Religious Trauma & Spiritual Deconstruction
Are you in the process of questioning or deconstructing your religious beliefs, dealing with spiritual or clergy abuse, or experiencing general existential anxiety?
The word “trauma” can be very broad when it comes to discussion about religious systems.
It can include, but is not limited to:
- Clergy members who use their power or theological teachings in order to control, belittle, or abuse others
- Fear-based teachings meant to scare you into believing or acting in a certain way
- Oppressive cultures, cults, or cult-like communities that fail to give you all the information in order to maximize control
- Purity culture or internalized, patriarchal standards
- Self-hate, self-questioning, and self-denial if you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community or a member of another marginalized group
- Only being accepted and “part of the group” if you agree with everything that was taught; you are not allowed to ask questions
- Communication difficulties or emotional cutoff with family members who see your questions as disobedient, unfaithful, or outright satanic
If this sounds like something you’ve experienced or are currently experiencing, you are not alone. Our goal is not to sway you in one direction or another (for or against) religious belief systems. Our goal is to sit with you, right where you are, and explore how this process impacts you and how it may have hurt you. All religious & spiritual paths are welcome in this space.
IMPORTANT: You will always have decision-making power in our therapy sessions, including starting & stopping therapy and how you choose to engage with religion.