Religious Trauma and High-Control Religion: An Interview with Anna Clark Miller, LPC, LMHC

Curt and Katie interview Anna Clark Miller about religious trauma. We explore what religious trauma and high-control religions are. We look at common mistakes therapists can make when working with religious trauma survivors as well as what therapy and healing can look like for these folks.

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode, we talk about religious trauma and high-control religion

We were interested to learn more about how therapists can support religious trauma survivors, so we reached out to an expert, Anna Clark Miller, to share her wisdom.

What is religious trauma?

· Complex trauma over a long period of time

· Impacts to the nervous system

· Traumatic beliefs about religion and the after life

· Following rules and conforming to a religious group’s idea of how someone should live

What mistakes do therapists make when working with religious trauma survivors?

· Therapists becoming the client’s new spiritual authority

· Clients using therapy to tell them how to think and live

· Clients need to own themselves and their own minds, not work to please the therapist

What does healing after leaving a “high control” religion look like?

· The loss of so much, including social support, identity, etc.

· Complex PTSD healing

· How will I fit into the world? How will I talk with people?

· Building hope for someone who is needing to completely remake their life and identity

· The client needs to create a sense of safety within themselves

· You can’t “rip off the Band-Aid” with leaving a high control religious group

· Helping clients with their judgment around their emotions (starting with observation before judging if it is good or bad)

· Working with clients to examine their beliefs (over time)

What is included in the treatment for religious trauma survivors

· Noticing one’s body

· Exploring and reimagining healthy relationships

· Identity work

· Deconstruction of topics based on what the client is thinking, feeling, etc.

· Addressing spiritual bypassing

· Not just “mindfulness” due to concerns about secular psychology

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