The Passions: The Theology & Science of Addictions and Compulsions

Keynote & Plenary Presentations

Keynote Speaker

Right Reverend Serafim, Bishop of Kostajnica Vicar to the Metropolitan of Midwestern America (Serbian)

Medical Plenary Speaker

Jenna Nikolaides, MD, MA, FACEP Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Medical Toxicology, and Addiction Medicine Director, Substance Use Intervention Team & Director, Medical Toxicology Rush University Medical Center, Chicago

Psychological Plenary Speaker

Reverend Father Dimitrios Moraitis, DMin Parish Priest, St. Nicholas Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Clinician and Spiritual Director at the Washburn House; Guest Lecturer at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

Theology Plenary Speaker

Very Reverend Father Maximos Constas, PhD Distinguished Professor of Humanities, The University of Austin

Workshop Presentations

Mischievous Foes or Misunderstood Friends? How Befriending our Passions Could Heal our Wounds

Christian Gonzalez, MA, LMFT

Launching Hope: A Nepsis-Centered Facilitator Training for Saint Anastasia Fellowship

Rev. Presbyter Nikolas Delaveris, MDiv and Adriana Markov, LPC

Trauma and the Passions: A Workshop for Confessors

V. Rev. Fr. Sean Levine, D.Min., M.A.T.S, M.A.B.S, M.Div, M.S. (MFT)

An Internal Family Systems Approach to Addictions and Compulsions: Working with Inner Polarizations

Joel Klepac, MA, LMFT

Ancient wisdom for modern practice: How the Eight Thoughts and Passions through ACT move us from suffering to flourishing

Fr. Cyprian (Scott Fennema) BCC, M.A. Rel., M.A. Phil. and Russell Hall, Ph.D., Lic. Psych.

Appetite, Asceticism, and the Image of God: A Holistic Orthodox Response to Disordered Eating

Megan Bonynge, MS, LMFT and Krista Fedorchak, MS, RD

An Orthodox Pastoral Approach to the Healing of Addiction

V. Rev. Fr. Paul Jannakos, MDIV, MA., LPC

Freedom/Addiction and the Uganda Experiment

Dr Al Rossi, PhD and Fr Simon Menya, MDiv

Workaholism, vocation, and identity: Guarding against work addiction and job idolization even when you love your work

Lory Barsdate Easton, JD, MPsy

Healing the Scrupulous Soul: Understanding and Addressing Obsessions and Compulsions

Charlene Colwell, MSW, LICSW and Paul Colwell, MDiv, ThM

Treating Pornography Use: A Clinical and Pastoral Approach

Erik Hadden, MA, LCPC

Orthodoxy and The Cure of Souls: Finding The Freedom to Love (Properly)

Peter Abdelmalak, MD

Let Go and Let God: Self-care for the Caregiver

Kristina Baktis, MPS, LCAT, LPAT, ATR-BC, ATCS

When Love Becomes a Cage: Understanding and Treating Addiction to People Through the Lens of Neuroscience and Orthodox Theology

Dumitrela Negru, PsyD, LMFT

Paper Presentations

The False Bridegroom: Passion, Addiction, and Spiritual Infidelity in Syriac Hymnody

Rev. Fr. Timothy Thomas, PhD

Gut-Madness: On the Passion of Gluttony and Health

Mark Faries, PhD

The relationship between the three aspects of the soul to control of passions in Hesychios the Priest’s On Watchfulness and Holiness.

Rev. Fr. Sujit Thomas, PhD Candidate

Integrating Heart Disease Reversal Intervention, Blue Zones Lifestyle Patterns, and Spiritual Practices within the Greek Orthodox Church Setting

Themis A. Yiaslas, Psy.D.

Towards an Orthodox Christian Understanding of Opioid Agonist Therapy for Opioid Use Disorder

Vincent R. Kennedy, D.O., M.P.H.

A Spiritual Awakening: The Twelve Steps, Jung and the Ancient Wisdom of the Church

Dn. Dean Theophilos, LPCC, LCPC, LADC

Excerpt from “Lessons from the Tombs: A Pragmatic Analysis of the Asceticism of St. Antony the Great and the 12-Step Program”

Joseph David Rodrigues, MATh / MAPh

Panel Presentation

Peacemaking in Clinical Encounters during Times of Culture War

James DuBois, DSc, PhD; Sarah Byrne-Martelli, DMin, BCC-PCHAC; and Casey Clardy, PhD, MDiv