The most important part of choosing a therapist is finding someone you feel comfortable with. Choose someone who inspires you to let it all hang out. If the real you can’t show up to session, the real you won’t get the help they are longing for.
Religious Trauma
It all started when…
For many of us, especially LGBTQ+ identifying people, our history with religion is a painful one. Often the first step in coming out is confronting either our foundational faith, or facing the condemnation of the faith of those around us. Either situation can leave us feeling wounded and incapable of navigating our lives with the kind of joy we long to have. Religious Trauma is a concept still in its infancy relative to other areas of mental illness. Because of this, many people don’t even know to call the pain they feel by that name.
If you are experiencing religious trauma, you can feel all of the hallmarks of regular trauma: hypervigilence, distrust of self and others, flashbacks and emotional flooding. But you also deal with problems unique to other victims of spiritual abuse: loss of community, identity and meaning; as well as strained or severed relationships with family.
Religious trauma is a unique suffering and working through it can often feel scary and disorienting if done alone. But there is hope, peace and loving community waiting for you on the other side. I would be honored to escort you there.