Religious Trauma

Religious trauma is not yet a formal diagnostic category in the DSM-5, but it is increasingly recognized in clinical and academic literature as a cluster of psychological, emotional, social, and physical symptoms resulting from harmful religious experiences. It often arises from authoritarian, dogmatic, or high-control religious environments, especially those that use fear, shame, and conditional belonging to regulate behavior. Religious trauma can result from chronic spiritual abuse, punitive theological teachings, religious-based identity suppression, or abrupt separation from a religious community.

Religious trauma can have severe psychological and emotional impacts. Many who have experienced religious truama show signs of PTSD and C-PTSD symptoms including intrusive thoughts, nightmares, hypervigilance, emotional flashbacks, and avoidance of triggers (e.g., scripture, worship music). Chronic shame and guilt is common among those who were raised in high-demand religions. Even after leaving the religion, many internalized beliefs and behaviors can still be present and inform daily life. This can happen on a subconscious level. Part of my work with clients is looking at how they have internalized messaging from high-demand and high-control religion and how it’s affecting their life. Existential crises and loss of meaning when previous belief systems collapse is also common, as is increased anxiety and depression, often related to fear of eternal punishment or divine judgment.

Many people who grew up or were a part of high-control, high-demand religions experience disruption in identity and development. This is especially true for LGBTQIA+ individuals whose faith requires that they reject their identities. This can create cognitive dissonance that is disruptive to maintaining good mental health and is psychosocially taxing. Some experience difficulty with autonomy due to long-term conditioning to defer to religious authority.

I bring both lived experience and professional expertise to this work, having grown up in a high-demand religious environment, navigated the process of leaving, and engaged in the deconstruction of harmful beliefs and trauma. I also remain committed to ongoing professional development, staying current with the latest research and best practices in religious trauma treatment.

Resources

  1. Ward, E. O., & King, L. A. (2021). Religious trauma: A qualitative study of experiences and recovery. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 24(5), 456–472. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2021.1879960

  2. Winell, M. (2011). Religious trauma syndrome: It's time to recognize it. Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 4(2), 129–132. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1754470X11000088

  3. Dehlin, J. P., Galliher, R. V., Bradshaw, W. S., & Crowell, K. A. (2015). Navigating a Mormon faith crisis: A qualitative study. Journal of Religion and Health, 54(2), 413–439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-014-9840-y

  4. Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674

  5. van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.

  6. Stanley, M. A., et al. (2017). Religious/spiritual characteristics of persons with anxiety and depression in the context of the biopsychosocial model. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 205(7), 537–544. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0000000000000680