Practical Healing Tools for Religious Trauma

ART THERAPY

Oct 12

Practical Healing Tools for Religious Trauma

Healing from religious trauma can feel overwhelming because the messages were often woven into daily life. Many people carry shame, guilt, or fear long after stepping away. The good news is that healing is possible, and there are practical tools that help you reclaim your voice, your body, and your sense of self (Therapist.com, n.d.).

Grounding practices

Religious trauma can leave the body in a heightened state of fear or vigilance. Grounding helps calm the nervous system and reminds you that you are safe now. Try slow breathing with longer exhales, sensory grounding such as five things you can see and four you can touch, and mindful time outdoors (Counseling Today, 2022).

Journaling and storytelling

Writing about your experiences or telling your story in safe spaces brings clarity to feelings you may have been taught to suppress. Storytelling in therapy or supportive community reduces isolation and builds coherence (LifeSpring Counseling, n.d.).

Self-compassion exercises

Religious trauma often installs a harsh inner critic. Self-compassion practices soften that voice and support resilience and emotion regulation. Try speaking to yourself the way you would to a close friend: “It makes sense I feel this way. I am allowed to be kind to myself” (Therapist.com, n.d.).

Redefining community

Leaving a faith community can create a painful void. Healing includes finding safe spaces where you belong without judgment or control, such as friendships, online groups, or therapy groups.

Exploring values and identity

Part of healing is discovering what truly matters now. Instead of fear-based rules, you can rebuild your life around values like creativity, honesty, compassion, or freedom. This shift stabilizes identity and supports authentic choices (LifeSpring Counseling, n.d.).

Looking for Support?
I specialize in religious trauma and offer a safe space to explore and heal. If you are ready to begin this journey, I would be honored to support you.

Mandy Proskovec

Mandy Proskovec, LMSW

My background

I am a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in Texas, and my path into this work has been shaped as much by life experience as by formal training. I’ve worked in mental health for over a decade including private practice, supporting people through seasons of loss, trauma, and change. Along the way, I’ve trained in EMDR and DBT-informed skills. I am certified in Religious Trauma and love working with attachment/relational trauma and parts work. At the heart of my practice is a relational and psychodynamic approach. That means I pay attention not only to the skills and tools that help in the moment, but also to the deeper patterns and stories that shape how you experience yourself and your relationships.

My view on counseling

I believe therapy is a place to slow down and truly feel seen. Many of us carry burdens from early relationships, faith communities, or past experiences that leave us feeling disconnected, unworthy, or “too much.” In counseling, we will work together to make sense of those patterns and create space for healing. My role is not to “fix” you, but to walk alongside you, offering steadiness, curiosity, and compassion as you reconnect with your values and discover new ways of being with yourself and others.

My specialties

Healing from trauma and PTSD, including attachment and religious trauma
Grief and anticipatory loss
Anxiety, depression, and shame
Parenting challenges and intergenerational patterns
Chronic stress, illness, and caregiver burnout
Life transitions, identity development, and meaning-making,
LGBTQIA+ affirming
Serving teens (13 and up) and Adults