Anna Clark Miller is the Owner and Trainer at Empathy Paradigm, a practice that provides therapy, training, and resources for people recovering from religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and cult dynamics. She is a licensed counselor (LPC-S, LMHC-S, NCC) and clinical supervisor with experience in trauma work and high-control group recovery. She wrote The Religious Trauma Survival Guide and hosts the podcast Martyr, She Wrote for survivors and professionals. Her approach is religiously neutral and aims to support autonomy, empathy, and healing.
Leaving a high-control faith or religious community can feel like losing your entire world. The beliefs that once gave structure and meaning can suddenly become sources of pain and confusion. How do you rebuild a sense of self and safety when even your spirituality feels unsafe?
According to Anna Clark Miller, a licensed counselor, supervisor, and author who specializes in religious trauma recovery, healing begins with reclaiming autonomy and reconnecting with the body’s truth. She highlights that many survivors were taught to distrust their emotions and intuition, leaving them vulnerable to shame and disconnection. By practicing self-compassion and learning to listen to the body rather than fear it, individuals can begin to rebuild trust within themselves. This shift allows survivors to define their own values, relationships, and sense of spirituality on their own terms.
In this episode of With Intention, Liz Frost sits down with Anna Clark Miller, Owner and Trainer at Empathy Paradigm, to discuss healing religious trauma and reclaiming autonomy. They explore the process of deconstructing faith, the importance of neutrality in therapy, and how survivors can rediscover meaning outside organized religion. Anna also shares how community, curiosity, and self-trust create lasting freedom.
