Counseling for Religious Trauma

Finding Safety, Clarity, and Healing After Harmful Faith Experiences

Our religion and faith should provide us with a feeling of belonging and purpose, with people who understand and align with our beliefs. If something happens that disrupts your connection to your faith, it may be difficult to feel comfortable in that setting again. You may be carrying pain connected to emotional, psychological, verbal, sexual, or physical hurtful actions by a church leader or someone who runs a church program. Maybe specific teachings caused fear, shame, or confusion. Or perhaps you feel disconnected from a faith that once shaped your identity.

Religious trauma can be deeply disorienting, especially when faith was once a source of comfort or belonging. If you feel unsettled, conflicted, or unsure how to make sense of your experiences, you are not alone. And there are services available, like therapy, that can provide a supportive, nonjudgmental space to explore your experiences at your own pace. Healing is possible, and you do not have to navigate it by yourself. As a trained and licensed mental health therapist specializing in religious trauma, I can help you walk a better path.

Whether you want to reconnect with your spirituality, redefine it, or step away from it entirely, I am here to help you explore these questions. Therapy provides a safe, supportive space where you can talk openly about your experiences without pressure or judgment. Healing is possible, and you don’t have to figure this out on your own.

What is Religious Trauma?

Religious trauma is when someone is hurt by their religious or spiritual leader. It can also come from living in a religious community, environment, or culture that is coercive, fear-based, or controlling.

For some people, religious trauma comes from a specific experience. For others, it builds gradually over years of pressure, silence, or a sense that questioning beliefs carries consequences. The effects can linger long after someone leaves a religious environment. You

may still struggle with fear, shame, perfectionism, or confusion about how to process your beliefs. Therapy can help you examine your experiences and better understand your feelings.

Why Might Someone Seek Therapy for Religious Trauma?

If you feel like you are experiencing trauma related to your faith, you likely won’t feel comfortable seeking answers from the religious community. You might feel like you are not “good enough” or that there is more you can do to be better. You may feel stuck between who you are and the expectations of a religion or church leader. Maybe you feel pressured to act a certain way or constantly worry about what people think of you, no matter what you do.

Over time, these feelings can lead to depression and anxiety. And no matter how much you try to put on a happy act and smile, inside you know you are not okay. It is important to address these feelings head-on rather than burying them and trying to figure them out on your own.

Therapy can help you sort through these experiences without pressure to believe or behave in a certain way. Your goal might be to reconnect with your spirituality, redefine your beliefs, or simply find peace outside of the religious structure that once shaped (or continues to shape) your life. You and your therapist will figure out the best path forward, together

Approaches Used to Treat Religious Trauma

Spiritual trauma can be treated in many ways and with different therapies. Generally, mental health therapists work to create a safe environment and teach you grounding skills to help you regulate your emotions and your body. Clinicians discuss religious trauma and how it affects you. After your emotions are regulated, your counselor will help you work through your spiritual abuse by helping you separate yourself from the emotions holding you back through different types of therapy and narrative work.

Common Approaches

Narrative therapy is a collaborative and respectful approach that helps clients separate themselves from their problems, recognize their strengths, and view themselves as the authors and experts of their own lives. Expressive approaches, including art, journaling, or cinema therapy, may also be helpful for processing experiences that feel difficult to put into words. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), focus on building practical skills to manage anxiety, shift unhelpful thought patterns, and develop a more balanced relationship with your emotions. Solution-focused and existential therapies can further support you in identifying what matters most to you and creating a life that feels more aligned and intentional.

Walk-and-Talk Therapy

Walk-and-talk therapy offers a different pace and setting than traditional sessions. Instead of sitting in an office, sessions take place outdoors, combining conversation with gentle movement. Being in nature can help reduce stress and make it easier to open up, especially for those who feel stuck, restless, or overwhelmed in more traditional environments. This approach can be particularly helpful when working through heavy or complex experiences, offering both physical and emotional space to process them.

Signs You May Be Experiencing Religious Trauma

Religious trauma can look different for everyone, but shared experiences include:

Persistent guilt, shame, or fear tied to faith or morality
Anxiety, panic, or intrusive thoughts related to religion
Feeling disconnected from yourself or unsure of what you truly believe
Fear of making mistakes or “doing something wrong.”
Difficulty trusting your own thoughts or decisions
Emotional numbness or loss of joy
Distress around religious settings, language, or symbols
Feeling pressured to perform or appear “good” to others

You may also notice physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, stomach issues, or difficulty sleeping. These reactions are common responses to prolonged stress or emotional harm, not signs of weakness. Recognizing these signs can help you understand your body’s response and seek appropriate support. Even if it doesn’t feel like it now, managing these feelings is possible with the right help.

How Do I Know if I Have Religious Trauma?

To tell if you have religious trauma or spiritual abuse, you can look at the causes or symptoms above and see how they affect you. Also, you can ask yourself questions such as:

Do you feel fear, shame, or bodily distress when you think about faith, leaders, or “breaking rules”?
Do you struggle to trust your own choices without a religious authority or the promptings of the Holy Ghost?
Do specific songs, scriptures, or buildings trigger panic or numbness?
Were love, belonging, or basic needs conditional on obedience?
Is this trauma, OCD (scrupulosity), anxiety, or something else?
Does the religious culture or community negatively affect you?
Do you feel pressured to do something you are not okay with?
Do you feel guilt or shame because you “screwed up” according to others or church teaching after a prolonged time?

FAQ: Common Concerns Answered

How will we work through religious trauma?

Working through religious trauma is different for everyone, but there are a few things that, in general, will help. First and foremost, we will focus on building a sense of safety from the trauma and its effects. This is done by stepping back from the situation and setting boundaries. Next, we will explore how to treat your specific trauma and how it affects your body with psychoeducation.
One way to work through religious trauma is to regulate your body using grounding coping skills, somatic skills, and breathwork. You can also process your story through narrative therapy or walk and talk therapy. We will explore various approaches and determine what is right for you.

What approaches are used to treat religious trauma?

Various types of therapy can be used in treating your religious trauma. Therapy modalities that help someone process trauma include:

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) – A structured therapy that helps you process distressing memories by briefly bringing them to mind while engaging in guided, side-to-side stimulation, such as eye movements. Over time, this can reduce the intensity and emotional impact of those memories.
Expressive Arts Therapy – This treatment incorporates creative processes, such as art, journaling, or music, to help patients who may otherwise find it difficult to express their feelings.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) – This is a relatively new treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) derived from EMDR; it is intended to be more directive, can be administered in a shorter amount of time, and is easier to learn.
Narrative Therapy (NT) – This approach focuses on helping you reframe and reshape the story you tell about your life to support healing, growth, and a stronger sense of self.
Walk and Talk Therapy – This approach combines traditional talk therapy with physical movement, making it easier for clients to open up while benefiting from nature’s calming effects.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) – This therapy helps you gradually face trauma-related memories, emotions, and situations in a safe and supported way, so they feel less overwhelming over time and no longer need to be avoided.

Some other therapies that help are:

Cinema (Movie) Therapy – This is a type of expressive therapy that uses films as a medium to help individuals process emotions and experiences. It helps someone tap into the emotional and cognitive processes that occur when watching a film.
Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) – Solution-focused therapy focuses on building practical solutions rather than exploring past trauma or emotions. It is a short-term, goal-oriented approach that helps individuals take control of their lives and create meaningful change.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – This approach helps people recognize and change unhealthy patterns of thinking and behavior. It focuses on building practical skills like problem-solving, facing fears, and calming the mind to improve overall well-being.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – A type of therapy that helps you build a healthier relationship with your thoughts and feelings by learning to accept them rather than trying to change them. It focuses on identifying your values and making choices that align with how you want to live.
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) – A structured therapy that gradually exposes individuals to anxiety-provoking thoughts or situations while helping them resist compulsive or avoidant behaviors, allowing distress to decrease over time. Rather than eliminating intrusive thoughts or fears, ERP helps individuals build tolerance and reduce the need to respond to them.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – A form of cognitive behavioral therapy that helps individuals stay present, regulate emotions, and build healthier coping skills and relationships. It emphasizes balancing acceptance and change, and is often used to support those who struggle with intense emotions or self-destructive behaviors.
Existential Therapy – This approach focuses on helping individuals explore the meaning and purpose of their lives. It helps clients reflect on their experiences to live more fully and intentionally.

In addition to the therapeutic approaches listed above, the following methods focus on healing the whole person (mind, body, and spirit):

Motivational Interviewing (MI) – A collaborative, goal-oriented communication style that helps you explore your motivations for change and strengthen your confidence in taking meaningful steps forward.
Somatic Work – This method emphasizes how trauma is held in our bodies, encouraging awareness of physical sensations and the release of tension through body-centered techniques.
Values Clarification – This process helps you identify what truly matters to you so you can make decisions and build a life that reflects your personal beliefs and priorities.
Boundary Work – This involves learning how to set and maintain healthy emotional, physical, and relational boundaries, especially when past experiences may have made that difficult.
Grief and Identity Reconstruction – This focuses on providing you with tools to process the loss of beliefs, community, or identity and to rebuild a grounded sense of self.
Optional Spiritual Integrated Care – This approach allows space to explore spirituality on your own terms, integrating beliefs or practices that feel supportive without pressure or judgment.

How common is religious trauma?

Religious trauma is more common than you might think; around 30% of U.S adults experience religious trauma throughout their lives. Also, up to 15% of U.S. adults are currently experiencing religious trauma. People experiencing religious trauma may not say anything because of how they feel or trying to align with something they grew up with. Mental health clinicians and social workers are seeing spiritual abuse or religious trauma as a growing need in counseling.

Data from: Slade, Darren & Smell, Adrianna & Wilson, Elizabeth & Drumsta, Rebekah. (2023). Percentage of U.S. Adults Suffering from Religious Trauma: A Sociological Study. Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry. 5. 1-28. 10.33929/sherm.2023.vol5.no1.01.

How long does religious trauma last?

The length of religious trauma can vary, lasting anywhere from a short time to many years or decades. It depends on whether the trauma was an isolated abusive event or happened over years. And every person deals with trauma differently. One person may naturally overcome the spiritual abuse without help or let it go after it has been revealed to a therapist or trusted friend. Some people need to see a counselor for a prolonged period of time to work through complex or long-term trauma. Working through spiritual trauma is not an easy process. There are multiple facets or angles to look at when it comes to spiritual abuse. When it comes to healing from religious trauma, the journey toward recovery often has twists and turns, including setbacks along the way.

What are the symptoms of religious anxiety?

Religious anxiety is when you have excessive anxiety or worry about religious subjects. There can be fear of judgment, sin, blasphemy, imperfection, or hell. Physical anxiety symptoms include headaches, GI tract issues/stomach aches, heart racing, fatigue, restlessness, muscle tension, insomnia, or dizziness. You may find it difficult to control the worry or seek reassurance about church rules and making the right choices. Avoidance of religious activities or other triggers is another symptom of religious anxiety

Does religious trauma only happen to Christians?

No, religious trauma can happen to anyone of any religion, faith, spirituality, or sect. It can happen when a person is researching a religion, actively participating in it, not actively participating, or has already left the religion or community group. It is specific to your experience and how it has affected you.

Do I have to leave my religious community to heal?

No, you do not need to leave your religious community to heal. If you need to take a break from your faith community for a while, that is okay. Or if you want to stay fully active and committed, that is your choice. The most important things to consider are your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Your therapist is here to support you in making the best choice for you as an individual.

How do you make therapy feel emotionally and spiritually safe?

Many clients have told me that they feel like questioning their faith or belief system is wrong or dangerous. But questioning different aspects of our lives is normal. I respect your individual beliefs and ways of practicing your faith. As a therapist, I am here to listen to you and hear what you have to say.
In therapy, you, as the client, set the pace for your journey. Therapy is a process, not a quick fix. The focus of our session involves your story, your lived experience, and your nervous system. I am here to help you recognize and choose what is best for you. While in therapy, you can express yourself in any way and share any emotion or thought you have. The emotions can be anger, grief, disappointment, happiness, sadness, and more.

Do you have experience working with people from my specific background?

Over the years, I have been involved with, learned of, experienced, or worked with many different religions, sects, faiths, and belief systems. That said, I don’t have detailed knowledge of all faith backgrounds, as they vary from person to person, even within the same general faith. I am here to learn and listen as well. My experience is wide-ranging and includes the Mormon or Latter-Day Saint spectrum, Catholic, evangelical, Protestant, nondenominational, Jewish, Buddhist, and other high-demand or high-control religions. Please share any practices, language, or doctrine that are important to you and reflect your upbringing, so I can learn what is unique to you. The most important thing is that you feel seen, heard, and not judged.

What happens in religious trauma therapy sessions?

I spend the first few sessions getting to know you and understanding the issues you’re facing. I do this by asking questions and listening to your story without judgment. Then I will ask you what you want from therapy and what your goals are. During the first session, I will share a little about myself and my experience. I am open to questions that you may have about me, therapy, or the therapeutic process. In the following sessions, we will work on more specific issues to help you achieve your goals.

Counseling with Religious Trauma Can Help

After experiencing religious trauma or during the experience, you may feel like the different parts of yourself are in conflict. The spiritual or religious self and your personal self or identity are not easy to balance. That is where a trained and licensed mental health therapist, like myself, comes in.

As a therapist, I am here to listen to your story without judgment. Religious trauma therapy focuses on your story, your emotions, and your well-being. I do not debate theology or try to convince you of any particular belief system. I am here to help you view it from a different perspective. This can be done through storytelling, expressing yourself in other ways, such as expressive art therapy or movie therapy, or through walk-and-talk therapy in Tampa. Your story can change; it is up to you to decide what will happen next.

Begin Therapy for Religious Trauma

Whether you’re in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Brandon, or a quiet neighborhood just outside the city, you don’t have to face this alone. Counseling for Religious Trauma is available to you through secure online sessions and/or walk-and-talk therapy in the Tampa area. To start your counseling journey, follow these simple steps:

Reach Out: Contact us for a free consultation or to schedule your first session.
Connect With a Therapist: We offer online therapy across Florida, Idaho, Ohio, South Carolina, and Utah, as well as local walk-and-talk therapy near Tampa.
Begin the Process: Learn tools that will help you move toward emotional well-being.

Other Counseling Services You Might Explore

In addition to counseling for Religious Trauma, we offer the following services:

Christian Counseling
- Christian counseling is a unique form of therapy that combines evidence-based techniques with respect for your faith and personal values. Sessions can include Bible-informed, faith-driven counseling for emotional and spiritual struggles. Learn more about Christian Counseling.
Therapy for Latter-Day Saints (LDS)
- While similar to Christian Counseling, this therapy incorporates principles specific to the beliefs of Latter-Day Saints. Unlike LDS Family Services counseling, which may feel more like a church meeting, sessions incorporate evidence-based approaches with your faith. Learn more about this approach.
Anxiety and Depression
- Anxiety treatment focuses on helping you understand how anxiety affects your thoughts, emotions, and body. It is not about forcing yourself to “stop worrying” or pretending your fears do not exist. Instead, therapy helps you identify patterns that keep anxiety going and develop tools to respond differently when it shows up. Learn more about my approach to treating anxiety.
- Depression is more than just feeling sad; it’s a prolonged feeling of emptiness and a struggle to find purpose. If you’re feeling stuck, hopeless, or struggling to cope with day-to-day life, therapy can offer a safe space to explore those feelings and work toward improvement. Learn more about my approach to treating depression.
Walk-and-Talk Therapy
- Walk-and-talk therapy is a modern approach that combines traditional talk therapy with physical movement. Instead of sitting face-to-face with a therapist indoors, the therapist and client walk side by side outdoors. Learn more about this approach.

Counseling Services at Calming Transformations Counseling

Chad Thompson, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing Christian Counseling via walk-and-talk therapy in Tampa, Florida, and telehealth services across Florida, Utah, Idaho, and South Carolina. To learn more about me and gain more insight into my therapeutic approach, check out my blog.

Please schedule a consultation with me if you would like to learn more about how I can help you.

Take the First Step Toward Feeling Better

You don’t have to stay in the same cycle. If sitting in an office hasn’t helped, maybe it’s time to try a new approach. Walk and Talk Therapy offers a refreshing, effective way to process your thoughts and emotions in a space that is natural and freeing while moving toward the life you want..