Spiritual Abuse

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 with hurricane-related natural disasters.  Yet, many folks are still without power and water 3 weeks out from the disaster.  Some have been told they may […]

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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 for folks who are curious about counseling but may have barriers that prevent them from experiencing the benefits of working with a counselor. In my

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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 religious leaders or defended by religious beliefs.  For some, the harm takes the form of spiritual abuse where words or actions are utilized in a

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The “Queen” of Healing from High-Control Religion?

Is proclaiming the title “queen” in relation to your work with folks healing from religious trauma a reenactment of the same toxic power dynamics that lead to harm in high-control religion?   I was scrolling through Instagram a few days ago, as one does, and came across a story that had been shared by some podcast

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What is Moral Injury?

Have you ever felt a sense of guilt after participating in an action?  You may have questioned how you even ended up in the situation that led to you acting in a certain way.  Or you may experience anger related to the action(s) you took, and being asked/expected to take those actions at all. This

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FEATURED: Podcast Guest – Diet Culture, Purity Culture, & Disconnection from Our Bodies

I was recently invited to chat with Kari Fillian, host of the Your Friend the Therapist Podcast, about my work with religious trauma and body image concerns. Season 2 of the podcast is focusing on topics surrounding harm within religious settings and systems, including the variety of impacts this harm can have and the ways

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What is Religious Trauma Therapy?

I am often asked this question – what is religious trauma therapy?  Potential clients want to know what to expect.  Other therapists are curious about how I approach working with those who have experienced religious trauma.  People in my daily life want to understand “what exactly is it that you do?”   In this post, I

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Understanding and Healing Black Religious Trauma

Black Religious Trauma is real, and it can look different than other spiritual abuse experiences.   This post is part of a series of posts that I’m sharing during Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month in January 2024.  You may want to check out the previous posts on the topics of Understanding Spiritual Abuse and Resources for Healing.  

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Resources for Healing from Spiritual Abuse

January is Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month. This may be the first time that you’re coming across this term. Perhaps the descriptions I provided in this post resonated with you and you’re wondering where you can learn more. Maybe you still have a lot of questions about spiritual abuse and religious trauma and are looking for

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FEATURED: Talking Spiritual Abuse on Creative Collective Podcast

I was recently invited to discuss the topic of spiritual abuse on Creative Collective Podcast with hosts Kelly Cain and Jenn Kennedy. Kelly and I have known each other for almost 2 decades, and our paths originally crossed when we were both working within the same parachurch ministry organization. It was a pleasure to chat

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