By Alfredo Ocampo
Doctor of Philosophy in Couple and Family Therapy student
When I first received the invitation from my academic advisor and faculty mentor, Marsha Vaughn, Ph.D., to present at the 2025 International Family Therapy Association (IFTA) Congress in Aberdeen, Scotland, I felt both honored and challenged.
It was the middle of a demanding school semester, and my work schedule was already full — but something about this invitation spoke deeply to me. I had heard nothing but praise for IFTA from faculty, peers, and alumni, and I knew that presenting alongside other Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) Adlerians would not only be a valuable academic opportunity, but also a deeply meaningful experience.
What ultimately made me say “yes” was the assurance that this international platform could offer me more than just a place to present research. It was an opportunity to deepen my relationships with colleagues, engage with family therapy professionals from around the world, and explore how my own cross-cultural experiences and intersectional identities — as a Mexican immigrant, Roman Catholic priest, and doctoral student in CFT — could offer a unique perspective to the global conversation on psychological healing and systemic change.
Reclaiming voices
My presentation topic, “Healing Family Trauma through Restorative Justice and Narrative Family Therapy: A Path to Reconciliation and Peacemaking in Church and Social Systems,” is not part of my dissertation work, which focuses on acculturative stress in immigration narratives. However, the topic reflects a lifelong calling and a pastoral reality I have lived. Throughout my years of pastoral ministry and itinerant preaching across the United States, I have encountered countless individuals, couples, and families seeking healing from personal and collective trauma, grief, and deep spiritual disillusionment. As a Catholic priest, I have always felt a deep moral responsibility not just to offer pastoral care, but to be part of the long road toward institutional accountability and healing — especially in light of the Church’s history of abuse and cover-up.
Although I strive to be a mindful, responsible, and compassionate priest, I cannot overlook the reality that I am part of an institution that has both healed and harmed under the dual narrative of divine authority and sacrificial offering. I share in the privileges of the Church, but I also bear some of its shame. This reality fuels my commitment to find therapeutic tools that support healing, restoration, and spiritual renewal — not only for individuals and families, but for entire communities of faith.
That is why I was eager to present on how Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) and Narrative Family Therapy (NFT) can serve as bridges between the sacred and the clinical, between accountability and hope, and between brokenness and wholeness.
Ocampo exploring Edinburgh, Scotland, before the 2025 IFTA Congress.
These two frameworks — RJP and NFT — help victim-survivors of religious trauma reframe their pain, reclaim their voices, and begin rebuilding trust in both themselves and their faith/spiritual communities. Restorative justice creates space for truth-telling and collective accountability, while narrative therapy empowers families to externalize the shame of betrayal and re-author their stories with dignity and agency.
During my presentation, I shared the example of a healing circle hosted by an archdiocese, where victim-survivors and clergy (excluding perpetrators) came together to speak openly. On the one hand, victim-survivors and families shared how secrecy and betrayal shattered their faith; on the other hand, the clergy responded with communal humility and reflective listening, acknowledging the institutional abuse and validating its multifaceted traumatic impact. In therapeutic follow-up, families used narrative techniques to reframe their spiritual identity — separating their faith from the actions of abusive leadership.
These stories reflect more than theory. They show a new path forward for human dignity and respect — a path toward reconciliation and peacemaking within the context of “healing circles.”
Sharing my intersectional experiences
During the IFTA Congress, I did not just present research — I also shared my intersectional experiences as a Mexican immigrant raised in the U.S., a Catholic priest committed to addressing injustices, and a CFT doctoral student being trained to be both a skilled clinician and a morally accountable pastoral leader. I wanted attendees to see how these identities inform my work and fuel my passion for using therapy as a vehicle for communal healing.
The feedback I received was affirming, curious, and thought-provoking. While my topic was undeniably challenging and contentious — addressing religious trauma within Catholic contexts — I found that attendees were eager to engage. Some raised difficult questions, while others offered thought-provoking comments regarding pain and hope. The most rewarding part was feeling that I had created space for honest conversation, and that people felt safe enough to respond with openness and reflection.
What I hope attendees — especially family therapists — took away from my session is the vital need to integrate spirituality, therapy, theology, and theory in sensitive and responsible ways. Therapists can certainly help families differentiate between their personal faith and the failures of religious institutions; and they can foster healing that includes both psychological insight and spiritual restoration. I encouraged practitioners to address shame-laden narratives and explore moral injury with confidence, viewing them not as taboo topics but as real and valid dimensions of their clients’ lives.
Being part of IFTA 2025 was an unforgettable experience. The collegial energy of the congress, filled with professionals from around the globe, made me feel like I truly belong in this field. It affirmed the training program I am receiving at Adler University and reinvigorated my commitment to serve immigrant families, religious communities, and marginalized populations through ethical, culturally competent care.
Beyond my presentation, I attended sessions that expanded my thinking — particularly those related to therapeutic malpractice, cross-cultural healing, and global approaches to trauma-informed care. I met professionals from Europe, Asia, and the U.S. who were exploring themes similar to mine, and I left with new contacts, new questions, and a deeper sense of purpose.
If you are an Adler student considering whether to attend or present at IFTA, I cannot encourage you enough to go. This is more than a conference — it is a global learning community where your voice, your research, and your story matter. Whether your topic is deeply personal, academically driven, or socially relevant (or all of the above), IFTA is the kind of space where your work can thrive, your identity can be honored, and your practice can be enriched.
I returned from Scotland with gratitude, inspiration, and a renewed dedication to becoming the professional clinician, pastoral minister, and social advocate I feel called to be. I look forward to carrying this experience into my therapeutic work, doctoral internship, and perhaps even future spiritual retreats and pastoral programs. And YES — I am already thinking about possible topics to present as I keep my luggage and passport ready for IFTA 2026 in Bergen, Norway.
Alfredo Ocampo is a second-year student in the Doctor of Philosophy in Couple and Family Therapy program at Adler University. He lives in Chicago, Illinois, where he earned both his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) in Intercultural Studies and Ministry (along with a Graduate Certificate in Hispanic Theology and Ministry) from Catholic Theological Union, and his Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Loyola University Chicago. He aspires to integrate the theoretical knowledge he has acquired in theology and psychology into his own CFT practice, teaching, and program development training. As a religious member of the Congregation of the Passion (The Passionists) — a Catholic religious congregation of brothers, priests, sisters, nuns, and laypeople with multiple locations in the U.S. — Alfredo hopes to establish his own practice and fulfill his call to serve as a responsible pastoral minister, professional clinician, and social advocate wherever his religious superiors assign him or wherever he finds himself working in the United States.