Religious Trauma Therapy

Religious trauma is 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. (Religious Trauma Institute)

Religious trauma can come from individual events, long-lasting and persistent patterns, or from interpersonal relationships. Its impacts can show up in a variety of ways – emotional, physical, social, and intellectual.

Religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and adverse religious experiences are distinct phenomena that often occur together.

Religious trauma: 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. (Religious Trauma Institute)

Spiritual abuse: Abuse is the pattern of the use of power, coercion, violence, or threats to control, manipulate, or harm or control another. Spiritual abuse is when this pattern happens in religious or spiritual contexts, and its impacts can include a person’s body, emotions, capacity for free choice and autonomy, intellect, finances, and intimate relationships.

Adverse religious experience: Any experience of a religious belief, practice, or structure that undermines an individual’s sense of safety or autonomy and/or negatively impacts their physical, social, emotional, relational, or psychological well-being. (Religious Trauma Institute)

We can think about it this way: spiritual abuse consists of patterns and practices that happen in organizations and between people. Adverse religious experiences are specific events that people experience. Religious trauma is the sense of overwhelm and unsafety that a person experiences in their body. All of these dynamics and experiences can interact and relate in a variety of ways.

Religious trauma comes from the perception and experience of overwhelm and disruption, and this experience can occur even if there are no adverse religious experiences or spiritual abuse present. Relatedly, it is possible to be exposed to spiritual abuse and adverse religious experiences yet not develop spiritual trauma.

Religious trauma can impact any and every part of your life, so symptoms can appear in many different parts of your experience.

Here are some frequently reported symptoms:

· Feeling numb, depressed, guilty, anxious, tired
· Avoiding close relationships, feeling disconnected from others
· Trouble explaining what you’ve experienced, what you think, or how you feel
· Feeling aimless, apathetic, unmotivated
· Difficulty making decisions (large-scale or day to day)
· Physical disruptions like headaches, stomachaches, change in appetite, trouble sleeping

I’m glad you asked! If you’ve experienced being subjected to others’ agendas (explicit or hidden) in religious settings, you know how it feels to not really be listened to and to not have what’s important to you acknowledged.

When it comes to what you believe and practice, whether you participate in organized religion or a particular faith tradition or alternate spirituality practices or something else entirely or nothing at all – I have zero agenda for you. None. Making space where you can get curious, get honest, and discover what is most important to you – that’s my agenda, and I don’t need (or want) to hide it.

My theological training has equipped me with extensive understanding of the history, structures, dynamics, and logic of Christian faith. It’s also helped expose me to many others’ experiences across various traditions and denominations. This knowledge may be helpful as you make sense of your experience. Additionally, my training and resources may be useful to you if theological inquiry is part of your journey.

I grew up in the church. I went to youth group, taught Sunday School, participated in mission trips, studied apologetics and debated with my public school teachers, and served in leadership in college ministries. My formative years happened in evangelical church culture, and I know this culture well. In adulthood, I walked with friends and family through doubts, questions, purity culture shame, religious trauma, spiritual abuse, deconstruction, and faith transitions. I have journeyed through many of these experiences in my own life. This territory is familiar to me because I’ve walked it myself and alongside others. I know the lay of the land.

And I’ve witnessed firsthand how incredibly lonely it can be. There is not a place for people to voice these very real, very heavy experiences. There isn’t a place to say the honest question out loud, to tell the truth that the thing that was said from the pulpit or in small group doesn’t sit right. That the way that conflict was handled “biblically” felt really icky. That you don’t feel like you can show up as yourself. The list goes on. So many people suffer alone. And that just doesn’t work for me. We deserve better. You deserve better.

Many therapists don’t understand church culture or the ways it can be remarkably wonderful or the ways it can be uniquely wounding. I’m a trained therapist and I know this space. I’m here to support you so you can take the next step on your path, wherever it may take you.

If you think that therapy for religious trauma is the right fit for you (or if you’re not sure and want to learn more), your next step is to reach out and schedule a free 20-minute consultation. We will talk about what you’re experiencing and how I may be able to help! Ready? If so, click “Let’s Get Started” above!