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Religious + Spiritual Trauma Recovery
RESOURCES
SELF-INVENTORIES
Learn how religious trauma and high-control group dynamics may be impacting your life.
RECOMMENDED MEDIA
Books, podcasts, documentaries, and articles related to religious trauma and cults.
Resource Type | Title | Author/Host | Tags | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Book | A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing | Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer | Religious Abuse,Prevention,Culture,Religious Leaders,Christian/Evangelical | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085FZMTT6 |
Book | After Purity: Race, Sex, and Religion in White Christian America | Sara Moslener | Sex/Purity Culture,Christian Nationalism,Culture | https://a.co/d/01sGjtl6 |
Movie/Video | Apostasy (2017) | Daniel Kokotajlo | Jehova's Witness,Deconstruction,Spiritual Abuse | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4729896/ |
Book | Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape | Jenna Miscavige Hill, Lisa Pulitzer | Memoir,Scientology,Cults | https://a.co/d/05ktq0bS |
Book | Beyond Shame: Creating a Healthy Sex Life on Your Own Terms | Matthias Roberts | Self-Help,Sex/Purity Culture,Shame | https://a.co/d/0dk4WfWl |
Podcast | Beyond the Surface: Conversations on Religious Trauma, Faith Deconstruction, & Cults | Sam Sellers | Religious Trauma,Deconstruction,Recovery,Cults | https://anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au/podcast-beyond-the-surface/ |
Book | Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church | Michael J Kruger | Religious Leaders,Spiritual Abuse | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XT1TCFM |
Documentary | Children of God: Lost and Found (2007) | Noah Thomson | Cults,Christian/Evangelical,Children of God | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0806136/ |
Book | ChurchToo: How Purity Culture Upholds Abuse and How to Find Healing | Emily Joy Allison | Sex/Purity Culture,Deconstruction | https://a.co/d/05qhOwrQ |
Book | Combating Cult Mind Control: The Guide to Protection, Rescue and Recovery from Destructive Cults | Steven Hassan | Self-Help,Cults,Spiritual Abuse | https://a.co/d/0eHQwALv |
Book | Cracking the Cult Code for Therapists: What Every Cult Victim Wants Their Therapist to Know | Bonnie Zeiman | Cults,Therapy Tools | https://a.co/d/02wk9shT |
Book | Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism―Understanding the Social Science of Cult Influence | Amanda Montell | Cults,Spiritual Abuse | https://a.co/d/0009zyKS |
Documentary | Cults and Extreme Belief (2018) | Elizabeth Vargas | Cults,Spiritual Abuse | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8457940/ |
Movie/Video | Dear Mormon Man, Tell Me What You Do | Amy McPhie Allebest | LDS/Mormon,Patriarchy | https://youtu.be/RqBWbJIBGdA?si=wlXB36-AHTeaSMym |
Article | Deconstruction Dictionary | Grisel Lopez-Escobar | Deconstruction,Education | https://www.drgrisel.com/deconstruction-dictionary |
Podcast | Devil and the Deep Blue Sea | Mike Cosper | Deconstruction,Satanic Panic,Christian/Evangelical | https://www.christianitytoday.com/podcasts/devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea/ |
Book | Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion | Daryl Van Tongreren | Deconstruction,Religious Abuse,Religious Trauma | https://a.co/d/0fxM1OXU |
Podcast | EXJW Diaries | Justin | Jehova's Witness | https://www.youtube.com/@exjwdiaries |
Book | EXJW Recovery Workbook | Justin | Jehova's Witness,Therapy Tools,Recovery | https://exjw.gumroad.com/ |
Book | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | Memoir,Childhood Religious Trauma | https://a.co/d/002Dvj2n |
Documentary | Escaping Twin Flames (2023) | Cecilia Peck | Cults,Spiritual Abuse,Sexual Abuse | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29388212/ |
Documentary | Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015) | Alex Gibney | Scientology,Deconstruction | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4257858/ |
Book | Healing Sacred Wounds: A Guide to Overcoming Religious and Spiritual Trauma | SC Nealy | Religious Trauma,Recovery,Christian/Evangelical,Childhood Religious Trauma,Self-Help | https://a.co/d/086zhxGF |
Documentary | Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults (2020) | Clay Tweel | Cults,Spiritual Abuse | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11210146/ |
Documentary | Hellbound? (2012) | Kevin Miller | Christian/Evangelical,Hell,Religious Trauma | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2325719/ |
Podcast | Heretic Happy Hour | Keith Giles, Matthew Distefano | Deconstruction,Reclaiming Spirituality,Christian/Evangelical | https://quoir.com/heretichappyhour/ |
Documentary | Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed (2022) | Discovery+ | Christian/Evangelical,Clergy Abuse,Religious Abuse | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16304142/ |
Book | Holy Hell: Saved So Hard I Needed Therapy | Elise Heerde | Memoir,Religious Trauma,Self-Help | https://a.co/d/0610iv9M |
Book | Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing | Hillary McBride | Spiritual Abuse,Religious Trauma,Religious Abuse | https://a.co/d/04Tb17xk |
Book | How to End Christian Nationalism | Amanda Tyler | Christian Nationalism,Political Cults,Culture | https://a.co/d/0aX9I6tN |
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SUPPORTIVE ORGANIZATIONS
Support groups, training, workshops, and resources related to religious trauma and cult recovery.
Organization | Description | Resource Type | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
CBE International | An international organization working to educate, advocate, and liberate women and men from Christian patriarchy. | Legal or Financial Services,Conferences,Support Groups | https://www.cbeinternational.org/ |
Cooperative Path | Consultation groups for religious trauma therapists. | Consutation,Counseling/Coaching | https://www.cooperativepath.com/ |
Cult Mediation | Resources designed to help thoughtful families and friends understand and respond to the complexity of a loved one’s cult involvement, controlling relationship and environments. | Intervention/Mediation | https://cultmediation.com/ |
Cult Recovery 101 | Assisting cult members and their families as they make the difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice. | Articles/Newsletters,Research,Directory | https://cultrecovery101.com/ |
Empathy Paradigm | Resources for religious trauma survivors and the mental health professionals who work with them. | Training/Continuing Ed,Directory,Articles/Newsletters,Consutation,Other Resources | https://www.empathyparadigm.com/ |
Footsteps | Services and programs for people who have chosen to leave ultra-Orthodox communities and build self-determined lives. | Support Groups,Workshops | https://www.footstepsorg.org/ |
GRACE: Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment | Empowering Christian communities to recognize, prevent, and respond to abuse. | Investigation,Intervention/Mediation,Legal or Financial Services | https://www.netgrace.org/ |
International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) | Advancing education, research and understanding of cultic influence. | Research,Articles/Newsletters,Directory,Conferences | https://internationalculticstudies.org/ |
Kindred Holistic Therapy | Recovery groups and workshops for survivors of religious trauma and purity culture. | Support Groups,Workshops,Counseling/Coaching | https://www.kindredholistictherapy.com |
LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative | Religious trauma groups and trainings facilitated by SC Nealy. | Support Groups,Training/Continuing Ed,Workshops,Counseling/Coaching | https://lgbtcounselingdmv.com/ |
MK Safety Net | Support, education, and advocacy for current and former missionary kids. | Support Groups,Legal or Financial Services,Investigation,Intervention/Mediation,Articles/Newsletters | https://mksafetynet.org/ |
Michelle F. Moseley Counseling | Opportunities for mental health providers to expand their knowledge of religious trauma and spiritual abuse. | Training/Continuing Ed,Counseling/Coaching,Consutation | https://michellefmoseley.com/continuing-education/ |
People Leave Cults | Cult intervention and recovery services for current and former cult members and their loved ones. | Intervention/Mediation | https://www.peopleleavecults.com/ |
Reclamation Collective | Holding space for religious trauma through counseling, group therapy, training and consults. | Training/Continuing Ed,Workshops,Directory,Counseling/Coaching,Consutation | https://www.reclamationcollective.com |
Recovering From Religion | Hope, healing, and support for those struggling with issues of doubt and non-belief. | Support Groups,Other Resources | https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org |
Religious Trauma & Cults | An Australian-based organization, co-directed by Sam Sellers and Elise Heerde, supporting survivors of religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and high-control group experiences, while resourcing and educating practitioners through cult recovery and religious trauma training. Sam hosts the podcast Beyond the Surface and Elise is the author of Holy Hell & After The Exit; both bring lived experience and professional expertise to this space. | Training/Continuing Ed,Counseling/Coaching,Support Groups,Conferences,Other Resources | https://religioustraumaandcults.com/ |
Safe Havens | An interfaith partnership against domestic violence and elder abuse. | Support Groups,Workshops,Other Resources | https://www.interfaithpartners.org/ |
Secular Therapy Project | Connecting non-religious or secular persons who need mental health services with outstanding mental health professionals, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and others. | Directory,Counseling/Coaching | https://www.seculartherapy.org/ |
The Aftermath Foundation | Help for individuals who want to leave Scientology and the Sea Org, but who lack a system of support that they can rely on while getting on their feet in the outside world. | Support Groups,Legal or Financial Services,Other Resources | https://www.theaftermathfoundation.org/ |
The Clergy Project | Current and former religious professionals without supernatural beliefs. | Support Groups,Online Community | https://clergyproject.org/ |
The Religious Trauma Dietitian | Trauma-informed nutrition therapy for religious trauma survivors, provided by board-certified dietitian, Lisa van Leeuwen, RDN, LDN | Dietician Services | https://www.religioustraumadietitian.com/ |
The Welcome Table | Inclusive spiritual community for LGBTQ+ individuals who are active, struggling, or former Catholics. | Support Groups,Spiritual Direction | https://www.welcometablelgbtq.com/ |
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