Religious Trauma Therapy
Religious trauma involves complex feelings around past religious experiences that may have caused harm. That might mean deconstruction, a faith shift, leaving a restrictive or high-control community, or rebuilding meaning after losing a belief system that once organized your life. I offer a compassionate, non-judgmental place to process it.
Who You'll Work With
Hi, I'm Corinne.
I'm a licensed clinical psychologist (PsyD) with extensive experience supporting trauma survivors and marginalized communities. You'll work directly with me at every step. I run every session and sign every evaluation myself. More about me →
- PsyD, Licensed Psychologist
- Online in 45+ states
- In person in Denver & Santa Ana
You don't have to have left your faith to start
You don't need to have fully left a religious community, or be certain about where you land, to benefit from this work. Ambivalence is a normal part of the process:
- Grief, anger, or confusion about leaving a faith community or belief system that once organized your entire life.
- Guilt or fear left over from teachings you no longer believe, but still feel in your body.
- Strained or lost relationships with family or community tied to your faith.
- Difficulty trusting your own judgment after being taught to defer to religious authority.
- Anxiety around identity, morality, or meaning now that old frameworks no longer fit.
- Complicated feelings about faith itself, where you don't want to reject everything but need some distance from what harmed you.
These are the things we work on. I've also written about deconstruction and belonging in What Is a Malcontent Humanist?
You decide what to keep and what to leave
We work at your pace to process what happened, make sense of the beliefs and expectations you were raised with, and rebuild a sense of identity and meaning that is your own. I won't try to talk you out of faith or into it. The point is to help you think clearly, carry less shame, and make decisions that reflect what you believe now rather than what you were told to believe.
Trauma-Focused Techniques
High-control religious environments can produce trauma responses of their own. We address those directly, along with the beliefs on the surface.
Self-Determination Theory
Rebuilding a sense of autonomy after being taught to defer to authority is central to this work. You decide for yourself, on your own terms.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
We work on tolerating uncertainty and ambivalence about faith and identity, without rushing to resolve it before you're ready.
A Non-Judgmental Space
You might leave, stay, or land somewhere in between. Whichever it is, the goal is a decision that is yours.
How the first few weeks go
Starting is simple. Here is how it goes, from the first call on.
Free 15-Minute Consultation
We talk about what's going on, what you want to change, and whether we're a good fit.
Intake Session
Your first full session is a conversation. I'll ask about your religious background, what has changed, and what you want out of this.
Weekly Sessions
50-minute sessions over secure, HIPAA-compliant video, typically weekly to start. We work through grief, identity, and meaning at a pace that respects how much you're carrying.
Adjusting Over Time
Once things settle, many people move to every other week or monthly. We set the pace based on how you're doing and change it when that changes.
“I won't try to talk you out of faith or into it. The point is to help you think clearly, carry less shame, and make decisions that reflect what you believe now.”
— Dr. Corinne Votaw-Freer, PsyD
Session cost and insurance by state
Individual sessions are $225, available to clients in 45+ states through my PSYPACT license.
For a full breakdown of rates and accepted insurance carriers by state, see Rates & Insurance.
Questions about faith, family, and starting
Do I need to have already left my religion to start this work?
No. Ambivalence, doubt, and being somewhere in the middle are all normal starting points. You don't need certainty about where you land to benefit from this work.
Will you try to talk me out of my faith, or push me toward a certain belief?
No. This work is not about steering you toward or away from any particular belief system. The goal is to help you think clearly and decide for yourself, free from either the pressure you left or a new pressure to reject everything.
Is this only for people who left high-control or fundamentalist groups?
No. Religious trauma can come from any tradition, including mainstream ones, and doesn't require a dramatic exit. A slow faith shift or quiet disillusionment counts just as much.
What if my family or community is still part of that faith?
That's a common and difficult part of this work. We address the relationship strain directly, alongside the internal processing, since the two are usually connected.
