What is Religious Trauma?

Recently, I’ve been learning more about religious trauma and the spectrum that ranges from basic negative experiences to involvements in spiritual practices, rituals, or beliefs resulting in diagnosable PTSD responses. Religious trauma refers to various kinds of experiences with religious communities, divine beings, and religious theologies that diminish capacity for religious or spiritual engagement. This can include abusive religious leaders resulting in caution with the community or abuse from a specific religious leader. These points are described in further detail by Michelle Panchuk, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Murray State University (see link below). 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BQF7qvtkGQ 

Here in Idaho we have the Religious Trauma Institute co-founded by Laura Anderson and Brian Peck. Laura is a Licensed Psychotherapist with a private practice in Nashville, TN. Her primary clientele deals with complex trauma including intimate partner violence, sexual abuse and assault, and religious trauma. Brian resides right here in Boise, Idaho and has spearheaded this effort to create trauma-informed resources, advocacy, and resources to assist survivors, including a collaborative Research Group for those wishing to dive deeper into this topic.

I have to say this is an area of interest for myself. As a trauma therapist, I work with patients choosing to leave various religious practices from institutional religion to cults. I am exploring these beliefs with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapies (described further in our newsletter) for more complex trauma cases that derive from adherence and involvement to a certain theology, religion, or spiritual practice. Some of these beliefs may take a long time to heal, and it is quite interesting as a practitioner to serve patients experiencing these adjustments or complex PTSD symptoms.

I found this conversation on YouTube with Laura Anderson quite insightful in expressing the clinical components of Religious Trauma. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnOST_OXpkg 

You can also find more information here:  https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/

Citation:
Couch, K. ( 2023, October 12). What is Religious Trauma? [Blog Post]. Rewired360. Retrieved from https://www.rewired360.com/blog/what-is-religious-trauma.