In today's episode of Psych Talk, I discuss the topic of religious trauma. Religious trauma can be defined as "pervasive psychological damage resulting from religious messages, beliefs, and experiences." Although religion and spirituality can have beneficial effects on individuals' mental health, for many religion is not a positive experience and can be extremely harmful. In this episode, I discuss what religious trauma is and describe various areas in which individuals have experienced religious trauma including sexism, purity culture, mental health, and messages about the LGBTQ+ community. I discuss the impact and outcomes of religious trauma, as well as ways individuals can start healing from their trauma.
This episode touches on many things that may be difficult for individuals to hear, whether it is due to their personal experiences or challenging beliefs that they previously held. I also acknowledge that much of the information shared in this episode may appear one sided, only focusing on the negative aspects of religion. This is intentional, as the focus of this episode is on aspects of religion that many may find traumatic, or at minimum, harmful.
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