Therapy for SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS TRAUMA

Can you relate?

“I have been told that I cannot trust myself or my emotions.”• “I’m afraid to feel confident and have low self-worthiness.“ •  “My faith community taught rigid gender roles that don’t feel authentic for me.” •  “I have been hurt by someone in my faith community and did not receive the support I needed to feel safe.” •  “Purity Culture has impacted how I feel about myself and sexual experiences.” •  “I do not feel accepted by, or have been rejected by, my faith community.” •  “I want to question my faith, but don’t have a safe space to process my questions.” •  “I feel controlled by my faith community.” • “I have been told hurtful things by people who said they were speaking on behalf of God.” •  “I have been mistreated working at my church / temple / mosque / synagogue or working for a faith-based nonprofit.” •  ”I am a cult survivor / former cult member who wants to heal from my experience.”

You are not alone.

What is Spiritual trauma?

The Religious Trauma Institute defines religious trauma as: “The physical, emotional, or psychological response to religious beliefs, practices, or structures that is experienced by an individual as overwhelming or disruptive and has lasting adverse effects on a person’s physical, mental, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.”

The journey of faith is deeply personal and complex, and for some individuals, it can result in painful experiences that can include, but are not limited to:

  • Struggling with rigid belief systems, excessive guilt, and fear of punishment

  • Feeling isolated or rejected by your religious community

  • Enduring emotional, verbal, or physical abuse in the context of religion

  • Clergy abuse or manipulation at the hands of authority figures

  • Coping with the profound emotional upheaval that comes with religious deconstruction or leaving a faith system

  • Surviving a cult or a high-control religious community

Therapy for Religious Trauma

55-minute sessions

When working with clients who have experienced religious trauma, I prioritize building a foundation of safety and comfort in the therapeutic space. Many clients who have experienced religious trauma have also experienced high-control environments. Here, your autonomy and agency are deeply important to me, and together, we will work to co-create a therapeutic space where you feel comfortable showing up just as you are. Spiritual and religious trauma can settle into our nervous systems, impacting our body’s sense of what is safe. I work with clients to listen to and create a deeper understanding of how religious trauma has impacted the nervous system, moving toward increased feelings of safety and trust in the nervous system’s innate wisdom to keep us safe. I also pull from Existential Therapy when helping clients create meaning from their religious and spiritual experiences.

Let’s face this together.

Get support

If you are initially reaching out, you can expect to hear from me within two business days.