Religious trauma therapy for adults who want to heal after leaving.

located in Portland, OR and serving all of Oregon

Wondering how your religious upbringing shaped you—and how to build self-trust now?

Have you left the beliefs you were raised with, but find that old ways of thinking, emotional flashbacks, or deep shame keep coming back?

Growing up in a high-control religious community leaves you feeling disconnected from your own sense of self. Perfectionism becomes ingrained, making it difficult to trust your own judgment or offer yourself compassion without shame. The fear of judgment or punishment can stifle your exploration of your identity, including gender or sexuality. And then there’s the difficult process of managing family dynamics and navigating difficult conversations about your changing beliefs.

Recovering from religious trauma

Imagine if you could…

• Trust your own voice—even when it’s different from what you were taught.

• Feel grounded in who you are, without guilt or second-guessing.

• Show up in your relationships with honesty, boundaries, and self-respect.

• Understand how your upbringing shaped your emotions, reactions, and relationships—and untangle it.

• Shift inherited beliefs about what “good” relationships should look like.

• Release the pressure to be perfect.

• Recognize when shame is speaking—and learn how to respond with compassion instead of self-criticism.

• Feel safe in your body again, without fear of punishment or eternal consequences.

• Get clarity on your own values—so you can live by them instead of someone else’s rules.

• Navigate family dynamics with less fear and more confidence, even when beliefs differ.

• Begin to explore identity, gender, or sexuality without internalized fear or shame.

• Stop apologizing for taking up space, setting boundaries, or needing rest.

Together, we will:

• gently explore the core beliefs that still live in your nervous system.

• make sense of the emotions and needs your religious upbringing ignored.

•  build a life where your boundaries, identity, and values take center stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What therapy approaches do you use for religious trauma?

A: I commonly use Emotionally Focused Therapy for Individuals (EFIT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Safe and Sound Protocol, Narrative Therapy, among other approaches, including educating clients on the psychological dynamics in high control religion.

Q: Do you try to get people to leave or stay in their faith or religious community?

A: In a therapy setting, clients make their own choices and determine their own values about what their spiritual or religious practices look like. My goal is to help my clients tune into, understand and honor their own experience and make decisions based in clarity from a grounded place.

Q: How do I know if I’ve experienced religious trauma?

You might have experienced religious trauma if you:

• Feel guilt or fear around questioning beliefs.

• Struggle with self-trust or decision-making.

• Were taught to suppress emotions, desires, or identity.

• Have anxiety, panic, or distress triggered by religious language or spaces.

Therapy for religious trauma can help you…

• Build greater self-trust – making decisions confidently without fear of punishment or disapproval, and reconnecting with your intuition.
  

• Release shame and guilt – especially around your identity, needs, boundaries, and experiences of pleasure.
  

• Set Stronger boundaries – knowing how to use your voice, say no, and stand up for yourself.
  

• Navigate family relationships – finding ways to relate to family members who remain in the faith you’ve left, without losing yourself.
  

• Engage in freedom to explore identity – including gender and sexuality, while healing from the impact of purity culture.
  

• Find relief from internalized self-judgment – replacing religious messages of unworthiness with compassion and self-acceptance.
  

• Put words to your story – developing language to talk about your experiences without feeling overwhelmed or stuck.
  

• Let go of religious fear – working through anxiety about hell, the end times, or salvation.