If you grew up in a high-control religious environment, you may have heard a story like this: During a time of war, a group of Christians is hiding together, quietly praying. Armed soldiers burst in and demand that anyone who follows Jesus stand up…

Like many people this week, I watched the Severance Season 2 finale. (Don’t worry—no spoilers here if you haven’t seen it yet!)  It got me thinking: there are a lot of parallels to religious trauma in the storyline of this show and what the characters are navigating. Fans of Severance, this one’s for you!

For years, I was conditioned to believe that a man and a woman being alone together—regardless of the context—was inappropriate or dangerous. Even after leaving that world behind, I was surprised by how quickly that old conditioning crept in during a simple lunch with a colleague.

Struggling to feel at home in your body after purity culture? You're not alone. If you grew up in high control religion like I did, you were likely taught that your body wasn’t really yours. It was something to control, cover up, and constantly monitor and police.

Recently I was reminded of a teaching in high control religion that goes something like this: On Judgment Day, your entire life would be played back like a movie for all the world to see, and every thought, mistake, and secret sin would be exposed. Sound terrifying? It was!

Believing that someone I loved could be eternally damned — and that it was my responsibility to prevent it — was an immense emotional weight.  This toxic message instilled in me a sense of hyper-responsibility for others, which (unfortunately) didn't just magically disappear…

Last weekend I was at a friend’s house in San Diego and noticed a new piece of decor on one of the shelves in their office…

When I was in my mid 20s (and still very much in high control religion), I worked as a program staffer at a Christian retreat center in northern Wisconsin. 

Well, here we are almost to the end of 2024, and what a rollercoaster of a year it’s been. If your year has been anything like mine, it’s been a wild ride of highs and lows and everything in between…

The holiday season can be uniquely challenging for survivors of religious trauma and spiritual abuse. For many, December brings up complex feelings tied to faith, family, and beliefs or traditions that have been harmful.

A couple weeks ago my wife and I boarded a plane to Denver, CO to join 11 other adults, 2 kids, and 1 canine for the 2nd biennial Friendsgiving weekend…

Here we are, post-2024 presidential election. If you’re feeling a lot right now, you’re definitely not alone. I’m hearing from so many people who are flooded with all kinds of emotions, from anxiety to shock to rage to something that just feels hard to name…

Struggling with self-image after high-control religion? You’re not alone. Ditching modesty and shame-based teachings can be tough. Here, I share some recent experiences related to fashion and personal style. Ready to unpack religious trauma? Reach out to get started.

Ever find yourself spiraling into self-blame over a simple everyday experience? You're not alone. Dive into my recent experience at the library to uncover how internalized shame from high control religion can sneak into everyday moments and learn ways to combat it.

Sounds like the start of a joke, right? That’s what I thought when I wrote the title for this week’s blog post (i.e. “A priest, a rabbi, and a minister walk into a bar…”). For those of you that follow me on Instagram, you know that I recently was on vacation…

If the pain, depression, and anxiety related to your religious trauma have been steering the ship for awhile, it can be difficult to imagine how anything could help…

As we celebrate this significant time of the year, I wanted to share some thoughts and reflections from my perspective as a queer-identifying religious trauma therapist…

Making new friends after leaving your faith community is HARD. Churches are often marketed as second families, and the longer you spend in a faith community, the deeper those familial bonds and attachments grow. The loss of that community…

Years ago when I was still in high control religion, I remember being at a worship gathering that I was involved in (yes, former worship leader here!) where a time of intercessory prayer had started…

Learn about religious trauma symptoms like triggered reactions, internalized shame, avoidance of pleasure, and constant vigilance against sin.