A major change in religious belief can affect much more than theology.
Religion can shape identity, family relationships, community, morality, sexuality, purpose, and the way a person understands their life. When beliefs change, those other parts of life may need to be reconsidered too.
I work with adults and older teens navigating faith transitions, deconstruction, religious trauma, family conflict, shame, loss of community, identity, sexuality, and questions about meaning.
Faith transition is not one experience
Not every faith transition is traumatic, and not every painful religious experience is best understood as trauma.
Some people are grieving.
Some are angry.
Some feel relieved.
Some are trying to preserve important relationships with believing family members.
Some are re-evaluating sexuality, morality, authority, identity, or the extent to which they trust their own judgment.
Others experience trauma-related symptoms connected to religious experiences or high-demand religious environments.
Therapy should begin with understanding your experience, not assigning you a standard deconstruction story.
Religious trauma
For some people, experiences within religion contribute to fear, shame, hypervigilance, intrusive memories, avoidance, dissociation, or other trauma-related symptoms.
Relevant experiences may include coercion, spiritual abuse, fear-based teachings, social exclusion, or persistent messages about worthiness, sexuality, identity, or punishment.
I use the term religious trauma carefully. A painful or restrictive religious experience is not automatically a traumatic one.
An approach that respects your beliefs
My approach considers the religious and cultural context of your experience, including the role of family, community, identity, and belonging.
Therapy offers space to examine what has changed, what remains important to you, and how you want to move forward.
You may remain religious, leave religion, reconstruct a different faith, become agnostic or atheist, or ultimately relate to religion in some other way. My role is to support your exploration and decisions, without directing you toward a particular belief or outcome.
Common areas of work
- grief
- anger or betrayal
- family boundaries
- mixed-faith relationships
- shame
- sexuality
- identity
- trauma-related symptoms
- trust in your own judgment
- community and belonging
- uncertainty
- values and meaning
Sessions
Individual therapy for adults and older teens, generally age 16 and up.
In person in Edmonton and virtually throughout Alberta.
50-minute sessions. $235 per session. Direct billing is available with many extended-health insurance providers depending on your plan.