Madison & Waunakee, WI | Online Across Wisconsin

Religious Trauma Therapy

Support for healing from religious trauma and reclaiming your own story

What Is Religious Trauma?

Religious trauma is the emotional, physical, and psychological distress that can come from harmful or adverse experiences with religion or religious communities. It can come from a specific incident or from long exposure to belief systems that create fear, shame, or helplessness. It is different from spiritual abuse, which is the misuse of religious texts or beliefs to control.

It can show up as hyper-vigilance, black-and-white thinking, perfectionism, self-distrust, religious OCD, anxiety about the afterlife, disillusionment, guilt, shame, grief, or moral injury.

What living with religious trauma can feel like

You feel shame, fear, or guilt tied to your faith or upbringing
You struggle with perfectionism or black-and-white thinking
You do not fully trust your own judgment
You are questioning, deconstructing, or leaving a belief system
You feel grief or anger about your religious experience

How We Help

Therapy can help you rebuild self-trust, reconnect with your body, recognize unhealthy patterns, define your own ethics and values, process grief, and create a safe space to be yourself. You do not have to be religious or non-religious to come. We support your own path, whatever you decide about faith.

This can include:

Rebuilding trust in yourself and your own judgment
Working through shame, fear, and guilt
Processing grief and anger about your experience
Defining your own values and ethics
Exploring your relationship with faith without pressure

What Can Change

Faith becomes something you define on your own terms

Space opens up for grief and anger

Values that feel like yours start to form

A clearer sense of who you are returns

Taking The First Step

Step 1
Reach Out

Call 608-683-8188 or schedule a free consultation online. Our team helps with scheduling and insurance.

Step 2
Talk with Amy

Your consultation is with Amy, our founder. She learns what you are looking for and personally matches you with the right therapist.

Step 3
Begin Therapy

Start sessions in person or online and begin working toward your goals.

Free 30-minute Consultation

Meet the Team

Sarah Strauss, LCSW

PSYCHOTHERAPIST

About Sarah

Frequently Asked Questions

It is the emotional and psychological distress that can follow harmful experiences with religion or a religious community, from a single incident or long exposure.
No. Therapy supports your own path. Some people stay, some leave, and some are still deciding. We do not push a direction.
No. Many people find meaning, community, and hope in faith. This work is about harmful experiences, not religion itself.
Yes. In network with Quartz, Dean Health Plan, Group Health Cooperative, and The Alliance. Superbill available for out-of-network.
Yes, we offer sessions in person at our Madison offices and online across Wisconsin.