Why This Book?

So many of us who have experienced religious harm struggle to name what happened—especially when the system claimed to be rooted in love, truth, or divine authority. In When Religion Hurts You, Dr. Laura Anderson offers language, clarity, and validation. With deep clinical insight and personal experience, she explores how religious trauma forms and how we begin to heal from it—not by rejecting faith itself, but by reclaiming autonomy, agency, and trust in our own inner compass.

Who It’s For

• Survivors of spiritual abuse, high-control religion, or cultic systems
• Anyone unpacking religious trauma while seeking a path forward
• Therapists, supporters, and allies trying to understand what spiritual trauma looks like

Big Takeaways

1. Religious trauma is real—and it’s valid. Emotional, psychological, and spiritual abuse within religious systems can have long-term effects on identity, body, and relationships.
2. High-control religion often distorts our sense of self. Dr. Anderson unpacks how systems can manipulate through fear, shame, and disembodiment.
3. Healing is possible. Through somatic awareness, nervous system regulation, and safe connection, survivors can begin to reclaim their voice and spiritual autonomy.

‍How It Can Help

This book helps reframe confusion, fear, and self-doubt not as personal failings but as understandable outcomes of religious trauma. It offers trauma-informed guidance for rebuilding a relationship with self, body, community, and—if desired—spirituality. For those walking away from coercive or abusive faith environments, When Religion Hurts You can be a turning point.

Additional Notes or Warnings

While not specific to any one religion, Dr. Anderson primarily writes from the lens of Christian-based trauma. Some examples may feel triggering to those with unresolved wounds, but the tone remains compassionate and affirming throughout.