Welcome to the Inner Compass blog, where you’ll find insights, resources, and support for navigating life transitions, religious trauma, and personal growth. Each post is designed to help you gain new perspectives and practical tools for your journey. Explore topics that matter to you and discover ways to align your life with your true values.
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A clinician’s guide to the terms we use — and why they matter. From a religious trauma therapist Gilbert AZ. As religious trauma therapists in Gilbert, Arizona, we hear these words used interchangeably almost every week: religion, spirituality, cult, abuse, trauma. And almost every week, we watch a client’s shoulders drop a little when we […]
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Religious trauma therapy in Utah and Arizona | Inner Compass Counseling If you grew up in a faith community and something about your experience felt different from what you see portrayed as “normal” religion — more rigid, more fearful, more all-consuming — you’re not imagining it. There’s a real, definable difference between belonging to a […]
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And What It Means for Your Healing Have you ever tried to explain your experience in a high-control religious group to someone who wasn’t there — and watched their eyes glaze over? “But wasn’t it your choice to stay?” they ask. Or: “Why didn’t you just leave?” These questions, however well-meaning, miss something fundamental: leaving […]
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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 […]
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Written by Ashley Kirkpatrick, LAC Intuition vs. Nervous System Response inReligious Trauma: How to Tell the Difference It’s a quiet Friday morning. Clients aren’t until this afternoon and I just finished watching adocumentary about the Mormon church. It was not heartwarming—it was terrifying. I suddenlyfound myself urgently wanting to take action. I didn’t just want […]
Mellissa grew up in Southern California in a large family, heavily involved in high control conservative religion. She went on to attend college at Brigham Young University-Idaho where she studied sociology and family studies. She then spent 10 years as a stay at home parent. Life pivoted for Mellissa when she experienced a divorce and faith transition and began her own work in therapy.
She spent 5 years as an educator while obtaining her masters degree in professional counseling. She has spent the last 4 years specializing her practice to help others going through major unexpected life transitions, finding healing in the present moment and creating futures that align with their core values. Mellissa’s personal experiences, combined with her specialized expertise and focused study, create a uniquely supportive and effective clinical practice for individuals navigating major life transitions.
MELLISSA'S STORY
