As a therapist who works with religious trauma, I find that folks seek me out as a person and a professional, both. What I find is that having a professional that can provide some relational and personal approaches to this work is often essential. Mainly because religious trauma can significantly impact someone’s sense of self, relationships, and worldview. For those who have experienced spiritual abuse, oppressive beliefs, or unhealthy religious environments, the wounds can run deep. 

So many people struggle with boundaries for a variety of reasons. Maybe you were taught to not set boundaries or have autonomy growing up in your family. Or you feel discomfort emotionally for setting limits for others. Or maybe you have no clue where to start because boundaries sound “bad” or “mean” to you. I have been there myself. Setting boundaries made me feel like a “bad therapist” or a “mean friend” or a “flaky person.” It’s hard when the narrative you have told yourself or listened to for so long is that setting boundaries is something to be moralized. When in reality, boundaries have the ability to be an incredible practice of self care.

Overwhelm. Panic. Stress. Sweating. Racing thoughts. Whatever words you use to describe it, we have all felt some sort of anxiety at some point or another. And the tough thing is, we often can feel paralyzed in our anxiety and it makes us feel alone, stuck and oftentimes frustrated. From personal experience, it can feel so crippling to feel stuck in an anxious space. But I can guarantee that you are not the only person on the planet who is or has felt the way that you do.