What is Religious Trauma Therapy?

One of the reasons why I am very passionate about helping people who have suffered religious trauma is because of my own experiences. I spent 40+ years in the evangelical world before leaving. I was also a pastor’s kid, and a missionary kid, and….I spent 20+ years in full-time ministry. And then was diagnosed with PTSD from traumas suffered at the hands of religious people and institutions.

As someone who has experienced religious trauma, and who grew up in religious systems, I am uniquely qualified to help you.

Counselors who did not grow up being a part of religious systems may be unable to fully understand and really grasp this kind of trauma. They may be unable to comprehend the amount of pain it can cause because they have not experienced it themselves.

Here are a few examples of potential religious trauma, do any of them sound familiar?

• Being taught that who are inherently bad and sinful

• Being taught that everything out there (the world) is evil or sinful, but in here (the church) is good

• Receiving messages from friends and family that they are “concerned” about your faith

• Taught to believe that if I mess up, that I could lose my salvation and be condemned to hell

• Being raised in an environment that taught an either / or, good / bad way of seeing and thinking )

• Made to feel marginalized because of your gender

• Told that you need to forgive someone who horribly wronged you because “God has forgiven you”

• Raised in an environment where feelings are viewed as negative or didn’t matter because feelings couldn’t be trusted

• Told that counseling isn’t biblical – that you just need to pray harder, trust more, or sin less

• Pressured to keep the injustices / wrongs / evils that were committed against you quiet because of how it would reflect on the church or church leaders

• Growing up with or living with a faith that is based in fear

• Not feeling free to leave your faith

• And so many more…….

These are just a few examples of potential religious traumas that people can experience. If you found yourself recognizing or having experienced any of these you may have experienced religious traumas.

Here are some of the effects of Religious Trauma:

• Disorientation: If you find a better word than this, please let me know. It can feel like your whole life has been flipped upside-down.

• Flashbacks or intrusive thoughts: Religious trauma can cause intrusive thoughts or memories of past religious experiences that were traumatic, which can be distressing.

• Negative beliefs: About oneself, others, and the world in general.

• Anger and resentment: You may feel anger or resentment towards religious figures or institutions, the people who hurt you, or towards the religion itself.

• Feeling on edge: You may experience heightened anxiety, hypervigilance, or a sense of impending danger, which can contribute to feelings of disorientation.

• Loss of faith: Religious trauma can cause a person to question or lose faith in their religious beliefs and practices.

• Anxiety and depression: You may feel heightened feelings of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders.

• Guilt and shame: Religious trauma can cause a person to feel guilt, shame, or self-blame.

• Negative self-image: Feelings of worthlessness, low self-esteem, and a negative self-image are common symptoms.

• Feeling like an outsider: Places that once felt safe or where you felt known may no longer feel that way.

• Feeling emotionally disconnected: You may find it challenging to connect with your emotions or just feel numb overall.

How I Help People Heal From Religious Trauma

I utilize narrative therapy to heal people heal from trauma. Below are some ways that I’ve found it to be helpful with the people that I’ve worked with. I encourage you to read it, but more than anything I want you to know that there will be no blaming. No making you feel like you just need to try harder, do more, or just pray. I believe that life can be better for you, and I will journey with you as you heal.

Here’s some common ways that I’ve seen narrative therapy help the people I’ve worked with:

• Externalizing the problem: There will be no blaming. One of the basic tenants of narrative therapy is that people are not the problem. Instead, the problem is the problem. In other words, our problems exist outside of us, and we have a relationship with them. They utilize strategies and tactics to stay in power in our lives. We will work to separate you from your problems. Your problems do not define who you are as a person.

• Identifying values and beliefs: I help people identify the values and beliefs that are most important to them, and to see how these values and beliefs have been impacted by the trauma. This can help a person to re-establish a sense of purpose and meaning in their life.

• Deconstructing negative beliefs: A person may have come to believe that they are fundamentally flawed or sinful. Narrative therapy can help them to challenge these beliefs and develop a more positive and self-affirming narrative about themselves.

• Processing grief and loss: Religious trauma can involve a sense of loss. Narrative therapy can help a person to process their grief and loss, and to create a new narrative that acknowledges and honors the significance of what they have lost while also helping them to move forward.

• Exploring alternative stories: We might focus on stories of resilience, growth, and strength, rather than stories of victimization and powerlessness.

• Fostering resilience: Narrative therapy can help a person to identify the strengths and resources that have helped them to survive and cope with their religious trauma.

• Cultivating self-compassion: By encouraging a person to view themselves with kindness and understanding, and to see their experiences in a broader context, narrative therapy can help a person have compassion towards themselves.

IF AS YOU READ THESE EXAMPLES YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING, “THAT’S MY STORY." OR, AS YOU READ ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF RTS YOU RECOGNIZE YOURSELF EXPERIENCING THESE SYMPTOMS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO FOSTERING HOPES COUNSELING TODAY FOR HELP.

Begin Religious Trauma Therapy in Maryland and Pennsylvania:

Religious trauma hurts and it can be hard to overcome. But I am here to offer you support in dealing with the pain of your past. Follow these steps to begin counseling in Westminster, MD:

1. Contact Josh for a free phone consultation or to schedule a counseling appointment.

2. Learn more about Josh and Fostering Hopes Counseling

3. Begin religious trauma treatment and find hope for a better tomorrow.

Other Services offered at Fostering Hopes Counseling:

Religious trauma treatment isn’t the only counseling service I offer. I also offer trauma and PTSD treatment, anxiety treatment, depression treatment, counseling for college students, and teen therapy. If you can’t make it to my counseling clinic, I offer online therapy in Maryland and Pennsylvania to treat a variety of mental health concerns. Contact me to learn more about the many ways I can help you find hope in your story.