Therapy for Religion & Spirituality
in the Denver Metro area & online throughout Colorado
A judgment-free space to process shifts in spirituality, faith deconstruction, or the impact of religion on mental health. Support for LGBTQ+ individuals with a religious background, and for Purity Culture survivors.
Spirituality is a vital part of life and wellness, but for many of us, we have a complicated relationship with the religious contexts and beliefs in which we were raised. Finding a meaningful sense of personal spirituality often requires sifting through old experiences, beliefs, and faith structures and facing past hurts (and sometimes even abuses) that occurred in religious settings. There is much that is beautiful about faith and spirituality, but sometimes, it takes a frightening journey away from known structures for that beauty to emerge.
For LGBTQ+ individuals raised in traditional religious contexts, negative messages can become entwined with your identity. As a result, you may live with chronic shame, internalized homophobia, social isolation, or destructive behaviors you use to numb the pain. For many, the threats of Hell, implicit or explicit experiences of judgment or condemnation, or years of staying “in the closet” (sometimes even to yourself) to avoid rejection amount to profound attachment trauma. You may also have lost relationships with family, friends, or community, or experienced relational strain and conflict, due to your identity, which can compound the attachment trauma. (Read more about attachment trauma and LGBTQ+ identities.)
For those who grew up in “Purity Culture,” you may have internalized feelings of “dirtiness” or worthlessness, have a negative relationship with your body, struggle in romantic relationships, or feel alienated from your body or your sexuality. You may have left Purity Culture feeling like you missed out. Maybe you can’t shake the deep shame around your sexuality. You may even feel betrayed, if you followed all the rules and still experience difficulties in your sexual relationships. Processing the impact of religion on your mental and sexual health and determining your personal sexual values are both important parts of healing.
Wherever you are in your faith journey, I’m here to honor that. Whether you want to find a way to stay within a familiar religious context with integrity, find a new spiritual home, or step away from religion and spirituality altogether, I will support whatever choice helps you find peace, purpose, and safety.
Please note, I do not provide spiritual direction. A spiritual director has specialized training in guiding individuals in spiritual formation and encounters with a Higher Power. My job as a therapist Is not to tell you what to believe, but rather to help you sort out what has personal meaning for you, what has been harmful for you, and what you no longer want to carry with you.
If you're interested in working with me on your faith or spirituality journey, contact me to schedule a free consultation.
Check out my blog for posts on spirituality.
