I recently had the chance to sit down with Patrick Casale from All Things Private Practice, on his podcast, All Things Private Practice Podcast, where the focus is authenticity, normalizing self-doubt and impostor syndrome, and having REAL, unscripted conversations in the Private Practice and Entrepreneur space.
I’m Michelle F. Moseley, LCMHC, a licensed mental health counselor in North Carolina and a Religious Trauma Specialist. In this episode, Patrick and I discuss the factors that play into religious and spiritual harm, including the impact it can have on a person, and what therapeutic approaches are helpful vs. harmful.
Here are 3 key takeaways:
- Specialization Goes Beyond Lived Experience: Lived experience with religious trauma can inform our work as clinicians, but true specialization comes from doing our own healing and seeking diverse, continuing education, not just relying on personal background.
- Common Themes in Religious Trauma: Clients often present with gender-based discrimination, purity culture wounds, and a struggle with autonomy—especially when coming from high-control or patriarchal religious environments.
- The Importance of Safe Community and Normalizing Questions: Questioning long-held beliefs is a healthy part of growth. Providing safe spaces and support groups can help those navigating deconstruction realize they’re not alone, and that curiosity is a sign of development, not wrongdoing.
Where Can I Listen?
You can search for the All Things Private Practice Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Look for Episode 247: Therapy for Religious Trauma and Spiritual Abuse [featuring Michelle Moseley].
You can also use the links below to go directly to the episode:
Next Steps
Be sure to share this podcast episode with someone who may need this message. This may include those who are questioning their own beliefs or dealing with the impacts of religious harm, as well as therapists who are working with folks impacted by religious trauma or spiritual abuse.
Looking for a religious trauma therapist?
Whether you’re just starting to question some long-held beliefs or have been navigating the impacts of spiritual harm for a while, I would be honored to support you in your process. I provide both individual and group therapy options to adults (18+) located in NC. Feel free to contact me to schedule a free, virtual consultation to see if we might be a good fit for working together.
For Therapists (and others who work with survivors of religious harm)
As we discussed in this episode, religious trauma is a type of complex trauma that has some additional layers of nuance and complexity. Many folks (including myself) who work with survivors of religious trauma have lived experience with our own spiritual abuse or religious harm. However, lived experience alone is not enough to provide ethical, religious trauma-informed care. I host a monthly peer consultation group for therapists who are working with religious trauma and regularly provide NBCC-approved continuing education on topics related to religious trauma – learn more here. I’m also available for one-on-one consultation or to provide an educational workshop to your group on related topics.
Michelle F. Moseley (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in NC (#12491). She believes ALL people deserve respect, compassion, and access to mental and physical healthcare. Michelle specializes in working with survivors of religious trauma, and with those who have body image concerns, finding there is frequent overlap in these areas. She also frequently supports late-identified neurodivergent individuals as they navigate the grief and relief of a new understanding of self. You can learn more about Michelle by visiting her website at MichelleFMoseley.com or following her on Instagram – @therapy_with_michelle
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