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about Krispin Mayfield, LPC
religious trauma therapist in Portland, OR

Find your way back to yourself after religion

When you’ve been taught to silence your doubts and conform, it can feel overwhelming to trust your own voice. 

I specialize in working with clients who grew up in religious communities and now want to discover their true selves. When you’ve been taught to silence your doubts and conform, it can feel overwhelming to trust your own voice. Stepping outside the framework that once defined your entire world can be disorienting, leaving you caught between the expectations you were raised with and the life you’re trying to build. If you’re struggling to break free from internalized guilt and external pressures, you’re not alone. I’ll help you navigate this uncertainty, rebuild trust in yourself, and create a path forward that feels true to who you are.

Many of my clients are exploring what it means to reconnect with their authentic selves while redefining relationships with family members as their religious or political beliefs shift. This process often involves learning to trust their own judgment, making independent decisions, and setting boundaries that honor their needs. Healing from religious conditioning isn’t just about leaving the past behind—it’s about reclaiming your autonomy, finding clarity in your values, and stepping into a life that belongs to you.

I know what it’s like to grow up in a high-control religion

It’s so important to work with a therapist who understands the impacts of growing up in a high control religion, the way it permeates so many different aspects of life, including how you relate to yourself. I’ve spent years studying the psychological impacts of growing up in a high control religion and working with clients who are recovering from its effects.

I have training in therapy that focuses on attachment, nervous systems, and family systems, but I’ve also lived it myself. I grew up a closeted queer kid with a dad who was both an evangelical pastor and a missionary. Understanding the psychological impacts of growing up in a high control religion has been incredibly important to my own healing, as well as something that I’ve been able to offer the clients I support.

Clients often tell me they feel truly seen and accepted in our work together. While I’ve pursued training in multiple trauma modalities, and I’m committed to bringing those tools into the room thoughtfully, I believe successful therapy begins with gentle curiosity and acceptance. I believe that the foundation of any effective therapy is a safe relationship — one where you can show up fully, just as you are.

Specialties