What is religious trauma therapy?

Religious trauma therapy is a specialized form of therapy that addresses the psychological and emotional wounds caused by harmful religious experiences. This includes experiences of spiritual abuse, high-control religious environments, purity culture teachings, faith deconstruction, and religious identity crises. The goal is to help you heal, reclaim your sense of self, and build a life aligned with your authentic values.

Do I have to leave my faith to benefit from religious trauma therapy?

No. Religious trauma therapy is not about telling you what to believe. Whether you are a devout believer who experienced harm within your faith community, someone in the middle of faith deconstruction, or someone who has left their religion entirely, therapy meets you where you are. The goal is healing and wholeness - not pushing any particular spiritual outcome.

What is purity culture trauma and how does it affect relationships?

Purity culture trauma results from religious teachings that frame sexuality as inherently sinful or dangerous, often through abstinence-only messaging, modesty rules, and shame-based approaches to the body. For many people raised in LDS and other religious traditions, these teachings create lasting shame, sexual dysfunction, difficulty with intimacy, and distorted self-worth. Therapy helps you understand these messages, process the harm they caused, and develop a healthier relationship with your body and sexuality.

Can religious trauma therapy help with LDS faith transitions?

Yes. LDS faith transitions are among the most complex identity upheavals a person can experience, touching every part of life - family relationships, marriage, sense of purpose, and self-worth. Daniel Burgess has deep familiarity with LDS theology, culture, and the unique challenges of navigating a faith transition within a tight-knit religious community. Therapy offers a safe, non-pressuring space to process grief, anger, confusion, and to clarify what you want your life to look like going forward.

How is religious trauma different from regular trauma?

Religious trauma has unique dimensions that set it apart. It often involves damage to your core sense of identity, belonging, and meaning - not just a single event. It can include spiritual abuse by leaders, community shunning, internalized shame about normal human experiences, and the loss of a worldview that organized your entire life. A therapist familiar with religious trauma understands these layers and can help you address them specifically, rather than treating it as ordinary PTSD or anxiety.

Do you offer online religious trauma therapy?

Yes. Daniel offers online religious trauma therapy for clients throughout Utah and beyond. Online sessions provide the same quality of care as in-person sessions, with added flexibility and privacy - particularly valuable when exploring sensitive topics like religious trauma, purity culture, or faith transition that you may not want to discuss in a shared or public setting.

Religious Trauma Therapy & Purity Culture Recovery

Did your faith upbringing leave you with shame, fear, or confusion about your body, sexuality, or spiritual worth? Religious trauma therapy with Daniel Burgess, LMFT offers a compassionate, non-judgmental space to heal from the wounds that faith systems can leave behind.

Whether you grew up in a high-control religious environment, experienced purity culture teachings that distorted your relationship with your body, or are navigating a faith transition that has shaken your identity, religious trauma therapy can help you rebuild on your own terms.

Daniel Burgess, LMFT brings over 15 years of clinical experience working with LDS and post-LDS individuals and couples. He understands the unique intersection of faith, sexuality, and identity—and creates a space where your story is honored, not judged.

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Common Questions About Religious Trauma Therapy & Purity Culture Recovery

Religious trauma therapy is a specialized form of therapy that addresses the psychological and emotional wounds caused by harmful religious experiences. This includes experiences of spiritual abuse, high-control religious environments, purity culture teachings, faith deconstruction, and religious identity crises. The goal is to help you heal, reclaim your sense of self, and build a life aligned with your authentic values.
No. Religious trauma therapy is not about telling you what to believe. Whether you are a devout believer who experienced harm within your faith community, someone in the middle of faith deconstruction, or someone who has left their religion entirely, therapy meets you where you are. The goal is healing and wholeness—not pushing any particular spiritual outcome.
Purity culture trauma results from religious teachings that frame sexuality as inherently sinful or dangerous, often through abstinence-only messaging, modesty rules, and shame-based approaches to the body. For many people raised in LDS and other religious traditions, these teachings create lasting shame, sexual dysfunction, difficulty with intimacy, and distorted self-worth. Therapy helps you understand these messages, process the harm they caused, and develop a healthier relationship with your body and sexuality.
Yes. LDS faith transitions are among the most complex identity upheavals a person can experience, touching every part of life—family relationships, marriage, sense of purpose, and self-worth. Daniel Burgess has deep familiarity with LDS theology, culture, and the unique challenges of navigating a faith transition within a tight-knit religious community. Therapy offers a safe, non-pressuring space to process grief, anger, confusion, and to clarify what you want your life to look like going forward.
Religious trauma has unique dimensions that set it apart. It often involves damage to one’s core sense of identity, belonging, and meaning—not just a single event. It can include spiritual abuse by leaders, community shunning, internalized shame about normal human experiences, and the loss of a worldview that organized your entire life. A therapist familiar with religious trauma understands these layers and can help you address them specifically, rather than treating it as ordinary PTSD or anxiety.
Yes. Daniel offers online religious trauma therapy for clients throughout Utah and beyond. Online sessions provide the same quality of care as in-person sessions, with added flexibility and privacy—particularly valuable when exploring sensitive topics like religious trauma, purity culture, or faith transition that you may not want to discuss in a shared or public setting.