Religious Trauma & The Nervous System

Nervous System

Understanding Religious Trauma: More Than Just Deconstruction

In recent years, religious trauma has gained more attention in both therapeutic and public conversations. While often misunderstood or minimized, religious trauma refers to the psychological and physiological harm that can occur in the context of authoritarian religious environments — especially those marked by fear, control, shame, or spiritual abuse.

For many, leaving a high-control faith tradition isn’t just a matter of changing beliefs. It involves reconfiguring a worldview, rebuilding identity, and tending to deep wounds left by years of conditioning. The symptoms of religious trauma often mirror those of complex PTSD, including chronic shame, anxiety, dissociation, and difficulty trusting oneself or others.

The Body Keeps the Score: Trauma Is Stored Somatically

Religious trauma is not just "in your head" — it's in your nervous system. Clients I work with often experience a heightened startle response, tightness in the chest, or feelings of dread that seem to come out of nowhere. These are not random. They’re the body’s way of saying: “Something happened here that I haven’t yet processed.”

Healing requires more than just talk therapy. That’s why modalities like EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) are especially helpful when working with religious trauma. These methods honor both the cognitive and somatic aspects of trauma and support the process of reconnecting with the self.

You’re Not Alone: Communities Are Forming Around Healing

One of the most powerful antidotes to religious trauma is connection — particularly with others who understand. Therapists and educators like Dr. Laura E. Anderson have helped create language and frameworks to understand the impact of high-control religion and offer pathways to healing. Her work explores the overlap between theology, trauma, and nervous system regulation, and it's a valuable resource for anyone beginning or deepening their recovery journey, and the post I linked also contains great info on Religious Trauma as well.

How I Work with Clients Recovering from Religious Trauma

As a somatic therapist, I support individuals who are navigating the aftermath of religious trauma through a blend of body-based work, attachment repair, and parts work. Healing religious trauma often includes:

• Rebuilding a felt sense of safety in the body

• Exploring spiritual beliefs in a nonjudgmental way

• Making meaning without bypassing pain

• Reconnecting with joy, autonomy, and authentic self-expression

Whether you're early in your process or deep into your healing, you deserve support that honors both your pain and your strength.