What is Religious Trauma Syndrome?
What is Religious Trauma Syndrome?
Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS) is experienced by those who are struggling with leaving an authoritarian religion such as cults, fundamentalism, and abuse.
These people might be considering leaving their religious community or have already left and coping with the remnants of the chronic trauma and abuse.
There are physical, emotional, and psychological damages after leaving an authoritarian indoctrination.
RTS is still a relatively new term and is gaining traction among researchers and clinicians.
Religious Trauma Symptoms & Effects
Somatization or bodily impacts
Headaches and migraines
Tensions and pains
Stomach aches
Behaviors
Addictive behaviors and tendencies to numb feelings and pain
Restricting food
Over eating
Overly exercising
Perfectionism
Porn addiction
Self-harm
Substance use
Mistrust of others
Pushing others away when things get intimate
Cognitive
Intrusive memories like nightmares and flashbacks
Confusion
Negative beliefs about self-ability and self-worth
Perfectionism
Difficulty with decision-making
Emotional
Shame (“I am bad”)
Guilt (“I did something bad”)
Emotional dysregulation (feeling too much, overwhelmed with emotions)
Emotional inhibition (restricting, avoiding, or denying emotions)
Depression
Anxiety
Worry about the past
Worry about the future
Anger
Rage against what has happened
Indignation over things not being fair
Grief and loss
Loss of self
Loss of belonging
Loss of community
Loss of childhood
Loss of what could be
Loss of secure attachment
Loss of trust
Loss of identity
Loneliness
Difficulty with pleasure
Loss of meaning
Social
Loss of social network and support
Withdrawing and isolating self
Family conflicts
Sexual difficulty
Cultural
Unfamiliarity with the secular world
Difficulty feeling like they belong
Feeling out of touch with mainstream media and culture
What Causes Religious Trauma & Abuse?
A literal interpretation of the sacred text (whether Bible, Quran, or Torah)
Expectations and pressures (e.g. gender roles, sexuality, desire, family roles)
Binary ways of thinking vs. flexibility and complexity
Conformity: There is only one way to be under and within a religion
“Divorce is bad”
“Going to hell if you are gay”
“Difference is bad”
“Women must get married”
“You need to have children”
Emotional abuse
Toxic teachings like eternal damnation or original sin
Religious practices or mindset, such as punishment, black and white thinking, or sexual guilt
Neglect that prevents a person from having the information or opportunities to develop normally
A higher level of fundamentalism and authoritarianism
Social isolation
Prejudice against other religions or other communities outside of your religion and faith
Fear and anxiety
Extrinsic religious orientation
“Using” religion, rather than “living” religion
Greater negativity toward those who are different than your religion and faith
These risks present in different ways in different populations and religions/faiths.
Who Is At Risk Of Religious Trauma & Abuse?
Children
Disciplining children
Adults using their power and control over children due to their age, size, and young development
Women
Religious abuse in conjunction with intimate partner violence/domestic violence and/or gender based violence
Gender norms and roles
People of Color
Exclusion due to histories and present day colonization, racism, oppression, violence, discrimination
People Who Identify as LGBTQIA+
Exclusion due to sexuality, desire, gender, and attraction differences
Sexual minorities
Gender minorities
What Happens To Gay & Queer People Living Under Religious Trauma?
Feeling like they are bad, wrong, or flawed
Not belonging and lack of community
Fear, anxiety, and worry of coming out
Internalized homophobia (or learning to hate themselves for existing as gay)
Shifts their way of thinking from balanced into more extreme thinking (bad/good, yes/no, love/hate)
Intersectionality: When Religion, Race, Ethnicity Meets Sexual Identity, Desire, and Attraction
Religious trauma and abuse is further complicated and complex when issues of migration, race, ethnicity, and culture comes into the picture.
All these parts of your identity impact your symptoms, experiences, and how you make sense of the world. I approach all parts of you and your stories with dignity, compassion, and kindness.
I specialize in working with the following populations:
Immigrants
Children of immigrants
Refugees
Children of refugees
What I Will Not Do In Session
Invalidate you
Blame you for you what has happened to you
Try to change you in any way
Force you to answer questions
Let you set the pace of therapy (“we go at the pace of trust”)
What I Will Do In Session
Provide psychoeducation on what therapy is and what you can expect
Empowering you and giving you back a sense of control and certainty
Creating a physically and emotionally safe environment for you as much as possible
Asking you what role you would like religion to play in your life (if any)
Acknowledges the damage done by your religious communities
Show up as authentically me rather than the “professional” stereotype of what a therapist should be
Respect your culture, religion, and other parts of your identities
Practice openness, curiosity, and non-judgment
Provide you a space to process and explore your stories
Check in with you regularly to see how you feel things are going and if you are getting what you need
See you as a whole and complex human being
Value your inherent strengths and sources of resilience
Guide you toward self-love, affirmation, and an authentic life based on what it is that you ultimately want
My Experience Working With Gay & Queer Muslims
There is rich diversity in how Islam is practiced by individual Muslims due to migration status, culture, race, and ethnicity.
People interpret the religion differently and try to practice this interpretation within the American context.
There is also a lack of research in the United States on working therapeutically with Muslim clients.
The most important things I’ve learned are this:
Maintaining confidentiality and fear of information being shared within the community
To understand the impact of religion in your life
To learn what Islam is and is not
Differentiating between religious and cultural beliefs
To learn about your spiritual and cultural resilience and strengths
To learn about the systemic oppression and violence Muslims face in this country and internationally
To work on my own implicit perceptions, stereotypes, and beliefs around Islam
To be okay not providing answers and advice, but rather providing support, validation, and space
My Experience Working With Gay & Queer Catholics
There is rich diversity in how Catholicism is practiced by individual Catholics due to migration status, culture, race, and ethnicity.
People interpret the religion differently and try to practice this interpretation within the American context.
The most important things I’ve learned are this:
To learn about the spiritual and cultural resilience and strengths of my clients
To work on my own implicit biases and stereotypes around Catholicism
To be okay not providing answers and advice, but rather providing support, validation, and space
To continue doing my own work around my past experiences as someone who grew up in a strict, traditional Roman Catholic faith
Finding An Affirming Mental Health Therapist For Religious Trauma
Someone who has experience, knowledge, and skills with trauma and trauma informed care
Someone who is committed to doing their own lifelong “work” around religion, bias, and trauma
Someone who is open, curious, and nonjudgmental
Someone who understands the complexities of identities including: race, ethnicity, religion, migration, gender, sexuality, class, and more
Trauma Resources
Looking for more trauma resources? Click here for a list of evidenced based trauma therapies, books, and workbooks.