is increasingly important within contemporary counseling because identity formation now occurs within a complex interaction of family relationships, cultural expectations, peer influence, and digital environments. Although social adaptation is a normal and necessary part of development, excessive reliance on external expectations and validation may contribute to inauthentic self-presentation, self-alienation, diminished self-concept clarity, and psychological distress. Social media further complicates this developmental process by providing environments in which individuals can construct, regulate, and reinforce particular versions of themselves while being continuously exposed to social comparison, psychological terminology, and culturally shaped narratives about identity, harm, and vulnerability. For counselors, it is therefore important to distinguish genuine psychological suffering from identity-level interpretations of distress while creating relational safety for clients to examine internalized expectations, personal meanings, beliefs, and self-narratives. This presentation provides an integrative framework for understanding False-Self formation and offers therapeutic approaches that promote self- examination, differentiation, personal responsibility, authenticity, and a more coherent and integrated sense of self. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the core concepts of self and their role in identity development. 2. Examine social media’s influence on identity development and the False Self. 3. Evaluate how contemporary psychological influences shaping self-perception and emotional experience 4. Apply therapeutic approaches for identifying and gradually dismantling rigid False-Self patterns 5. Integrate psychological and biblical perspectives toward an authentic self Our Presenter: Cristina Emrich, EdD, LCPC Cristina Emrich, Ed.D., LCPC, is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the State of Maryland and a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor in the District of Columbia. She works as a professional counselor at CentrePointe Counseling, providing individual, couple, and family therapy to children, adolescents, and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, parenting concerns, relational conflict, identity-related concerns, and other emotional and behavioral challenges. Her clinical interests include marriage and family systems, trauma and identity development, emotional regulation, relational conflict, and the integration of spirituality within counseling. Cristina also serves as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies at Liberty University, where she teaches graduate-level counseling courses, supervises counseling interns, and mentors students in ethical practice and professional identity development. She has contributed to the counseling field through professional presentations and publications addressing psychoeducation, spiritual integration, marriage and family counseling, and the role of language in psychological and spiritual transformation. Cristina earned a Bachelor of Educational Psychology from Lucian Blaga University in Romania, a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Community Care and Counseling: Marriage and Family Counseling from Liberty University. Course Agenda: 9:00-9:05 Introductions and Objectives 9:05-9:30 Core concepts of self and identity development 9:30-10:00 Social media as a powerful influence on identity and the false self 10:00-10:30 Contemporary psychological influences shaping self-perception and emotional experience 10:30-10:40 Break 10:40-11:10 Therapeutic approaches for identifying and gradually dismantling rigid False-Self patterns 11:10-11:40 Case Studies for Group Discussion 11:40-12:05 Integrate psychological and biblical perspectives toward an authentic self 12:05-12:15 Q and A Registration & information: The cost to attend this event is $60, which includes a certificate of completion. Space is limited. Cancellations must be received prior to the event date to be eligible for a refund. Register online at www.eventbrite.com/o/centrepointe-counseling-inc-9832900843. Registration closes on November 11th, 2026. This live webinar takes place on Google Meet and is fully interactive. Attendees may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussion Operating Systems Requirements: Windows 10 or higher, MacOS 10 or higher, Android 5.0 or higher. • Internet Browser: Internet Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge (Chromium based), Safari. • Broadband Internet connection: Cable, High-speed DSL & any other medium that is internet accessible Please contact CentrePointe Counseling’s Continuing Education Director, Matthew Raeder ([email protected].), if you have questions, concerns, or grievances about this course or require ADA accommodation. Course completion & CE information: Course completion requirements: Social workers and Professional Counselors must attend the entire course and complete a course evaluation to be eligible for CE credit. Certificates of completion will be emailed within 7 business days of course completion. CentrePointe Counseling, provider # 1586, 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: 02/28/2025 – 02/28/2028. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credits. CentrePointe Counseling, Inc. is an approved sponsor of The Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland. Social Workers and Professional Counselors should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval for continuing education credits. CentrePointe Counseling, Inc. has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6569. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CentrePointe Counseling, Inc. is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.