When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion

If you've experienced religious trauma, you're not alone.

Religious trauma is something that happens far more often than most people realize.

In When Religion Hurts You, Dr. Laura Anderson takes an honest look at a side of religion that few like to talk about. Drawing from her own life and therapy practice, she helps readers understand

● what religious trauma is and isn't
● how high-control churches can be harmful and abusive
● how elements of fundamentalist church life cause psychological, relational, physical, and spiritual damage
● the growing phenomenon of religious trauma and spiritual abuse
● how to embark on a journey of living as healing individuals and to find a new foundation to stand on

Recognizing that healing from trauma is a lifelong rather than a linear process, Dr. Anderson offers markers of spiritual healing for those coming out of painful religious experiences and hope for finding wholeness after religious trauma.

"Anderson strikes a smart, balanced tone. An exemplary guide to an understudied issue."--Publishers Weekly

"An exposé of the dangers of high-control religions that makes it easier to recognize and resist religious abuse."--Foreword Reviews

Author: Laura E. Anderson
Publisher: Brazos Press
Published: 10/17/2023
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.70w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781587435881


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 08/21/2023
Foreword 10/27/2023

About the Author
Dr. Laura Anderson (PhD, Saybrook University; LMFT) is a therapist, trauma resolution and recovery coach, writer, educator, and creator who specializes in complex trauma with a focus on domestic violence, sexualized violence, and religious trauma. Laura has a private practice in Nashville, Tennessee, and is the founder and director of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, an online coaching company where she and the other practitioners work with clients who have experienced high demand/high control religions, adverse religious experiences, cults, and religious trauma. In 2019, Laura cofounded the Religious Trauma Institute with the goal of providing trauma-informed resources, consultation, and training to clinicians and other helping professionals who work with religious trauma survivors. Laura lives with her dog, Phoebe, in Nashville, Tennessee.