Healing from Religious Trauma
Spiritual/Religious trauma occurs when a person’s sense of safety, identity, or belonging is harmed through spiritual abuses of power. This can happen through shame, exclusion, or controlling use of authority and religious texts. People who’ve experienced spiritual trauma may struggle with guilt, fear, identity, confusion, or a loss of trust in themselves and others. Healing often involves reclaiming personal meaning, rebuilding safety, and reconnecting with what feels authentic and life-giving.
Loss of trust
Religious trauma can deeply impact how we relate to ourselves and others. Many faith traditions shape our earliest ideas of love, safety, and belonging—core elements of attachment. In addition to this, our support network can become tightly intertwined with religion, creating living examples of these ideas.
When these environments are distorted -marked by fear, control, or conditional acceptance- our attachment patterns can become shaped by anxiety, shame, or disconnection. We may struggle to trust others, feel safe in relationships, or believe we are inherently worthy of love. Healing involves rebuilding a sense of secure attachment—learning that connection can be safe, boundaries are allowed, and love does not have to be earned through perfection or obedience.
Deconstruction
Deconstruction is a term spoken with a negative connotation in many religious circles as it is assumed to be a worldly attack on faith. While it is the process of questioning and re-evaluating the beliefs, systems, and spiritual teachings, it does not demand the loss of faith or spirituality if this is not desired. Rather, it is the separation of abusive or false ideas from one’s own truth and experience within the world.
For many, deconstruction begins after experiencing spiritual abuse—where faith was used to control, shame, or silence. This process can feel disorienting, lonely, or even frightening as familiar beliefs fall away. Yet it can also open the door to healing, self-trust, and authentic connection. Healing from spiritual abuse involves reclaiming your voice, rebuilding safety in your body and relationships, and discovering what spirituality—if any—feels true and freeing for you now.