Healing

He didn’t disappear because he doesn’t care…
He disappeared because he didn’t know how to stay.
For a lot of post-Mormon men, emotional conversations don’t feel like connection…
They feel like something to get right.
And when there’s no clear answer… the nervous system taps out.
That’s not indifference.
That’s overwhelm.

I thought I was a bad person, not a kid who made a mistake I remember a moment from my childhood that, on the surface, does not seem like a big deal.My parents were out of town and I had double-booked myself. I had planned to stay the night ata friend’s house and completely forgot […]

Emotional Overwhelm After Leaving Church: Anxiety, Depression, and Mental Health Effects Leaving a high-control religion or belief system changes more than your beliefs. It changes your entire life, your social world, your identity, your relationships, and how you see yourself. For many people, leaving means starting over in every area of life at once. And […]

Written by: Ashley Kirkpatrick, LAC Understanding Gender Roles in Religion and Breaking Gender Roles For many men raised in high-control religious environments, the messages about “being a man” are rarely explicit, they’re taught through patterns, expectations, and unspoken rules. These lessons often center around performing for others, particularly women, and can quietly shape how men […]

Body Shame: A Therapist’s Reflection on Modesty and Purity Culture I’m a trauma therapist in Gilbert, Arizona, and much of my work focuses on religious trauma, particularly within the LDS church culture. Over the years, I’ve worked with many women who struggle with body shame, even when they can’t immediately point to where it started. […]

The Myth of Constant Growth Deconstructing Progression; Real Growth Happens In the Present Moment. In the therapy room, I often hear clients say some version of: “I just feel like I should be further along by now.” It’s usually accompanied by shame, frustration, and exhaustion. They’re doing “the work”—reading, journaling, showing up to sessions—but still feel like […]

When “Safety” Becomes a Stumbling BlockIf you’ve left a high-control religion, you might equate safety with peace. Safety feels warm, predictable, and protective—especially after living in a system that shamed or punished risk-taking. But healing isn’t about staying safe forever. It’s about learning when and how to take wise risks. Why Wise Risks Matter in Healing […]