When experiences with religion continue to affect your life
Religious Trauma Therapy in Salt Lake City and Online Across Utah
You may feel guilty after setting a boundary or doubt your judgment even when you know what you want. Questioning a rule or making a different choice may bring fear of consequences or disappointing people you care about.
You may be unsure whether “religious trauma” describes your experience while recognizing that something you’ve been through still affects your life.
You may have learned to carefully monitor what you said, felt, questioned, or revealed about yourself. Belonging may have depended on meeting expectations, following certain rules, or becoming the person you believed you were supposed to be.
Even when those expectations no longer fit, they may still influence your decisions, relationships, and responses to difficult situations.
The impact can be difficult to put into words
Experiences you may recognize
Shame and guilt
Feeling guilty for having certain thoughts, wanting something different, or making choices others disapprove of.
Difficulty saying no
Fear or guilt when expressing your needs or setting limits, especially if doing so was discouraged or treated as disobedience.
Perfectionism
Feeling that mistakes reflect your character or that being good enough requires constant effort.
Painful memories
Memories or reminders that bring fear, shame, or distress into your present life.
Family and community expectations
Worrying that sharing your beliefs or living differently could lead to conflict, rejection, or distance.
Self-doubt
Second-guessing your judgment or looking to others for reassurance that your choices are acceptable.
Complicated feelings, relationships, and grief
Your relationship with religion may include experiences you value alongside experiences that hurt you. You may remain religious, have changed your involvement, have left, or be uncertain about what comes next.
Relationships with family or community can become more complicated as you consider what you believe and how you want to live. There can also be grief over relationships, community, certainty, or sources of meaning, even when a change feels right.
Therapy does not require a particular conclusion about religion. We can explore what you value, what has been painful, and what you want your relationship with religion and others to look like.
Non-affirming religious experiences and LGBTQIA+ adults
For some LGBTQIA+ adults, acceptance may have felt conditional on hiding parts of themselves or meeting expectations around sexuality, gender, or relationships. Shame or fear of rejection may persist even in more affirming surroundings.
Working Together
I ask thoughtful questions, offer observations, and can be direct when that’s helpful. We work to understand what you’re experiencing and identify practical changes you want to make. Relief from present distress and deeper self-understanding can both be part of the work.
For example, you might want to set a boundary with a family member but feel guilty whenever you try. We could explore what that guilt is connected to, consider what you want to say, and work on responding to the feelings that follow.
I draw on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and other evidence-informed approaches, and I’m trained in EMDR. When painful memories remain distressing, we can consider whether EMDR therapy fits your concerns and goals. We discuss the approach and pace together, adjusting to your needs and how the work is affecting you.
Getting Started
A free 15-minute consultation, by video or in person, gives us a chance to discuss what you’re looking for, answer your questions, and consider whether working together feels like a good fit. It’s an introductory conversation rather than a therapy appointment.