Religious Trauma + Spiritual Abuse Recovery

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	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,Christian/Evangelical,Religious Abuse	https://a.co/d/0aX9I6tN

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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	Religious Trauma & Cults (RTC) is 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	https://www.thereligioustraumacollective.com/
Safe Havens	An interfaith partnership against domestic violence and elder abuse.	Support Groups,Workshops,Other Resources	https://www.interfaithpartners.org/
Secular Therapy Project	A directory of secular mental health professionals.	Directory,Counseling/Coaching	https://www.seculartherapy.org/
The Aftermath Foundation	Support for individuals leaving Scientology	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/

ASSESSMENTS + INVENTORIES

Formal and informal assessment tools related to religious trauma and spiritual abuse.

Title	Author	Link
Codependency Inventory	Anna Clark Miller	https://www.empathyparadigm.com/codependency
Developmental Religious Trauma: Harmful Childhood Messages Inventory	Anna Clark Miller	https://www.empathyparadigm.com/childhoodmessages
FICA Spiritual History Tool: A Guide for Spiritual Assessment in Clinical Settings	Christina Puchalski, MD	https://gwish.smhs.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaskib1011/files/2022-06/FICA-Tool-PDF-ADA.pdf
High Control Group Inventory	Anna Clark Miller	https://www.empathyparadigm.com/highcontol
Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief 2.0 (ICSG 2.0)	Laurie Burke, A Elizabeth Crunk, Robert Neimeyer, Haiyan Bai	https://www.azspc.org/uploads/8/5/7/7/85775014/inventory_of_complicated_spiritual_grief_self-scoring.pdf
Moral Injury and Distress Scale (MIDS)	Norman, S. B., Griffin, B. J., Pietrzak, R. H., McLean, C., Hamblen, J. L., & Maguen, S.	https://ptsd.va.gov/PTSD/professional/assessment/documents/NCPTSD_MIDS.pdf
Psychological Abuse Experienced in Groups Scale (PAEGS)	Saldaña, O., Rodríguez-Carballeira, Á., Almendros, C., & Escartín, J.	https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Iub4w81s6wr7CopvMGdC-NVPnomHe1yL/view?usp=sharing
Religious Trauma Inventory	Anna Clark Miller	https://www.empathyparadigm.com/inventory
Spiritual Abuse Questionnaire (SAQ)	Kathryn Keller, PhD	https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HWFVfCSgEa-G5OMquMBryCO7AZvLgKlh/view?usp=sharing
Spiritual Harm & Abuse Scale (SHAS)	Dan Koch	https://www.religiononthemind.com/spiritual-abuse
Values Inventory	Anna Clark Miller	https://www.empathyparadigm.com/valuesinventory