Laura Anderson

CEO and Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• My focus areas of research and supervisory approach are within the realm of Complex Trauma: Religious Trauma, sexualized violence, and domestic violence; Dynamics of Power and Control in relationships and systems, and Narcissistic family dynamics.

• I founded the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery as I saw a growing unmet need of religiously trauma-informed support for people coming out of high demand/high control systems. I quickly recognized that the medium of coaching would provide for the maximum amount of support to be given due to the ability coaches have to see clients in an online format without the concern of state or national restrictions. CTRR is the first of its kind: a fully online coaching company that provides support to people coming out of high demand/high control religious groups, cults, with adverse religious experiences and religious trauma, prioirtizing religiously trauma-informed care by practitioners of varying educational, cultural, and religious backgrounds to promote trauma resolution and recovery rather than only atheism or faith rejection as a means to healing.

• Laura is available for day-long intensive sessions and individual and group consultations. Clicking the button below will re-direct you to her website where you can learn more and schedule.

I was raised as a “camp kid” in a fundamentalist religion, followed by evangelical higher education and working at a church. As you can imagine, I saw and experienced first-hand the underbelly of religious systems, including dynamics of power and control and purity culture leading to adverse religious experiences and religious trauma. My own healing journey began more than 15 years ago as I slowly began to question and implement curiosity toward the systems I grew up in. Though my journey out of these systems began primarily as a cognitive deconstruction process, I truly began to heal in a different way when I was able to work through things on a body-based level—processing trauma through my body versus mere cognitive and behavioral shifts. 

My own journey of healing helps to inform the way I work with clients and motivates me to continue finding meaningful and effective ways to help others heal. Though I consider myself an eclectic therapist, which just means I don’t subscribe to only one way of doing therapy (hello, fundamentalism!) I gravitate toward body-based modalities such as Somatic Experiencing, Structural Dissociation Model, and Internal Family Systems. I am passionate about working with clients who have experienced complex trauma and specialize in domestic violence, sexual violence and religious trauma (including adverse religious experiences and purity culture). I am the co-founder of the Religious Trauma Institute and am passionate about training other professionals on how to effectively work with religious trauma.

Outside of seeing clients you can find me outside with my dog, spending time with friends, writing and my most current revived hobby: dancing. I use reality tv as a self-care tool when my brain feels mushy but my favorite show on-air is Grey’s Anatomy and my all-time favorite show is Friends. 

I identify as a Self-Preservation Enneagram 4 wing 5 and an INFJ on the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator and knowing these things about myself has been a huge part of my own growth and helping to embrace and accept myself. I am learning to embrace my creative side again (as all of my creative talents used to be used in religious systems) which has allowed me to engage with life and people in a more meaningful way. 

Some of my personal favorite resources that helped me in my own journey are: In an Unspoken Voice by Peter Levine- or really anything he has written and produced, Crazy Love by Leslie Morgan Steiner, Healing the Fragmented Selves of the Trauma Survivor by Janina Fisher, Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser, and No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz. 

• Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Mind-Body Medicine from Saybrook University with research in the experience of living in a healing body after sexualized violence

• Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Liberty University (Yes, I know... that Liberty University... While I do NOT agree with their theological, religious, and social views, their graduate school education did not subscribe to these strict standards and focused, instead, on the national requirements for credentialing therapists.)

• Somatic Experiencing - Advanced Level

• Certified Complex Trauma Professional - Level 1 & 2

Podcasts I’ve been on: 

• The Graceful Athiest

• Mindshift Podcast

• Parenting Forward

• #Exvangelical

• Friends with Businesses

• MindHub Podcast

• Reality Steve: He Said, She Said (Talk on Domestic Violence)

• Trust & Thrive

• Parenting Forward - Religious Trauma & the Holidays

• God is Grey

• Uncertain Podcast

• The Healing Podcast (Body Grief and Trauma)

• Straight White American Jesus

• Faith and Feminism - Healing From Religious Trauma - Pt. 1

• Faith and Feminism - Healing from Religious Trauma - Pt. 2

• Faith and Feminism - Healing from Sexual Trauma

• The Lovely Becoming

• Deconstruct Pod - Modest is NOT Hottest

• The Trauma Therapist Podcast

• The Phil Drysdale Podcast

• Holy Heretics Podcast

• The Life She Wrote Podcast

• The Working Writer Podcast

• Everything Belongs

• Straight White American Jesus : It’s In the Code: Understanding Trauma Part I

• Straight White American Jesus : It’s In the Code : Understanding Religious Trauma Part II

• Adult Child

• Sexvangelicals - Deadly Sexual Sin #6 (According to the Church): Don’t Say No - Part 1

• Sexvangelicals - Deadly Sexual Sin #6 (According to the Church): Don’t Say No - Part 2

• The Making an Effort Podcast with Gabby and Mel

• Descent into Hell : Fundamentalism in Religion and Its Effects on the Body

• Video Version of Descent into Hell episode

• IndoctriNation : An Abusive Relationship With God w/Dr. Laura Anderson

• Holy Ghosting : I Don't Want It: The Pain of Purity Culture with Dr. Laura Anderson, PHD

• Uncertain Podcast : Second Wave Fundamentalism with Dr. Laura Anderson

• Holy/Hurt with Dr. Hillary McBride

• Therapeutic Astrology

• Deconstructing Mamas

• Gravity Leadership : Healing From Religious Trauma & High-Control Faith

• Speaking Up with Andrew Pledger

• Cheers to Leaving - Trauma Doesn't Live in Our Minds (with Dr. Laura Anderson), Part 1

• Cheers to Leaving - Trauma Doesn't Live in Our Minds (with Dr. Laura Anderson), Part 2

• Mending Families

• Mega

• Faith and Feminism : When Religion Hurts You

• Exvangelical

• Sensibly Speaking with Chris Shelton

• Recasting Religious Trauma

• (Re)thinking Faith

• Surviving Bob Jones

• Untethered with Lindsay Tuttle NP

• Holy Ghosting : No, Mom, That’s Not How Boundaries Work

• Bare Marriage

• Cheaper than Therapy : Finding Safety in Spirituality After Religious Trauma with Dr. Laura Anderson, PhD.

• The New Evangelicals

• Straight White American Jesus : When Religion Hurts You w/ Dr. Laura Anderson

• You Have Permission

• In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer

• Mindful Minds

• A Little Bit Culty : Wise Jezebel: Dr. Laura Anderson On When Religion Hurts

• The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steven Hassan

• Speaking of Cults...Post-Cult Trauma and Conflicts

• Psyche Magic

• The Preacher Boys - The Trauma of Purity Culture

• Survivors Discuss - CTPSD -The Great Parting Gift From Toxic Religion

• The Preacher Boys - The Election Cycle and Religious Trauma

• Almost Heretical

• Everything Belongs - Healing from High Control Religion & Relationships With Dr. Laura Anderson

• Sexvangelicals - Episode #60: Banned Books: When Religion Hurts You, with Laura Anderson (part 1 of 2)

• Sexvangelicals - Episode #61: Banned Books, with Laura Anderson (part 2 of 2)

Video Interviews I’ve been on: 

• Conversation with Cody Harmon on Religious Trauma

• COVID-19 and Religious Trauma: A Four-Part Series

• Religious Trauma and the Election Season: A 10-Part Mini-Course

• Parentification Part 1 with Tia Levings

• Parentification Part 2 with Tia Levings

• Objectification and Purity Culture Part 1 with Tia Levings

• Objectification and Purity Culture Part 2 with Tia Levings

• What is Religious Trauma with Guy MacPherson

• Instagram Live with Dr. Camden about Laura’s book “When Religion Hurts You”

Articles I am featured in:

• Giving Victims of Religious Trauma a Voice featured on Religion News Service by Chrissy Stroop

• What Exvangelicals can Teach us about 'Trump Christians' by Chrissy Stroop for Dame Magazine

• Celebrity Culture isn't the Problem by Blake Chastain on the Post-Evangelical Post

• Can Religion Give you PTSD? featured on New Republic by Stephanie Russell-Kraft

• Brides are Suffering Under the Weight of Tradition featured in Jezebel by Emily Leibert

• How to Find Healing From Religious Trauma featured in Sojourners by Matthias Roberts

• Dr. Laura Anderson wants you to know what to do when religion hurts you featured in Reckon Media by Anna Beahm

• Defining religious trauma and training mental health professionals to deal with it | Q&A featured on The Tennessean by Liam Adams

• In ‘When Religion Hurts You,’ a psychotherapist argues religious trauma is trauma featured on Religion News Service by Kathryn Post

• Book Review // When Religion Hurts You

• Religion that harms | The Christian Century by Morganne Talley

• Review of When Religion Hurts You — Foreword Reviews

• When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion (publishersweekly.com)

• When Religion Traumatizes by Scot McKnight

• New Books Address Surviving Toxic Religion (publishersweekly.com)

• Christian Counseling Connection - Page 22

• Jonathan Merritt, The Faith & Culture 5 eNewsletter

• Life is Story

• 15 recent releases reviewed – Hearts & Minds Books

• Trauma in the Body by Scot McKnight

• "Tradwives" offer an alluring vision of right-wing Christianity — online warriors are fighting back” featured in Salon by Amanda Marcotte

• “For Christians raised in ‘high-control’ settings, elections may trigger religious trauma” featured in Religion News by Kathryn Post

• “Local Stories: Check Out Laura Anderson’s Story” in Nashville Voyager

Instagram

• @drlauraeanderson

TikTok

• @drlauraeanderson

Facebook

• @drlauraeanderson

Substack

Podcast Co-Host: The Wise Jezebels

Podcast Co-Host: Sunday School Dropouts

Jeremy Lehmann

Practitioner, He/Him/His

SPECIALTIES

• I address Complex Trauma, Religious Trauma, Deconstruction, and Adverse Religious Experiences with my clients. My focus is with LGBTQ+ adults and current and former “professional” ministry folks (including pastors and missionaries).

• I meet with adult individuals.

• My flat rate for sessions is $165

I was raised in American Evangelicalism where I served in various places of leadership from my teens through my early 40s. Post high school I joined a missionary organization, Youth with a Mission (YWAM) where I spent 3 years doing mission work and training others to go onto the mission field.

The process of grappling with my faith of origin while living in the South as a gay man was painful, but has also been a place of deep growth and transformation. My healing journey has been one of finding my voice, inhabiting my body, and learning that I have wisdom and can trust myself.  

My own experiences in healing inspires my passion for working with queer individuals in or coming out of religious systems, individuals who have been in professional faith positions (e.g. clergy, missionaries, their families, etc.), and individuals who are going through deconstruction.

Additionally, I enjoy working with individuals who are transitioning their spiritual identity, and in areas of sexuality + embodiment. I use a body-based approach with clients through modalities such as Somatic Experiencing and somatic sex interventions. 

When I am not seeing clients you can find me working through my ever-expanding reading list, spending time with friends, being outside and looking for the next binge-worthy show.

I enjoy hiking, camping, stand-up paddling, knitting, weaving, cooking, making specialty cocktails and occasionally dabble in my former career of graphic design.

Some resources that have been helpful to me in my own healing journey include: Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach, Beyond Shame by Matthias Roberts, In Touch by John J. Prendergast, and The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown.

• Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University (2018)

• Somatic Experiencing - Advance Level

  
  

My Social Media Accounts

Twitter: @ThriveryMFT

Facebook: @ThriveryMFT

Tami Widmer

Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• Deconstruction & identity recovery, complex trauma, depression, eating disorders, parenthood/postpartum care, LGBTQ+ folks, military personnel/veterans and/or their partners

• I meet with adult individuals and couples

• My flat rate for sessions is $165 for individuals and $290 for a 90-minute couples session

After 25 years of being an “All-Star Christian”—raised in the church, deeply invested in my spirituality, with a Bible degree in hand and plans to be a missionary—I grew tired. Tired of over-serving, of being a flawless example, and of imposed limits because I am a woman. While earning my graduate degree in counseling, I realized that the religious dogma I once internalized began to feel like it was choking me. Simultaneously, I was experiencing personal losses – so when it felt like life was unraveling, I began therapy to explore the pain I was experiencing in the religious system. Through this process the tiny, perfect box that my life once fit in, blew open and the former right answers and assurances I previously clung to were no longer available to me. My process of deconstruction did not feel like a conscious choice, but instead a response to the gradual, intuitive movements of my soul. As I opened my heart to the world and myself for the first time, I outgrew my Christian worldview. Now, nearly a decade after my faith began dissolving, I am still healing and discovering the Wild (natural and free) woman within.

My own journey inspires my work with my clients. If you feel like you’ve lost part of your soul and are ready to recover hidden treasures that were there all along, I will voyage with you. If you are tired of sleepwalking—going through the motions of life, and want more out of life, I will explore with you. If your heart is broken and you’re not sure how to heal it, I’ll stand by you as it mends. If you have been hurt by religious systems, leaders, or entities and need someone to enter that space with you, I will help you find the safety to do that. Or if you don’t even know where to begin, if life feels scary and unknown—you are in the right place. I enjoy working with clients who are or have experienced Trauma, adverse religious experiences (including repressed femininity, toxic masculinity, shame culture, etc.), eating disorders, loss and bereavement, depression, veterans and partners of veterans, LGBTQ+ folks and parents (such as moms needing postpartum support). In our sessions, I pay attention to emotional and bodily cues and encourage nonjudgmental curiosity about whatever issue, emotion, or topic you are dealing with. This approach (called Internal Family Systems) allows you to create a healing relationship with yourself, which is the foundation for resilience in your external world. Previous clients tell me they experience genuine warmth and empathy in our relationship. I am here to support your journey as each individual is unique.

Outside of work, I'm a married mother of 3, so there is never a dull moment. I feel most alive when I am outdoors, hiking and breathing. I also love painting, a good cup of coffee, training for triathlons, doing my own therapy/holistic growth (yes, I find this fun!), traveling, and a glass of wine with some Netflix & chill.

Some of the resources that have been influential in my own healing journey include: time, nature, camaraderie with friends on similar journeys, IFS training and therapy, poetry (David Whyte, John O'Donohue), The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, Belonging by Toko-pa Turner, and Bill Plotkin’s books.

• Master of Arts in Licensed Professional Counseling from Denver Seminary (2013)

CTRR Blog

• You Are Good

• From Fawning to Freedom: How Religious Trauma Can Impact Women

Andrew Kerbs

Practitioner,  He/Him/His

SPECIALTIES

• I support those who are going through Deconstruction, Religious Trauma, life transitions, identity, and existential issues, healing from Purity Culture and Adverse Religious Experiences, and engage in grief work with my clients.

• I meet with individuals: children age 6 and above, teens, and adults!

• My flat rate for sessions is $165

Growing up in a fundamentalist religion, including going to a religious school, taught me that to truly love Jesus I needed to be persecuted, that the world would hate me and I needed to be prepared to ‘lay down my life’, even being killed for my faith—and if I wasn’t ready to do that, it meant I wasn’t a real Christian, didn’t love Jesus enough and possibly wasn’t even saved. This caused immense amounts of anxiety and trauma from the time I was a small child. After high school I made the “rebellious” decision to go to a state school instead of a religious school and began my deconstruction process; graduate school brought along even more of my own healing and I realized that doing my own healing work was the only way that I could help others heal.  

Though I am still unpacking my conservative Christian background, I am able to use my personal experiences in a professional setting to help others heal from their own trauma. I enjoy working with young and middle-aged adults who are working through their own existential issues that are having an impact on their daily life and functioning—which often includes trauma and other aspects of identity as they deconstruct from their faith of origin and process adverse religious experiences. While I utilize a variety of approaches, I gravitate toward Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Grief work and somatic-based trauma modalities to work with my clients. One of the ways I have found to be helpful for myself and my clients to get back into the body is through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu which I consider both a spiritual and healing practice. 

When I am not at the office I enjoy spending time with my fiancée and her family, reading non-therapy books (like history, theology, fiction, and poetry), writing, chatting with folks in my online community and am known to re-watch the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (extended edition only!) many times over!

I love motorcycles and a good IPA beer—especially since my childhood church frowned harshly upon it! When the weather allows, I enjoy snowboarding, backpacking, and all things wilderness related!

Some of the resources that have been helpful for me in my own healing journey include: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini  as it had a profound impact on me and my relationship with my father. Also, the book Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong by Kelly Wilson which helped me both professionally and personally as it’s written by one of the leading researchers and practitioners in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. And of course, everything Brene Brown has ever said or written!

• Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lenoir-Rhyne University (2017)

  
  

  
  

  
  

Instagram

@deconstruct_everything

Casey Bain

Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• I specialize in working with clients who are looking to connect more fully to their authentic self after going through experiences like deconstruction, religious trauma, and/or childhod trauma. My specialties include working with anxiety, OCD, impacts from trauma, or impacts from being LGBTQ+ in a non-affirming environment.

• I meet with adolescents and adult individuals.

• My flat rate for sessions is $165

I have always been a big feeler, so even as a kid I always felt aware and connected to the hurt and sadness in the world alongside the joy. Growing up in Evangelical Christianity, I experienced comfort and connection through my faith, but also experienced the harm of things like purity culture and the extreme pressure to be a certain way. I've been going through my own deconstruction process over the past few years, shedding parts of religion I began realizing were harmful and even causing trauma in people's lives. I did a deep dive into understanding religious trauma and healthy spirituality, and have become passionate about learning how to become more fully myself, and to trust my body and intuition. When it comes to my work as a therapist, my first experience with therapy was as a client myself, working on healing some of my past wounds. It was an incredible experience, and I fell in love with the therapy process, and am now so grateful to be able to do the same kinds of healing work with clients that I’ve experienced myself. Going deep into people's stories, hurt, and spiritual experiences feels like a natural outpouring of who I am and how I connect with others.

The experiences I have had in my own upbringing serve as an inspiration for the people I get to work with. Though I have had experience working with many different individuals, I find myself gravitating toward young adults and women as well as individuals who are exploring childhood trauma. I also enjoy working with individuals who are deconstructing and healing from church hurt and religious trauma stemming from evangelical and fundamentalist forms of Christianity, as well as those who are exploring sexuality. I use various modalities to work with people such as embodiment and internal family systems (IFS). I absolutely love working with kids and parents in addition to working with trauma.

When I am not working, you’ll probably find me drinking coffee while reading my newest book, or finding a new TV show to binge—usually with a glass of wine in hand! I love routine, and creating rhythms for day-to-day life that help me connect to my own spirituality- like reading, being outside, moving my body, and spending time with the people I love.

I also enjoy exploring the world through traveling to new places, going on long walks with my dog, Milo, doing yoga, paddleboarding, and spending time outside anytime it's warm. On weekends my partner and I love having other couples over for games and drinks, and we like doing home projects together. 

Some of the resources that have been of particular influence on me are: The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr, Shameless by Nadia Bolz-Weber, Finding God in the Waves by Mike McHargue, Untamed by Glennon Doyle, and The Most Beautiful Thing I’ve Seen by Lisa Gungor, as well as The Liturgists podcast.

• Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from University of North Texas (2018)

• Somatic Experiencing and Internal Family Systems

  
  

  
  

Instagram

@unravelingfree

CTRR Blog

Religious Scrupulosity: When Religious Trauma and OCD Intersect

Amy Congdon

Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• I support clients recovering from Purity Culture and Religious Trauma, Faith Deconstruction, post-abortion experiences, and racial identity and trauma, including LBGTQ+ folks (including adolescents), polyamorous/ethically non-monogamous individuals, and those who are neurodivergent, especially with ADHD as well as autism.

• I meet with adolescents and adult individuals.

• My flat rate for sessions is $165

I was raised in a culturally Chinese, conservative Baptist church and witnessed firsthand the ways that an honor-shame based culture can so easily marry with an often shame-based religious structure. I remained part of evangelical church culture through early adulthood, even attending bible college with plans of becoming a worship pastor. The first questions I began to ask myself that led to the beginning of the deconstruction of my faith were related to the ways in which the church claims to be rooted in love, but went well out of their way to let queer folks know they were inherently sinful. I could not equate the two, and eventually moved away from and rejected evangelicalism. Once I had enough space to process, I realized that I identify as queer and that the negative impacts of Christian purity culture kept me from understanding this about myself. 

So much healing happened for me through connection with other individuals who had similar experiences, as well as talking and processing with therapists and other professionals. And part of my continued healing journey is to offer back to others the compassion and support that brought me to where I am today. My own journey helps to inform the way I work with clients. I love working with people who are looking to explore and understand their identities and how these identities have been impacted by trauma. I work from an awareness of the ways that identities intersect and the ways this intersectionality will have resulted in a unique experience for each client. While I use a variety of approaches in working with clients, including virtual EMDR, I have a deep appreciation for Internal Family Systems (IFS) and attachment work as well as interpersonal neurobiology.

When I am not working I stay busy with my family as a mom of two amazing kids and a supportive partner. I am a lover of being as social as possible in a busy world. I’m also on the board of directors for Exhale, a non-profit organization that provides post-abortion support. Being active in and informed about what is happening in my local community is extremely important to me as I prioritize being an advocate personally and professionally. I love being outdoors, hiking, the mountains, beaches of the Oregon coast, and star-gazing. When forced to be indoors, you can find me enjoying true crime documentaries and re-watching The Good Place or Schitt’s Creek. My job history is quite diverse, from teaching, to barista-ing, to even being a youth minister while professing an agnostic faith. I like to try a little bit of everything, locations, jobs, hobbies - this includes trying all the foods, too! 

I identify as a Chinese American, queer, cisgender woman. I’m a personality test enthusiast and an enneagram 4 wing 3 and iNFj (emphasis intentional). I’m also a musician, love to sing and dance, and am the kind of person who will try any crafty-type endeavor once, which means I am a self-taught sewist and crocheter of all things. Sometimes I’m a writer and haiku poet as well. 

Due to spending a lot of time thinking about purity culture and its impacts, I have found Pure by Linda Kay Klein, #ChurchToo by Emily Joy Alison, Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski, and The Body is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor all to be incredibly helpful in finding validation and healing. In the way of deconstruction, I felt very validated in the stories shared in Educated by Tara Westover and Unfollow by Megan Phelps-Roper. I also really enjoy poetry as a way of healing and have been profoundly impacted by the poetry of Padraig O Tuama, Naomi Shihab Nye, Tonya Ingram, and David Whyte.

• Master of Arts in Counseling from University of Missouri--Kansas City (2020)

  
  

  
  

Jessica Hyne

 Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• My specialty lies at the intersection of religious trauma and family of origin trauma. I often break religious trauma into two categories: 1) Ruptured attachment to God or a belief system and 2) physical, sexual, emotional, or spiritual abuse at the hands of a church or religious community. Many people have experienced at least one if not both. I enjoy exploring each client’s unique experience and aiding them as they process it. 

• I meet with adult individuals

• My flat rate for sessions is $165

I grew up in an evangelical denomination called the Church of Christ and attended only Christian schools. After a childhood full of conservative Evangelical teaching, I spent my teen years searching for an expression of Christianity that resonated with my soul, only to feel alone, confused, depressed, and unfulfilled. I was unaware that the central messaging I received was to be at war with my body and my desires. It was only when I bravely stepped out of my Christian upbringing to explore other faith traditions and non-faith traditions, that I began to find meaning and fulfillment.

As my spirituality expanded and I engaged in my own therapy, I began deconstructing my former faith experience. Within that journey, there came a profound awareness of other structural sicknesses facing the world; things including American exceptionalism, racism, homophobia, fatphobia, transphobia, and patriarchy and their messaging. 

As I continued evolving, I learned that I felt most connected to myself, people, and the Other through embodiment, silence, nature, and meditation. This allowed me a sense of peace and wonder around unknowingness. I will borrow Vishnu Das’ (Michael Gungor’s) statement saying he is a “Apophatic mystic, Hindu, pantheist, Christian, Buddhist skeptic with a penchant for nihilistic progressive existentialism” depending on the day. 

My own journey and healing has impacted the work I do with clients. I enjoy working with Millennials and older Zoomers (Gen Z) who recognize they have become stuck in the grieving process that often accompanies deconstruction of a belief system. I’ve found that healing from religious trauma includes grieving and often trickles into other areas of life, such as family of origin, sense of self, relationships, sexuality, existential fears, and many more. While I enjoy using many different frameworks for helping clients, I tend to find myself being drawn to body-based work such as Somatic Experiencing, IFS, attachment work, and other embodiment modalities. 

When I am not working with clients, I like to move! Yoga. Hiking. Strength training. All of it. I’m also a consummate student. My current focus is in the area of Data Sciences. My hope is that I am able to integrate my love for big data and research into religious trauma. I am an avid foodie and enjoy cooking for myself and friends. My constant companion is my rescue dog.

Random facts about me include: I love adventure including adventure through traveling; I also enjoy motorcycles, skydiving, and scuba. To relax, I am often found hitting golf balls at the driving range. I am a Nashville native and enjoy trying out whatever new restaurant is in town. I have lived in Nashville TN, Chicago IL, Dublin Ireland, San Jose Costa Rica, San Pedro Mexico, and Lima Peru throughout my life. 

Some of the books and other resources that have been important to me in my own healing and growth journey include: 

Untamed by Glennon Doyle, Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson, You’re a Miracle (and a Pain in the Ass) by Mike McHargu, Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown, My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem , Readings from the Book of Exile by Pádraig Ó Tuama, Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown, Anything by Peter Rollins

Podcasts: On Being with Krista Tippett,  The Crazy Robot Show with Mike McHargue, The Liturgists, You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes, The Robcast, Stuck Not Broken, and Tara Brach

Events such as the Wild Goose Festival and “Atheism for Lent” with Peter Rollins

• Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College (2012)

• I am bilingual and speak Spanish fluently.

• Somatic Experiencing - Advanced Level

Daniel Miller

 Practitioner, He/Him/His

SPECIALTIES

• My clients are typically dealing with religious trauma and adverse religious experiences, faith deconstruction, legacies of purity culture, LGBTQ+ identity, allyship, and parenting, loss of social community and shared meaning, transitions within or out of professional ministry positions, and changing experiences of masculinity. I collaborate with my clients to help them find ways to process their trauma so they can be “at home” in their own bodies and the world around them, leading daily lives that are meaningful and fulfilling. I take their lead, tailoring our work together around their aims and goals.

• I meet with individual adults as well as LGBTQ+ teens and their parents.

• My flat rate for sessions is $165

I grew into adolescence and adulthood fully immersed in the subculture of American evangelicalism, and I was a true believer. I sought to live the kind of life and be the kind of person, in all dimensions, that my religious tradition told me I should. I received my undergraduate degree from a sectarian college affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, went on to earn a ministerial degree (the Master of Divinity) from a Southern Baptist seminary, and served as a pastor in a conservative evangelical church in Seattle, WA, for five years.

Over the course of my time as a pastor, I became disillusioned with evangelicalism. The two most decisive reasons for this were my affirmation of issues related to social justice, and my affirmation of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities. I abandoned evangelicalism almost twenty years ago and pursued additional academic studies, first in theology and later in the very different field of religious studies, eventually earning my Ph.D. from Syracuse University.

This background provided me with an intimate understanding of the complexities of religious identity and its effects (positive and negative) on individuals, society, and culture, as both a former “insider” and as an “outsider” with the critical tools necessary to analyze these issues. A few years ago, reflecting my desire to use this background and these skills to help others in a more concrete way, I co-founded the podcast Straight White American Jesus. My work on the podcast increasingly brought me into contact with others who had been traumatized within different religious subcultures (for example, American evangelicalism, Mormonism, conservative Catholicism). It is through this show and my role with CTRR that I am able to focus on helping others to understand the dynamics of American religious and cultural conservatism in relation to politics and culture and recover from their own religious trauma.

When I'm not working and co-hosting a podcast, Straight White American Jesus, you’ll find me enjoying time with my kids, playing video games, and rooting for the Denver Broncos.

Some books I’ve found both insightful and helpful include Shameless: A Sexual Reformation by Nadia Bolz-Webber, Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free by Linda Kay Klein, Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter? by Heath Fogg Davis, White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones, In an Unspoken Voice by Peter Levine, and The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk.

• Bachelor of Arts in Religion, Oklahoma Baptist University (1998)

• Master of Studies in Theology, Oxford University (2001)

• Master of Philosophy in Religion, Syracuse University (2005)

• Doctor of Philosophy in Religion, Syracuse University (2008)

• Certification in Clinical Trauma Professional Training Levels and 1 and 2 (2022)

  
  

• Straight White American Jesus Podcast, Co-Host

• Instagram: @straightwhitejc

• Twitter: @straightwhitejc

Katie Poe

Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• I enjoy supporting my clients in resolving and recovering from religious trauma, healing from adverse religious experiences and purity culture, navigating deconstruction and/or deconversion with parents, and dealing with experiencing prolonged seasons of burnout- especially women and new parents.

• I meet with individual adults and parents.

• My flat rate for sessions is $165

My own healing journey has taken place through a series of phases and seasons. Recovering from and resolving my own religious trauma started during early motherhood for me, and took place over the span of 5-7 years.

It was through this time that I came to embrace the nonlinear nature of healing and the nuances around grief, navigating life transitions and the experience of coming home to my own body. I truly believe that I will continue to heal and expand as my life continues to unfold.

“It was when I stopped searching for home within others [within religion] and lifted the foundations of home within myself, I found there were no roots more intimate than those between a mind and body that have decided to be whole.” -Rupi Kaur

I am creative at my core, so whether I am learning something new with my hands such as sewing or carpentry or spinning my thoughts and emotions into written words, I am happiest when I’m creating! I am fascinated by people and learning about how we engage with ourselves individually and with others collectively, so I love any little personality tests/insights while also holding space for all the nuance! I am a 9w8 on the Enneagram and a Myers Briggs INFP. I am a mother of 6 humans and have 6 fur babies as well! Nurturing is my love language.

Some of the podcasts and books that have been helpful and influential to my journey:

Podcasts: The Healing Trauma Podcast, Ram Dass Here and Now, The Phil Drysdale Show, The Happiness Lab, Unlocking Us with Brene Brown, Mother Honestly Podcast, Humanize Me, Deconversion Therapy, Exvangelical, Graceful Atheist, Parenting Forward

Books: Becoming Safely Embodied by Deirdre Fay; The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk; No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz; Self-Compassion by Kristen Neff; Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nogoski; Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma by Janina Fisher; Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson; Waking the Tiger and In an Unspoken Voice by Peter Levine; Radical Acceptance and Radical Compassion by Tara Brach. Irene Lyons is another resource I use and recommend often.

• Master of Arts in Counseling from University of Texas of the Permian Basin (2010)

• Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, PESI (2021)

• Training in Polyvagal Theory and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Evergreen (2021)

  
  

Katherine Spearing

Associate Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• I support individuals who have experienced Spiritual Abuse, Religious Trauma, Recovery from Purity Culture and Sexual Abuse, Cult Recovery, and Life Transitions. My clients are typically women recovering from Religious Trauma and Spiritual Abuse, and/or women exploring careers, desires, and life after systemic oppression.

• I see individual adults.

• My flat rate for sessions is $135

After living most of my life in patriarchal spaces that told me I shouldn’t and couldn’t have higher education or a career, one of my first steps in recovery was working with a career coach to learn how to write a resume, network, and interview. To this day, I believe this is one of the best decisions I ever made.

In grad school, I was able to go to therapy for free—provided by the interns at the grad school’s counseling center. While the care was validating, I quickly realized I needed help from someone with more training in understanding the dynamics of abuse I experienced. I began seeing a trauma therapist (though I didn’t know what that was) and encountered somatic experiencing, mindfulness, grounding, and the art of listening to our bodies and emotions.

Five years later, I found myself working for a church in Los Angeles where I discovered a dark side to the church that eerily resembled the cult I escaped in my 20s. After leaving this church, I went on to start Tears of Eden, a nonprofit supporting survivors of Spiritual Abuse, hosting its affiliate podcast Uncertain, which has been quoted in scholarly articles, seminary papers, and PhD dissertations. While working daily with survivors, I obtained a certification in Trauma Recovery Coaching from IAOTRC, used EMDR Interventions and Techniques, and currently lead the Religious Trauma Cohort for this association.

While working with other survivors, I continue my own healing journey. I am a published author of a historical romantic comedy, Hartfords, which subtly and humorously challenges gender roles in patriarchal spaces. Writing (specifically fiction) is cathartic and lifegiving. I perform regularly on a local improv theater team. I also coach improv workshops. It’s a great way to release tension and be goofy and have fun! I love to incorporate art and creativity with my clients as they are comfortable, as I believe it can be a wonderful part of the healing process."

As a podcaster, I get to interview so many amazing people and the folks who really stand out as informing my approach to religious trauma are Connie A. Baker (Author of Traumatized by Religious Abuse) and Dr. Laura Anderson (When Religion Hurts You). I've had them both on the show more than once and always walk away from our conversations with new understanding. In terms of resources I recommend: 1 am always pointing people to Tears of Eden and Uncertain podcast (www.tearsofeden.org, 1G: @uncertainpodcast) as it serves as a hub of resources for understanding Spiritual Abuse and Religious Trauma.

I am a published author of a historical romantic comedy, Hartfords, which subtly and humorously challenges gender roles in patriarchal spaces. Writing (specifically fiction) is cathartic and life-giving. I perform regularly on a local improv theater team. I also coach improv workshops. It’s a great way to release tension and be goofy and have fun! I lift weights and do yoga for self-care. I’m also really into taking naps lately. : - ) And finally, I am an avid coffee drinker and a serious coffee snob.

• Master of Arts in Religion and Cultures

• Certified Trauma Recovery Practitioner (CTRC)

In the media:

🎙 True Believer: The Unsolved Murder of Elizabeth Mackintosh - Let’s Talk About It

🎙The Shanny Pants Show - Spiritual Abuse with Katherine Spearing

🎙 Uncertain - The Stigmatized Single Person (And How to Thrive Anyway) with Katherine Spearing

🎙 Sexvangelicals - Episode #54: Kicking Off the New Year with Spiritual Abuse: How Romantic Comedies Can Reinforce the Worst Parts of Evangelical Culture, with Katherine Spearing

🎙 Sexvangelicals - Kicking Off the New Year with Spiritual Abuse: How to Leave a Controlling Family Environment, with Katherine Spearing

🎙 IndoctriNation - Tears of Eden w/ Katherine Spearing MA, CTRC

🎙 That’s So Fcked Up - Evangelicalism, Christianity, Fundamentalism with Katherine Spearing

🎙 Mindful Minds - Recognizing Spiritual Abuse & How To Move Forward with Katherine of @uncertainpodcast - Ep. 70

✒️ Reckon News Article - Meet the healers who are helping people recover from spiritual abuse by Anna Beahm

✒️ Article by Megan Kenyon How I Got Over: An Interview with Katherine Spearing

✒️ Post by Lucy Rowett, Sex & Relationship Coach Trauma and Purity Culture

🎙 Silencing Women in the Name of God - Your Only Purpose is Mother

🎙 The Care Ministry Podcast - Spiritual Abuse Recovery

🎙 Confessions of a Worship Leader Podcast - Spiritually Abusive Church (#1 episode of 2022)

🎙Nunc in Conversation - I Wasn’t Allowed to Go to College

🎙 Holy Heretics Podcast - Response to Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast

🎙 Chickmonks - Empowering Stories

🎙 Dismantle - I Just Want Real Friends

🎙 Homecoming - Featuring Poem The Gift

Publications:

• Hartfords, Leon Publishing (2021, Oct. 5)

• Battling Imposter Syndrome in the Aftermath of Vocational Ministry, Mutuality, CBE International (2023, Aug. 16)

• As a female preacher I was treated very differently to my male counterparts - in the end I left Premier (2023, July 26)

• Are We Continuing to Sideline Women in Conversations About Abuse? CBE International (Top 10 articles of 2022) Mutuality (2022, January 5)

• Was My Family a Cult? I Got Out.org, (2021, November 5)

• How to Spot Overt and Covert Spiritual Abuse. Deconstruction Movement (2021, March 17)

• Beneath the Cross of Jesus. To Paradise by way of the Cross. p.72 , (2020, Contribution)

• How Yoga Helped Me Adjust. (2017, January 31)

• The Best of The Best. (2016, August 25)

• Grad School Survival Guide. (2016, April 16)

• Open Gates to Open Hearts. Network Magazine (No longer in print. First article with compensation!). (2015, September 2)

• The Tradition of the Engagement Ring. (2013, July 2)

• Both Sides of Me. (2012, August 2)

• Valentine’s Day With a Twist. (2009, March 1)

• The North Side: Looking Beyond Appearances. (2009, February 1)

• One Sad Truth of Immigration. (2008, May 8)

CTRR Blog

I’ll Thank Words and Maya Angelou: Healing Through Writing and Reading

Instagram

• @katherinespearing

• @uncertainpodcast

Nicole Clifton

Associate Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• I support individuals navigating faith deconstruction, healing from purity culture, LGBTQIA+, religious trauma and adverse religious experiences, life transitions, boundaries work, identity, chronic illness/ableism, and body image.

• I see individual adults.

• My flat rate for sessions is $135

I grew up in the Christian church, incredibly involved, truly the poster child for the “good Christian girl.” - youth group, singing on the worship team, volunteering in ministry, etc. After high school, to take my faith even more seriously, I decided to attend a small Christian college. It was during my undergrad years that the first igniting events of my faith deconstruction occurred, namely some significant changes in my family of origin. I felt like so many Christians “didn’t get it” and could only offer trite clichés, not knowing how to truly enter into my pain and grief with me as I watched my family shift. Through this, I began to wrestle with faith, God, the Bible, theology, and the like.

After under-grad, I worked at another Christian university for almost a decade. In this season during my 20s, my own faith deconstruction continued its slow burn, with the flame getting bigger as the years went on....and as that environment created many opportunities/challenges to wrestle with so many topics. So many of the things that so many of us have struggled with and shifted on - theology around LGBTQIA+ folx, racism in our country and its overlaps in the church/politics, the negative impact of purity culture, diet culture/fatphobia, ableism, the toxic positivity and spiritual bypassing that were rampant in many of the Christian spaces I was in, the presidential elections of 2016/2020, the pandemic, etc.

While I had seen a few other therapists earlier in my 20s to process issues in my marriage around sexuality (many internalized toxic messages due to purity culture), I finally found the right fit with the right therapist in 2018. She helped me truly start to integrate all that I was processing around sexuality & my marriage, and helped me connect that with my deconstruction and the spaces where I had been harmed. We did some significant work (including EMDR), and it helped me find some healing within my own body and shifted how I engaged with my shame.

There is always more healing and more growth to pursue, of course, but there is such a softer, kinder, more compassionate framework for that change now.

I married my college sweetheart and thankfully we deconstructed together, so I'm deeply grateful for the journey we've been on. I LOVE to read and the front room of my house is basically a mini-library. I'm a big Disney and Harry Potter fan. I deeply enjoy a good glass of wine & a piece of cheesecake. I don't have any pets, but watch more nature documentaries than basically anyone I know. I love musical theater and grew up around the performing arts - so I can sing, play piano, used to play violin (and even played in a hand bell choir at church growing up). My comfort re-watch shows include things like Schitt's Creek, Gilmore Girls, Stranger Things, New Girl, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Friends, and Once Upon a Time.

Enneagram - 8w9; Myers-Briggs - INFJ; StrengthsFinder - Input, Empathy, Communication, Developer, Connectedness, Achiever, Learner, Discipline, & Individualization

Some of my favorite resources include :

Music : "Hell Together" by David Archuleta, "You Might Not Like Her" and "If It's Not God" by Maddie Zahm, "Sunday" and "Jordan" by Joy Oladokun, "Woman" by Joy Williams, "Jesus Jesus" by Noah Gunderson, Preacher's Kid by Semler, "Believe Me" by James and the Shame, "I Quit Church" by Matt & Toby, "The Middle" by Audrey Assad, and "Show Yourself" by Idina Menzel

Podcasts: The deconstruction podcast episodes of Ear Biscuits, hosted by Rhett and Link of Good Mythical Morning. (Episodes 226 & 227, 275 & 276)

Books : The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonia Renee Taylor; Daring Greatly by Brene Brown; Secure Love by Julie Mennano; What Doesn't Kill You by Tessa Miller; Untamed by Glennon Doyle; Pure by Linda Kay Klein; Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski

• Master of Science in Psychology from Grand Canyon University (2014)

• Bachelors of Science in Counseling and Ministry from Arizona Christian University (2011)

Instagram

• @nicoleclifton_inyourcorner

Facebook

• Facebook: Nicole Clifton - AlwaysNYourCorner

CTRR Blog

Ditching "Good Vibes Only:" Healing from Toxic Positivity & Spiritual Bypassing

Sherah Pettus

Associate Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

I love supporting:

• PKs and church leadership kids

• Dating/sex after purity culture

• Marriage during/after deconstruction

• Grief

• Reconnecting to self

• Boundaries

• I see individual adults.

• My flat rate for sessions is $135

I am not really sure I can say I actually deconstructed in the traditional sense (if there is one). I started waking up to my own oppression in the church spaces I had been a part of my entire life. Which feels like saying a lot because I feel like I exist in some of the most privileged spaces because I am a fairly good looking white woman. I started becoming more educated on patriarchy, the sexual binary, misogyny, capitalism, racism, fat phobia, systemic oppression, and white privilege. 

My ability to see patterns began to expose to me the harm occurring in the churches and ministries I had grown up in and I was a part of. Through this my faith did change in a massive way. In a liberating way. In a social justice kind of way. As I continue my education around these things, it is my honor to get to work with those who are also on their way out into freedom even when that means exiting the Christian faith.

This process has given me a unique approach to healing by identifying patterns, integrating boundaries, redefining self-care, and exploring the true meaning of self-trust. I believe that the foundation for living a big, beautiful life is healing our relationships with ourselves.

“You can never know everything and part of what you know is always wrong. Perhaps even the most important part. A portion of wisdom lies in knowing that. A portion of courage lies in going on anyway” - Lan Mandragoran, Wheel of Time

My favorite day is cool and crisp, with a bit of rain, so I can curl up in a cozy blanket among my plants and read the latest Sarah J Maas book. I adore fantasy fiction, comfy clothes, and cool weather. I have over 15 plants that are slowly becoming an obsession, and they are climbing the walls of my home. When I have the time, I enjoy cooking and trying new foods.

I am a sucker for a personality test, so here are mine: Myers/Briggs: INTJ Enneagram: 5, DISC: CD

Some of my favorite resources include: 

Books : Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Tawwab; The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by Dr. John Gottman, PhD; The Great Sex Rescue by Sheila Gregoire; Rootbound: A Mothers Journey, A Daughters Pain by Melanie and Amanda Huggard.

• Central Baptist College – AA in Counseling (2003)

• Christ for the Nations Institute – AA in Practical Theology (2008)

• Internship at Vancouver BC Stream Ministries – Certificate of Completion (2010)

• Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry -  Certificate of Completion (2016)

• Simpson University - BA of Psychology (2019)

• National University - MA in Marriage and Family Therapy Spring (2025)

Kim Johnson

Associate Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• I support individuals navigating childhood trauma, religious disorientation and/or faith crisis/deconstruction/deconversion and those going through life transitions. Grief work, meaning-making and existential-anxiety support are a few of my favourite territories. I'm a great fit for creatives, deep-feelers, HSPs and heart-centered folk who yearn to cultivate a grounded life and spirituality uncoupled from their previous adverse religious experiences. I have experience with prophetic culture and purity culture.

• I see individual adults.

• My flat rate for sessions is $135 and I have a sliding scale ranging from $40-100

I didn't grow up in a religious household, but the summer I turned ten, Billy Graham was preaching on my grandmother's television set. Without being born again, he said, we were hell-bound, but with a simple prayer, we would be spared. He called it "The Good News", but it sounded like terrible news to me. I looked around the living room to see if anyone else found his words appalling, but my grandmother and my uncle were both nodding in agreement. On the TV screen, I watched as droves of people got up out of their seats to go forward to receive salvation (years later, I learned that many of those people were hired by the marketing team). In that moment, I made a decision: I must be the one who's wrong. I said the prayer, repeating silently after Billy, and thus began my life as a church-going, "on-fire", "plugged-in" Christian. Sunday School teacher at 16, worship leader at 18, youth pastor at 20, internationally-distributed worship leader and recording artist by my mid-20s. Somehow I'd gone all in without even realizing that the foundation of my belief system was fear and shame. Because of this, I was also numb to the other ways religion was violating me and others. When it all reached a tipping point at age 26 and my faith crisis-ed, my world opened and also crumbled.

My healing path has been about tending to the little me who didn't run screaming from my grandmother's living room that day, but instead, succumbed to self-abandonment. A life-altering depression and the birth of my first daughter became an open door into my own deepest experience. But as the years went by, I found that the harms were still imprinted somewhere inside me. I was diagnosed with c-PTSD and suffered severe chronic fatigue. My marriage collapsed. Deeper healing began when I started practicing yoga (despite the stern warnings of Mark Driscoll!) and began to understand the data my body was giving to me. I learned to soften around constriction, befriend the terrible feelings and trust myself again. Slowly, my trauma began to thaw.

My own journey to reclaim my life inspires me to hold space for others navigating similar tender terrain. Using the tools of somatic embodiment, I help clients reconnect with their inner-knowing, address past wounds, and build inner resilience. I also incorporate other healing practices when called for, such as expressive writing, guided meditation and simple ritual.

I live on an island on the wild west coast of Canada. I'm the mother of two nearly-grown daughters and the owner of two cats and one sweet Bernese Mountain dog. I spend time every day in the forest and near the river or the ocean. I recently discovered the term "ecstatic wanderer" and I consider myself one. In my free time I write and perform music under the name Kim June Johnson and play with cyanotype printing. I teach yoga and mindfulness in my small community. During the winter, I host an online writing-practice gathering called "Cozy Sunday Write-Ins".

Some of my favorite resources include:

Books: "The Way of Integrity" by Martha Beck, "Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, "Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience" by Sharon Salzberg, the grief-ritual work of Francis Weller (his book "The Wild Edge of Sorrow" is always on-hand), the work of Byron Katie and the creative recovery work of Julia Cameron, author of "The Artist's Way".

• Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT)

• Certified Practitioner of Focalizing (CPF)

• Integrative Somatic Parts Work Certificate

Instagram

@healing.ground.embodiment

CTRR Blog

Hello Dear Body

To Journey and Be Transformed: Three Books That Helped

Amanda Schimke

Associate Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• Sexual Health and Sexual Trauma Recovery.  This includes Purity Culture Recovery, Relationship Concerns, Anorgasmia, Vaginismus, Desire Discrepancy in relationships, or Pain with Sex.

• Parents who are looking for support around raising sexually healthy, confident, and safe children.

• Identity discovery work, Deconstruction from Adventism (SDA) or other high control religions. 

• I work with adult individuals and couples, adolescents, and families.

My healing journey has had many beginnings and course changes throughout my life. I'm thankful for the people who have come alongside me and opened my heart and mind to life's complexities and infinite possibilities. I'm grateful for my wisdom and knowing that has consistently led me out of spaces that harm and into new experiences and relationships that help me blossom and thrive. 

One of the significant shifts in my healing journey began when I had children. The experience of loving a tiny human unconditionally, plus my intense need to help them feel seen, loved, and protected, opened my eyes to the kind of love I also needed. As I encountered messages in religion that did not align with this experience of unconditional love, I stopped and considered its teachings in new ways. There came a moment when my first daughter was very young that the religion I belonged to chose to vote against allowing women to be ordained as pastors. My mind flashed forward to the moment I would have to tell my daughter that she was limited in her aspirations and gifts simply because of her gender. Shortly after, I left the religion my family had been part of for generations.

As I transitioned away from a belief system and community that had done everything possible to ensure I never left, I realized the amount of control I had given it over my entire life. I didn't know any other option, and I was doing what I believed to be the right thing by providing this religion with my full allegiance. However, it was hurting me in innumerable ways. I set out to learn more, find authentic and genuine love, and find a place where my children would grow to know they were enough, just as they were, and because of who they are. Many authors, musicians, poets, teachers, and pastors helped shine a light in the wilderness. One of these teachers was Rachel Held Evans in her book “Inspired.” Soon after reading this book, I attended the Evolving Faith Conference. I'll always remember the joy I felt in the freedom to ask questions and experience unconditional acceptance and belonging.

Throughout my deconstruction and healing journey, I have had the privilege of working with many therapists who helped me understand my value and that the love I was seeking was not something impossible; it was available and necessary. As I have transitioned to the honor of guiding those seeking this healing, I am privileged to provide many of the same therapeutic modalities instrumental in my growth. I'm infinitely grateful to those willing to learn to trust themselves and their healing guides as they seek to live a life of genuine connection and love.

The journey towards authenticity, fullness, and joy will continue for the rest of my life. I am incredibly grateful to have the chance to experience my life this way. What a gift to learn, expand, and connect with humanity in the way I have always needed.

I love working with couples and families. I have experience and passion for working with parents who are breaking generational patterns of harm, parenting neurodiverse children, and redefining their values and priorities after leaving high control religion (or staying in religion and establishing their new needs in that space). 

I enjoy working with adult individuals, especially around deconstructing high-control religion and purity culture. I am also passionate about working with clients around rebuilding or discovering their inherent identity, healing and establishing a relationship with their body, and those looking to learn how to improve their relationships with themselves and those around them.

When working with clients, I gravitate toward using Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness, Experiential interventions, and Attachment informed interventions.

I love to sing! There is nothing like singing together with other talented musicians and making your soul feel alive. I love singing in a community choir, attending  events like "Pub Choir," and singing with my family and friends.

I am learning to love gardening; it is a slow burn, but one that I believe can enrich my life in many ways. I absolutely love Swing Dancing! It is one of the activities that brings out my whole heart of joy.

I am passionate about expanding my knowledge of our government (proud Governerd!) and working to be part of the solution that so many of my fellow citizens need. I am committed to doing the next right thing and making sure that misinformation does not win. 

I love to read, and I chronically have an unreasonable number of books in every room in my house that are waiting to be read. I am a forever student. Even after graduating  with my Masters degree, I continue to sign up for trainings and classes. 

I am a mom, cat owner (sometimes begrudgingly?), and am married to a wonderful human that continually believes that I can be whoever I dream of being.

Some of my favorite resources include: 

Books: 

• The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor 

• The Wisdom of Your Body and Mothers Daughters and Body Image by Hillary McBride 

• Come as You Are and Come Together by Emily Nagoski 

• Untamed by Glennon Doyle 

• Inspired by Rachel Held Evans

• Sex, God, and the Conservative Church by Tina Schermer Sellers 

• Good Inside by Rebecca Kennedy 

• What Happened to You? by Bruce Perry 

• Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab, 

• It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine 

• When Religion Hurts You by Dr. Laura Anderson

Podcasts: 

• Holy/Hurt Podcast with Hillary McBride

• Calling Home with Whitney Goodman

• The Popcast

• Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, Specialization in Systemic Sex Therapy, North Central University

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Walla Walla University

• Certified Integrated Intimacy Professional Associate through Northwest Institute on Intimacy

Bethany Peake

Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• I have extensive experience supporting individuals with trauma and complex trauma, including childhood trauma and experiences within high-control religious environments. I approach each person as unique and deserving of deep compassion and unconditional positive regard, making my approach highly person-centered and individualized.

• I am trained in Internal Family Systems, a modality that I find deeply effective in fostering healing. I also integrate insights from Attachment Theory to help clients develop internal security. Additionally, my research on the effects of patriarchal systems on religious ideology informs my understanding of their harmful impact, allowing me to guide clients toward healing and new, empowering ways of relating to themselves and the world.

• I meet with adult individuals and couples.

I remember the moment I accepted I had been traumatized in the context of religion. I was hiking alone, struggling with anxiety, internal rage, and self-criticism, wondering why I couldn’t align what I knew cognitively—“I am safe, I am good, I am lovable”—with my physical sensations and emotions. As a therapist, I had worked with trauma survivors but hadn’t recognized my own experiences as trauma until that day. I suddenly understood that the fear, dread, and survival responses I felt were rooted in memories—both explicit and implicit—growing up in rigid, controlling religious environments. These environments taught me to fear eternal punishment, view myself as fundamentally flawed, and internalize shame about my body through Purity Culture. This manifested in disordered eating and internal conflict over my desire to lead, while growing up with beliefs that limited women’s roles in leadership.

At 18, I left a full-ride scholarship to attend a Bible school connected to a ministry later exposed for spiritual and sexual abuse. In this environment, I witnessed how prophetic narratives were used to manipulate and control. I eventually left in my early twenties and began to question and reorient my beliefs. Although my perspectives deeply changed, the trauma lingered. That day on the mountain, naming my experiences as trauma was profound and allowed me to begin a more embodied healing journey. My healing journey has felt like a homecoming—a return to a place of safety and wisdom within myself that I didn’t realize I carried.

Engaging in self-compassion and embodied spiritual practices has allowed me to find safety and security internally, rather than looking for this security outwardly in rigid, black and white fundamentalist systems (both religious and non-religious). This journey has been filled with pain and grief, but it has also been rich with goodness and beauty. This experience has made me passionate about providing a safe, welcoming, non-judgmental space for others to explore their own stories of trauma, grief, and healing. I believe deeply in the possibility of healing because I have experienced it myself.

I love mountains and so enjoy hiking and camping and being immersed in nature. I thought I was an introvert for most of my life, but have recently realized I am actually a shy extrovert! I love being with people, but I also love a good solid day to myself filled with reading, researching, and being outside. I love to bake anything with a lot of carbs (and have an admittedly naive and romanticized dream of owning a bakery)- but I hate cooking! I am married to my best friend. We met when we were 16, and we have evolved, changed, and grown together. I also have three incredible kids who fill me with so much joy and love I can sometimes barely contain myself. 

Some of the most influential healing resources that I recommend to people:

• Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristen Neff 

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk 

• Richard Rohr's books, particularly The Universal Christ and Falling Upward 

• This AND That by David Benner

• Secure Relating by Sue Marriott and Ann Kelley

• The Wisdom of Your Body by Hilary McBride

• No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz

• Beyond Shame: Creating A Healthy Sex Life on Your Own Terms by Matthias Roberts. 

• Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems Therapy by Frank Anderson

• Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free by Linda Kay Klein

• Shameless: A Case for Not Feeling Bad About Feeling Good (About Sex) by Nadia Bolz-Weber.

• Learning to See Podcast with Brian McClaren

• On Being Podcast with Krista Tippet

• Therapist Uncensored Podcast with hosts Sue Marriott and Ann Kelley

Holy Hurt Podcast with Hilary McBride.

• Bachelors of Science in Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University 2014

• Masters of Arts in Mental Health Counseling, Colorado Christian University 2018

• Currently a doctoral candidate exploring the connection between attachment theory and God image formation

Claycie Gerlt

Experience Intern, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• I support those navigating: Complex trauma (including religious trauma), Faith and Religious Deconstruction, Grief and loss, Connection with self, Purity culture, and Anxiety

• I work with adult individuals

I grew up in a small midwestern town right in the middle of the Bible belt, where the Christian faith was interwoven into every aspect of life. Religion and church spaces provided me with safety, certainty, and answers for the tumult that was going on in my own life and family as a child and really, for answers to all of life’s questions. 

In my 30s, I started becoming more acutely aware that many folks in religious spaces did not reflect God’s love and kindness that drew me into my faith as a teenager. Instead, I observed judgment, exclusion, and a lack of understanding and compassion. A social worker through and through, this began to gnaw at me, and reached a peak around the 2016 election. As it did for so many, this kickstarted my deconstruction journey, and during the pandemic I decided to begin my own therapy journey to unpack childhood trauma, purity culture, and the performance mentality I had lived in for much of my life. Through this process, I learned just how disconnected I was from my own sense of self and body, and struggled to even identify my own emotions. After a couple of years of my own therapy work (I’m still a work in progress!) and diving into books, podcasts, and research related to religious trauma, I was motivated by my own healing journey to make a pivot in my social work career and become a therapist, which I have found deeply fulfilling.

Both my professional and personal experiences shape my work with clients, and I love helping those I work with make connections that can aid in helping them find understanding, compassion, and safety within themselves. I work with clients in a collaborative, relational way, working together to find the approaches that are the best fit for each individual’s experiences.

​​I utilize several different therapy techniques, but my favorite approaches involve using Parts Work (Internal Family Systems) as well as EMDR Interventions and Techniques, exploring core beliefs, values and acceptance work, and developing internal safety and nervous system regulation through mindfulness practices. I feel it is a great honor to hold space and create safety for the sharing of one’s story and all of the ups and downs of the healing process.

I’m learning to find pleasure and joy in the small things in life during the phase of life I’m in (mom of two busy kids), as free time isn’t as plentiful as it once was. These days, I enjoy a good meal out at local restaurants, walks with my dog, enjoying drinks and chill time on the back patio with my husband, musical theater, and finding meaning in whatever Taylor Swift album I happen to be into. I love watching my kids experience new things, I deeply connect with music, would live by the ocean if I could, and am slightly obsessed with our shih-tzu, Dexter. I love biking on local trails when time allows, and this is my favorite way to exercise and experience nature. I often devour a good bingeable podcast or series documentary and consider Lost to be the best TV show ever and am always ready to re-watch it!

Podcasts were an instrumental part of my own journey - hearing stories from people outside of the circle I had been a part of for so long helped me see different perspectives and made everything feel less isolating and more validating on my own journey. Some impactful ones for me are: 

• I Was a Teenage Fundamentalist with Brian McDowell and Troy Waller, 

• Indoctrination with Rachel Bernstein, and 

• The Phil Drysdale Show with Phil Drysdale

• Straight White American Jesus with Daniel Miller and Bradley Onishi, 

• Good Christian Fun with Kevin T. Porter and Caroline Ely

• Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less - TEDx Talk by Lisa Keefauver

• Grief is a Sneaky Bitch with Lisa Keefauver

Books that have been impactful to me include: 

• Pure by Linda Kay Klein

• Leaving the Fold by Marlene Winell

• Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

• Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson

• When Religion Hurts You by Dr. Laura Anderson

• Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown

• Master of Social Work, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2009

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker, 2012

• EMDR trained including intensives and consultations

• Certified Clinical Trauma Professional

Craig Mendoza

Experience Intern, He/Him/His

SPECIALTIES

• Helping clients navigate the complex emotional and psychological effects of religious trauma, such as feelings of guilt, shame, fear, and identity confusion that often arise from these experiences.

• Former ministry professionals, people leaving high-control religions, faith crisis/deconstructing individuals and couples, marriage/relationships during & after deconstruction.

• Establishing healthy boundaries, Rebuilding self-worth, reclaiming autonomy after long-term indoctrination.

• Individuals dealing with chronic anxiety or depression.

• I work with adult individuals and couples, adolescents, and families.

I didn’t grow up in a religious household but during high school, I was drawn to Christianity through the influence of Christian metal music. I never connected with a church until I went to college. In college, I joined a campus ministry, but what I didn’t realize at the time was that this group could be perfectly described as a high-control religion.

In this ministry, I quickly found myself immersed in their teachings and eventually became a staff member, serving for almost four years. Eventually, I began to notice troubling aspects of their doctrine and the rigidity with which they controlled people’s lives—from their thoughts to their relationships. The sense of community and belonging I initially felt was replaced with deep internal conflict as I wrestled with the teachings and the ways they conflicted with my own values.

The hardest part of my journey was deconstructing my beliefs while still being in an environment that discouraged any form of questioning. After much reflection, I made the difficult decision to leave the ministry, even though it meant losing the community and structure I had been part of for years.

Leaving was the beginning of my healing process. I spent a lot of time unpacking the emotional and spiritual impact of being in a high-control religion. Part of the journey included selling my belongings, buying a van and traveling across the country. I worked through the shame and guilt that often accompanies religious trauma and learned how to rebuild my identity outside of the church. This journey is what inspired me to help others through their own healing, especially those who feel trapped or hurt by toxic religious environments.

Now, I use my personal experience to empathize deeply with my clients and help them process their own religious trauma in a safe, validating space. I understand firsthand how difficult and liberating it can be to leave a high-control religious group, and my journey has made me passionate about supporting others as they reclaim their own lives.

One of my biggest passions and stress relief is baking. I have a massive sweet tooth and bread obsession so I try to bake at least once a week. I also love to travel and have driven across the country in my old '95 Volkswagen van. I have two gray cats that love to boss me around and they have my wife and me wrapped around their fingers.

Some resources that have been helpful for me:

Podcasts

• Data Over Dogma - Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher

• Freedom From Spiritual Abuse - Natalie Kember

• Holy Heretics - Gary Alan Taylor

• Holy Hurt - Hillary L. McBride

• Uncertain - Katherine Spearing

Books

• How Jesus Became God by Bart Ehrman

• Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero

• Bachelor of Arts in Study of Religion, UCLA, 2017

• Master of Social Work, California Baptist University, 2024

Terri Allred

Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• Co-occurring religious, relational and sexual trauma; clergy misconduct; somatic and energy healing; uncovering and re-patterning unconscious beliefs that block healing; integrating self-compassion into healing; establishing compassionate boundaries.

• I work with adult individuals.

With deep personal and professional experience in navigating religious trauma, I bring a unique and empathetic perspective to trauma recovery. Raised in high-control religious environments, I learned to equate my personal value with self-sacrifice and the suppression of my own needs. During high school, a sexual assault intensified this trauma, and I struggled in silence, shaped by religious teachings that compounded my shame and isolation. As a leader in Young Life, I witnessed how manipulation and coercive tactics were used to control individuals, fueling my questioning of traditional religious systems.

My academic journey enabled me to deconstruct dualistic views of women, patriarchal religious structures, and the misuse of religious texts to justify violence. Throughout my career, I have served as a crisis counselor, medical and legal advocate, and therapist, working with both survivors and perpetrators of abuse. I specialize in helping individuals who have experienced religious, relational, and sexual trauma. 

I offer a trauma-informed approach to coaching that helps my clients heal and grow in a safe and supportive way. My work with clients focuses on calming the nervous system (somatic regulation), helping them understand their emotions and experiences with compassion, and managing their energy to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Together, we work to explore intuition, work through limiting beliefs, and establish healthy and supportive boundaries. I support individuals through the often painful but transformative process of healing from religious and spiritual trauma, helping them reconnect with their inner strength, develop self-compassion and a personal sense of empowerment, and create lasting change in their life.

A few of my favorite early-career resources were: 

• Is Nothing Sacred?  by Marie Fortune

• Touching Our Strength by Carter Heyward 

• Models of God by Sallie McFague

A few of my favorite recent resources were: 

• What Happened to You by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD and Oprah Winfrey

• Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory by Deb Dana 

• Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristen Neff PhD

I love water… being in it, hearing it, seeing it.

I have 4 children. Two are furry. 

I dance in the kitchen, grocery store, and pretty much anywhere.

I love ice cream. Mint chocolate chip if I had to choose.

I find joy in both traveling and staying at home to snuggle my furry kids. I am typically reading between six to eight books at a time.  I just retired from a 20-year career as a professional belly dancer. I like to throw pottery…on the wheel, not at things.

• Bachelor of Arts, Religion, Wake Forest University, 1988

• Master of Theological Studies, Vanderbilt Divinity School, 1992

• Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Hypnosis Practitioner Certificate from The Alchemy Institute, 2023

• Reiki Master Teacher of the Usui Tradition, 2024

• Enneagram Certification, 2022

• The Resilient Heart ™ Trauma-Sensitive Heart Math ® Certification, 2023

• Complex Trauma Training, Therapy Wisdom  (with Bessell van der Kolk and Linda Thai), 2023

Instagram

@allred_coaching_consulting

Facebook

Allred Consulting/Holistic Leadership Academy

Elizabeth DeVaughn

Practitioner, She/Her/Hers

SPECIALTIES

• Complex and religious trauma

• Domestic violence and dynamics of power & control in relationships

• Boundaries

• Anxiety

• Family of origin issues

• Vystopia (the PTSD, anxiety, depression, and feelings of rage and helplessness a new vegan can experience as they perceive living in a dystopic world that exploits and abuses animals and the Earth)

• Exploring forms of spirituality outside of religion

• Interabled relationships

• I work with adult individuals

My healing journey began in graduate school, where I was often overwhelmed by shame, social anxiety, and panic attacks that made it hard to function. Through therapy, I began to unravel how childhood trauma and enmeshment shaped my perfectionism and fueled my anxiety, showing up in strained, abusive relationships and cycles of self-loathing and self-harm. Slowly, I learned to cultivate deep, fulfilling relationships that thrive on emotional capacity and resilience. I found that true connection requires seeing each person as distinct and valid, having capacity to navigate  the inevitable conflicts, and embracing the messy, imperfect process of repair. This journey has been transformative, opening me up to relationships richer than I had ever hoped for.

Over a decade ago, as I started working with domestic violence victims, I also began questioning the religious establishments I was entrenched in. What was touted as love started to seem d more like power-over dynamics. I couldn't help but see links between the power and control my clients were experiencing in relationships and macro-level power and control in many religious institutions.This led me down a path that I'm still very much on, which is deconstructing power and control systems on micro and macro levels. 

Today, my deconstruction journey has led me to an eco-feminist path of deep intersectionality, with the goal of doing everything I can to further liberation of all beings. From deconstructing my own internalized white supremacy, to a vicarious trauma that led me to ethical veganism, I am more committed than ever to helping people heal the deepest root cause of internalized power and control structures that perpetuate traumatic relationships. 

When working with clients,  I use modalities like Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, attachment, experiential, nature-based, and art techniques. My guiding principle is Sovereignty—in stark contrast to fundamentalism, I believe that each person knows exactly what's right for them, and that no one should ever have authority over them. I consider my job as a coach to simply help my client discover and trust the True North they already have within them.

Obsessions: Halloween, witchy crafts, cats, being outside, morning coffee on the porch with my husband, WhatsApp rants with my besties

Favorite shows: True Blood, Cobra Kai, The Office, Schitt's Creek, The Golden Girls

Fun facts / truths: 

• I would much rather be hiking than doing pretty much anything else. 

• My cat and I take walks together every day.

• My husband and I live as an interabled couple and we're staunch advocates for disability rights. 

• I'm a very social introvert (meaning I get pumped for social plans the week before, then panic and try to get out of it the day of)

• Sarcasm is my love language.

• My favorite day would start with an early morning hike with my cat, connecting with Spirit with tea/coffee on a porch with a view, then a witches tea party with badass womxn, rounding it out with crafts, vegan cheesecake, and a few episodes of The Golden Girls.  In bed at a reasonable hour.

Some of my favorite resources include: 

Books: 

• Waking the Tiger by Dr. Peter Levine

• My Grandmother's Hands by Dr. Resmaa Menakem

• What it Takes to Heal by Prentis Hemphill

• It Didn't Start with Me by Mark Wolynn

• In Defense of Witches by Mona Chollet

• The Flesh and the Fruit by Dr. Vanya Leilani

• Decolonizing Therapy by Dr. Jennifer Mullan

• The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

• Women Who Run with the Wolves by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés

• Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection by Deb Dana

• Parts Work by Thomas Holmes

• Mary Magdalene Revealed by Megan Watterson

• Eastern Body Western Mind by Anodea Judith

• Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, Western Kentucky University, 2006

• Master of Arts degree in Counseling, Trevecca Nazarene University, 2013

• Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner in Training, Beginning Level II

• Level II Trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples

• Level II Trained in EMDR

• Trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Website: www.elizabethdevaughn.com

Instagram: @elizabethmdevaughn

Julia Zurn

Virtual Assistant, She/Her/Hers

• I am a virtual assistant based in Minnesota. I provide business support, including operational assistance, project management, organizational expertise, website management, and more. With years of experience in people-focused professions in both large corporate settings and in locally owned businesses and nonprofits, I enjoy providing business support that allows an organization to run smoothly, and provide high quality care for the people it serves.

I am a partner and a mom, and find so much joy, challenge, healing, and learning in both roles. I love to read, write, and listen to podcasts in my free time. Weight lifting is one of my sacred happy places—any day I get to have a barbell in my hands is a great day. I am also a photographer. My main focus has been on wedding and engagement photography, but I love a good family session, and I am most energized by getting to capture the magical in-between moments of life.

• Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Winona State University (2014)