Organizations
Religious Trauma Institute
◦ Leading professional organization specifically focused on religious trauma.
◦ Provide trainings for therapists, assessment tools, consult groups, webinars, compilation of research, clinical community, etc.
◦ Grounded in attachment, trauma, and nervous system science rather than theological debates.
Empathy Paradigm
◦ Source for assessment tools/inventories, CEUs, professional consultation, a therapist directory, research links, etc.
◦ Religiously neutral
Reclamation Collective
◦ Non-profit providing online support groups and a directory of therapists / solidarity workers
◦ Appears to have an international reach, including a smattering of therapists across the globe
Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery
◦ Provides online coaching services, support groups, consultations and intensives, and a directory of therapists beyond the CTRR team
◦ Though many of the practitioners do seem to be mental health professionals, their coaching services are available across state/national boundaries
◦ Offers a number of courses for both professionals and non-professionals
Post-Traumatic Growth Collective
◦ Only appear to see clients in Tulsa, OK but they do provide on-demand training for clinicians on a myriad of topics, including spiritual abuse
International Cultic Studies Association
◦ Provide education and support for survivors, their families, professional practitioners, and researchers/academics
◦ Includes a directory of cult-informed service providers
Tears of Eden
◦ Survivor-focused nonprofit providing online support groups, educational materials, survivor community, conferences, a podcast, etc.
◦ Seems to primarily focus on the harms occurring within an Evangelical Christian context
Journey Free
◦ Founded by an expert in the field, Marlene Winell, who facilitates a Release & Reframe, a private membership support group meeting x3/monthly
Podcasts
Broken to Beloved
An ongoing podcast “…for anyone who's been affected by spiritual abuse, religious trauma, or church hurt and is looking for practical resources to move toward healing and wholeness”
The Allender Center
The Allender Center recorded an episode with the founder of Broken to Beloved
Holy/Hurt
A Podcast Exploring Spiritual Trauma & Healing with therapist Hillary McBride
Martyr, She Wrote
A Religious Trauma Podcast with therapist Anna Clark Miller
Uncertain
A Podcast of Tears of Eden with practitioner Katherine Spearing
Additional Trainings / Courses
The Allender Center
◦ They have a 6-week course for both survivors and healing practitioners (w/ CEUs available):
Middle TN Clinicians
The following therapists/practices cite religious trauma, spiritual abuse, church hurt, high-control religion, etc. as areas of specialization:
• Laura Anderson Therapy
• Healing House Nashville (not to be confused with Healing Housing)
• Stephen Lockridge Therapy
• Dr. Alissa Beuerlein Counseling
• Betsy Coughlin Therapy
• Zimmerman Psychotherapy
• Worthy Counseling Center
• Christina Lafferty-Neal Counseling
• May Tree Counseling
• Insight Counseling Center
Books
• Laura Anderson (Co-founder of the Religious Trauma Institute) When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion
• Connie Baker Traumatized by Religious Abuse: Discover the Cultures and Systems of Religious Abuse and Reclaim Your Personal Power
• Patrick Carnes The Betrayal Bond
• Hillary McBride Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing
• Anna Clark Miller For God’s Sake: Recovering from Religious Trauma
Founder of Empathy Paradigm, who is a therapist (licensed in TX, OR, WA) and trainer
Host of “Martyr, She Wrote: A Religious Trauma Podcast”
• Katherine Spearing A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts: The Subtle, Insidious Nature of Spiritual Abuse and Life on the Other Side
• Marlene Winell Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion
An older book but Winell seems to continue to have a significant influence on the treatment of spiritual abuse recovery
A library of books recommended by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery can be found at Bookshop.org