Spiritual Abuse Tactics (My Lived Experience)
One of the most prominent factors in spiritual abuse is the misuse of spiritual power to control. Survivors of spiritual abuse may describe their experience as feeling like their life…
January is Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month
January is Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month. I first became aware of this term around 2015, but the first use of “spiritual abuse” as a term with a distinct definition dates…
What Can Wicked Teach Us About Religious Trauma?
Wicked, the movie based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, released Part 1 in theaters on November 22nd, 2024, and it has taken the world by storm. I have loved…
How to Create a Welcoming Holiday Gathering
This post is geared toward those who wish their adult children or other family members would join in on holiday gatherings. So, if that’s you, please read on. If you’re…
Hurricane Helene & Religious Trauma
This post is the second in a 2-part series - read part 1 here. Trauma occurs when something happens too fast, too soon, or is too much for an individual’s…
Natural Disasters, Mental Health, & Religious Trauma
Western North Carolina experienced flooding of unimaginable proportions from Hurricane Helene at the end of September 2024. This is an area of the state that was never supposed to deal…
FEATURED: You Need a Counselor Podcast
I was recently invited to be a guest on the You Need a Counselor Podcast. This podcast is the work of Heart and Solutions, located in Iowa, and is designed…
What’s Gender Got To Do With It? (Religious Trauma Edition)
Religious harm - injury that has a root in religious systems, beliefs, or practices - can take many forms. Some folks experience physical or sexual harm that is perpetrated by…
The Complexity of Grief
Grief is the response you have to the loss of something or someone important to you. Grief may include intense emotional pain, a sense of anguish, questioning, rage, and any…
No Vacation for Weight Stigma
I recently went on a short vacation to Niagara Falls. Seeing the natural beauty and the powerful force of the water was soothing to my nervous system. It was a…