What is religious trauma therapy?
Religious Trauma and Spiritual Abuse Therapy in Hendersonville, NC
If you’re struggling with shame, guilt, panic, or fear as a result of religious programming, then working with a therapist could help you regulate your nervous system while deconstructing or leaving a high-control religion.
A trauma-focused and integrative approach to help you heal from religious trauma.
I want to help you understand and find peace with the ideas you've learned from religious programming. I will also assist you in navigating the process of reevaluating yourself, your worldview, and coping with the impact of a difficult religious experience.
I will help you break free from harmful beliefs and practices, while creating a safe space for you to discover and embrace your true identity, sexuality, independence, joy, pleasure, voice, and self-expression. You deserve the space to heal. Whether it’s in the office, on tele-health, or in nature, I am here to walk with you through your journey back to yourself.
“In the South, Christianity was as ubiquitous as sweet tea and country music. Questioning my religion meant questioning how the entire world worked and my very identity.”
― Natalie M. Esparza
When religious institutions use fear, guilt, or shame to control individuals, it often leads to serious mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When symptoms are this severe, a trained mental health therapist can help you navigate healing and symptom management.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Kailani is located in Hendersonville, NC but offers virtual tele-therapy across North Carolina.
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You may have trauma-like symptoms related to something that happened in a religious context. Examples include, but are not limited to, intense fear about eternity, disconnection from your body / difficulty with bodily pleasure, feelings of guilt or shame, difficulty trusting authority, or intrusive thoughts related to religious teachings.
You may have experienced manipulation by someone in a position of power within a spiritual setting.
You may have grown up in purity culture and received very little education about bodies and/or sexuality. You may now find yourself feeling like a “naive child in an adult world” when it comes to understanding your body or romantic relationships.
You may have felt rejected by your belief system due to not fitting within gender roles or not following the prescribed life trajectory.
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The short answer is, no. I am anti-harm, -abuse, - controI. It’s not the place of your clinician to determine what your faith, religious, or spiritual practices (or lack thereof) should look like in your life. While discussions of faith, religion, and spirituality are welcome and encouraged, should your focus in therapy be religious trauma recovery, the goal would be for you to identify what is meaningful and important to YOU.
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Learning coping strategies and techniques for emotional regulation
Creating a toolkit of self-care practices that promote relaxation and stress reduction. Such as EMDR, meditation, deep breathing exercises, or mindfulness techniques.
Gaining knowledge about healthy boundaries, critical thinking, and personal autonomy.
Building a supportive network of friends and connections who respect personal beliefs and provide a safe space for expression.
Reflection to reevaluate and redefine personal beliefs and values.
And for some, exploration of spirituality or affirming and accepting spiritual communities