What a powerhouse, dynamite interview! So much resonated for me! Here are a few key topics I noted:
- Trauma - too much, too quick, too fast! (Yes! That's how it feels.) Take healing slowly to avoid creating new trauma.
- Traumatized people tend to be too much in our heads and minimize our trauma because we are taught not to trust the body or our feelings, which we were taught are "sinful." Therapy to reconnect with our body (somatic therapy) and feelings (EMDR) can help with this. (I've personally found inner child and IFR work as well as guided meditations helpful too.)
- Religious trauma creates an inability to cope with differences. We "other" those outside the group.
- When we leave, we feel insecure because we are used to being externally guided (by the rules, leadership, peers etc.). We have to learn to become inwardly directed. (sounds like individuation).
- We can develop inward direction by starting small in developing our opinions apart from the group and connecting with activities and people who used to be "other." (I started by allowing myself to listen to rock music again and meditate. I was drawn to psychology and therapy as well. I also read books that were definitely forbidden in church and I rediscovered political views I'd had before church. It all took about 15 years to ease myself out of church and deconstruct. Covid made walking away for good easy.)
- Connecting with those who used to be "other" and finding a new peer group that is not authoritarian can be challenging. We are easily drawn into similar groups to the one(s) we left. When we do finally break away from authority all together, finding a group or tribe that is as intimate as what we left is difficult. Online friendships can be a way to ease into new kinds of friendships and groups. (I've found a zoom therapy group and some fantastic online friends who are more wonderful, frankly, than my past in person friendships. Social factors that might normally keep likeminded people apart such as age and gender differences need not hinder online friendships at all. More recently I've been drawn to a few delightful in-person friends as well. Starting online made it easier to find new virtual and real life tribes.)
Thanks so much, Christine and Dr. Anderson, for covering so much helpful ground in a single hour-long interview! I look forward to visiting your organization online: The Religious Trauma Institute, https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/.
What a fantastic comment - I feel like I should just find a place where I can hyperlink to your comment: "in summary, see Chuck's comment!" 😂 I'm glad that you found the interview so interesting and helpful!
Thanks for the interview! I picked up a copy of the book at the Evolving Faith Conference over the weekend, and I’m excited to begin reading.
I was wondering if you had any advice/pointers/guidelines when looking for a therapist that specializes in religious trauma--are there specific certifications to keep an eye out for? phrases on websites that could indicate green or red flags? other things? I know whether an individual will click with a therapist is...well, individual, but I was curious if you had any rules-of-thumb when navigating the searching process.
Ooh, you were at Evolving Faith! I hope it was great!
For finding a therapist -- you can look on different websites like Reclamation Collective (though honestly I don't even have my profile up because there's a small fee and I already have so many inquiries in my small town!) or there's the Secular Therapy Project (seculartherapy.org) that I've heard can be a helpful place if you definitely don't want any faith component in treating religious trauma (though since you were at Evolving Faith, that might not fit you!).
I would definitely recommend some certifications or a description about how they treat trauma -- EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems are all amazing modalities (as is NARM but not many are trained in that!). I personally don't love CBT because it feels too much to me like the evangelical "take every thought captive," plus it doesn't really address the roots of trauma.
On my profile I also emphasize LGBTQ+ friendly and I use language of religious trauma, though sadly a lot of people in my area aren't familiar with the term. I find that "spiritually integrated" is more of a green light for me than red light, because though I definitely don't want Christian counseling, some sense of spirituality remains important to me.
I hope that helps! Ask a therapist a question like that and you'll get a long answer because I love this stuff so much :)
That’s very helpful; thank you so much for the detailed response! Having a therapist’s perspective is precisely what I needed, and definitely putting this advice in a place I can easily reference :) Thanks again!
Yes, Evolving Faith was great for me! I was able to attend in person, which was really special.
Thank you! I hope so, too! In my preliminary searching, I’ve mostly been finding virtual-only therapists. From a therapist’s perspective, do you have a preference for in-person vs virtual, specifically for trauma care? Or what’s your experience with the two settings, whether as client or practitioner?
That’s awesome she was there, too! Following someone’s adventures is definitely a fun way to feel like you’re also there 😊
What a powerhouse, dynamite interview! So much resonated for me! Here are a few key topics I noted:
- Trauma - too much, too quick, too fast! (Yes! That's how it feels.) Take healing slowly to avoid creating new trauma.
- Traumatized people tend to be too much in our heads and minimize our trauma because we are taught not to trust the body or our feelings, which we were taught are "sinful." Therapy to reconnect with our body (somatic therapy) and feelings (EMDR) can help with this. (I've personally found inner child and IFR work as well as guided meditations helpful too.)
- Religious trauma creates an inability to cope with differences. We "other" those outside the group.
- When we leave, we feel insecure because we are used to being externally guided (by the rules, leadership, peers etc.). We have to learn to become inwardly directed. (sounds like individuation).
- We can develop inward direction by starting small in developing our opinions apart from the group and connecting with activities and people who used to be "other." (I started by allowing myself to listen to rock music again and meditate. I was drawn to psychology and therapy as well. I also read books that were definitely forbidden in church and I rediscovered political views I'd had before church. It all took about 15 years to ease myself out of church and deconstruct. Covid made walking away for good easy.)
- Connecting with those who used to be "other" and finding a new peer group that is not authoritarian can be challenging. We are easily drawn into similar groups to the one(s) we left. When we do finally break away from authority all together, finding a group or tribe that is as intimate as what we left is difficult. Online friendships can be a way to ease into new kinds of friendships and groups. (I've found a zoom therapy group and some fantastic online friends who are more wonderful, frankly, than my past in person friendships. Social factors that might normally keep likeminded people apart such as age and gender differences need not hinder online friendships at all. More recently I've been drawn to a few delightful in-person friends as well. Starting online made it easier to find new virtual and real life tribes.)
Thanks so much, Christine and Dr. Anderson, for covering so much helpful ground in a single hour-long interview! I look forward to visiting your organization online: The Religious Trauma Institute, https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/.
What a fantastic comment - I feel like I should just find a place where I can hyperlink to your comment: "in summary, see Chuck's comment!" 😂 I'm glad that you found the interview so interesting and helpful!
Thanks for the interview! I picked up a copy of the book at the Evolving Faith Conference over the weekend, and I’m excited to begin reading.
I was wondering if you had any advice/pointers/guidelines when looking for a therapist that specializes in religious trauma--are there specific certifications to keep an eye out for? phrases on websites that could indicate green or red flags? other things? I know whether an individual will click with a therapist is...well, individual, but I was curious if you had any rules-of-thumb when navigating the searching process.
Ooh, you were at Evolving Faith! I hope it was great!
For finding a therapist -- you can look on different websites like Reclamation Collective (though honestly I don't even have my profile up because there's a small fee and I already have so many inquiries in my small town!) or there's the Secular Therapy Project (seculartherapy.org) that I've heard can be a helpful place if you definitely don't want any faith component in treating religious trauma (though since you were at Evolving Faith, that might not fit you!).
I would definitely recommend some certifications or a description about how they treat trauma -- EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems are all amazing modalities (as is NARM but not many are trained in that!). I personally don't love CBT because it feels too much to me like the evangelical "take every thought captive," plus it doesn't really address the roots of trauma.
On my profile I also emphasize LGBTQ+ friendly and I use language of religious trauma, though sadly a lot of people in my area aren't familiar with the term. I find that "spiritually integrated" is more of a green light for me than red light, because though I definitely don't want Christian counseling, some sense of spirituality remains important to me.
I hope that helps! Ask a therapist a question like that and you'll get a long answer because I love this stuff so much :)
That’s very helpful; thank you so much for the detailed response! Having a therapist’s perspective is precisely what I needed, and definitely putting this advice in a place I can easily reference :) Thanks again!
Yes, Evolving Faith was great for me! I was able to attend in person, which was really special.
you're sooooo welcome! I hope you find a great fit!
That is so special. Marla Taviano was there so I was kinda following along with her IG posts! I bet it was amazing.
Thank you! I hope so, too! In my preliminary searching, I’ve mostly been finding virtual-only therapists. From a therapist’s perspective, do you have a preference for in-person vs virtual, specifically for trauma care? Or what’s your experience with the two settings, whether as client or practitioner?
That’s awesome she was there, too! Following someone’s adventures is definitely a fun way to feel like you’re also there 😊