I specialise in working with people who are navigating their relationship with faith, religion, or spirituality. Although faith and spirituality can be deeply meaningful and helpful, sometimes faith communities or religious teachings can leave us feeling confused, hurt or “broken”. Experiences of religion and faith, whether positive or difficult, past or present, often shape our identity and how we interact with the world. It can be hard to find a therapist who truly understands this.
Faith deconstruction – questioning or rethinking your faith – is often isolating. It can feel impossible to talk openly with others in your faith community, but those who’ve never been part of a religion just don’t understand. I offer a space where you can be honest about your experiences with faith: the wonderful, the awful, and everything in between. Together we can explore your relationship to faith and spirituality and help you to forge a new path which feels right for you.
If you’ve experienced religious trauma – emotional or psychological harm from an authoritarian religion – I can help. Religious trauma can lead to feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, perfectionism, or difficulties with intimacy and pleasure. The effects of religious trauma can linger long after leaving a religious, but we can work through them together. I’m trained in trauma-focused therapies to help you heal and move forward with freedom and self-compassion.
My goal isn’t to push you towards or away from faith, but to help you understand your experiences and support you as you find peace with your own path forwards. I’ve worked with clients who have found renewed faith or spirituality as well as those who have chosen to leave it behind.
If you’d like to talk more about how your experiences with faith or spirituality have impacted you, do get in touch. I’d love to support you.
As well as ongoing therapy, I provide one-off Finding My Way Again sessions, specifically for those who are deconstructing their faith. These sessions are designed to help you to work out where your experiences of faith have led you, and what direction you might want to go in next. Find out more about these sessions here.
If you’re a therapy professional wanting to feel more confident in addressing faith and spirituality with your clients, I offer training, supervision and consultation. Please get in touch.