Religious Trauma Therapy in Phoenix, AZ

A dedicated space to untangle thoughts, explore emotions, and gently process experiences that felt isolating and painful.

Whether you’re working through trauma, attachment issues, identity questions, anxiety, or a season of transition, we walk with you at your pace. Available in-person in Phoenix, and online throughout Arizona

What is Spiritual Abuse?

Spiritual abuse is the use of religion as a vehicle for abuse. This can look like an abusive partner using scripture to justify abuse, a church leader using their position in a faith to manipulate a church member into an inappropriate relationship, and the experience of a person who is leaving a high control environment.

How I Can Help

At Philoxenia, each service is built around collaboration, emotional safety, and evidence-based care. Wherever life has led you, you can show up here and be met with understanding, empathy, and respect.

Spiritual Abuse Recovery / Church Hurt

Support for healing from harmful church experiences, including ostracization, toxic or high-control religious environments, damaging beliefs, or abuse from pastors, leaders, or spiritually authoritative family members. Whether you're reshaping your faith or releasing it, your process is respected.

LGBTQIA+ Clients Affected by Christian/Church Environments

A safe, affirming space to process trauma from harmful messaging, family disownment, or spiritual rejection. If you’re a queer Christian navigating identities that may feel at odds, we’re here for you, too.

Faith Transition Support

Compassionate guidance through deconstruction, questioning, or leaving the faith — from a completely spiritually neutral place with no expectation or pressure to remain Christian.

Purity Culture Recovery

Purity culture can leave lasting impacts on self-worth, sexuality, boundaries, and spiritual identity. Therapy offers a compassionate space to unpack harmful messages, release shame, and rebuild a relationship with your body, desire, and values that feels authentic, empowering, and self-led.

Sexual Violence in the Church

Sexual harm within religious spaces often carries layers of trauma, betrayal, and spiritual confusion. Trauma-informed therapy provides a safe, nonjudgmental environment to process what happened, restore a sense of safety and autonomy, and heal from wounds compounded by misuse of power or faith.

What to Expect

Sessions are held in a comfortable, confidential space—either at my Phoenix office or through secure telehealth anywhere in Arizona. Individual therapy runs 60 minutes,.

Each session may look different, but will work towards our collaborative goals. Some days that might mean processing a hard memory through EMDR, other times we will be exploring patterns in your relationships or sitting with emotions that need space to be felt. The work moves at your pace, shaped by what you're ready for and what your healing requires.

    • A private, uninterrupted hour dedicated entirely to you and your experience.

    • Evidence-based approaches including Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), EMDR, and trauma-informed interventions, all adapted to fit your unique needs and story.

    • Space for whatever you're carrying—whether that's anxiety keeping you up at night, trauma you've been holding alone, questions about faith you can't ask anywhere else, or simply the exhaustion of trying to hold it all together.

    • Optional between-session support like grounding exercises or reflection prompts, if that feels helpful to you.

    • Complete confidentiality, whether we meet face-to-face or online.

  • Individual Therapy: $175 per session
    Couples Therapy: $275 per session

    Payment is collected at the end of each session. I keep a card securely on file for your convenience.

    If cost is a barrier right now, I occasionally have limited sliding-scale spots available. Please mention this when you reach out—I'm happy to talk through options.

  • Most clients start with weekly sessions, though we can adjust to bi-weekly, which ever works better for your life and healing process. Some people need weekly support for a season; others find their groove with bi-weekly check-ins. We'll figure out what serves you best.

    For those wanting extended time for intensive EMDR work or somatic processing, 90-minute individual sessions are available upon request.

    • Confidentiality is sacred. What you share stays between us, protected by HIPAA and ethical guidelines. Your privacy matters deeply.

    • Cancellations require 24 hours' notice. Life happens, and I understand. If you need to reschedule, just let me know at least a day ahead to avoid the full session charge. Emergencies and illness are always handled with grace.

    • Telehealth works. Virtual sessions are secure, private, and just as effective as meeting in person. Many clients appreciate the flexibility, especially during tough weeks.

    • Come as you are. There's no need to prepare notes or have your thoughts perfectly organized. Therapy meets you exactly where you are each session.

    • Scope of practice: I work with anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, spiritual abuse, faith transitions, relationship challenges, and life transitions. I don't currently see clients in active crisis, active addiction, or those needing specialized treatment for OCD, Bipolar Disorder, or Borderline Personality Disorder—but I'm happy to help connect you with appropriate resources.

Book A Session
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My signature process

I offer individual therapy at $175 per hour, using an emotion-focused approach integrated with EMDR for trauma processing. I work with clients recovering from Christian, Catholic, and Evangelical religious trauma.

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01

connect

Our first three sessions are about building the trust that makes real therapy possible. I take time to understand you holistically—your emotional world, attachment patterns, window of tolerance, and how your past may be showing up in your present. I'll thoughtfully screen for anxiety, depression, and PTSD, and explore early life experiences. This foundation isn't rushed—I want you to feel truly seen and safe.

02

planning

Together, we'll design your personalized treatment plan. This isn't something I hand to you—it's something we create collaboratively. Drawing from evidence-based approaches, we'll identify realistic milestones that honor your pace and your life. Your plan is entirely individualized, shaped by your unique needs, strengths, and vision for yourself. You'll always know where we're headed and why it matters.

03

heal

This is where the deep work unfolds. We'll expand your window of tolerance, deepen your understanding of your emotional experience, and when trauma is present, process it through EMDR. The goal is genuine, lasting healing—the kind that leads to self-understanding, acceptance, and freedom to live more fully. Every session builds intentionally on the one before, bringing you closer to your goals.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Religious trauma can include experiences such as spiritual abuse, fear-based theology, purity culture, high-control church environments, coercive leadership, or rejection tied to identity. If religious experiences left you feeling unsafe, ashamed, disconnected, or fearful — therapy can help you explore and heal those impacts.

  • Religious trauma therapy supports individuals who have been harmed by spiritual abuse, high-control religious environments, fear-based theology, purity culture, or coercive religious leadership. Therapy focuses on healing trauma while honoring autonomy, identity, and emotional safety.

  • I approach religious trauma therapy with deep respect, compassion, and understanding of church dynamics. My work is informed by both personal experience and professional training in the impacts of spiritual abuse, excommunication, queer identity suppression, and religious coercion.

  • No. I will never pressure you to stay in a faith tradition or push you to leave one. Therapy honors your pace, beliefs, and autonomy. My role is to support your healing — not to determine your spiritual destination.

  • Yes. I offer an affirming, supportive space for LGBTQIA+ clients affected by harmful religious messaging, family rejection, or church-based trauma. Your identity is respected and celebrated, never treated as a barrier to care or healing.

  • I integrate Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT/EFIT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), both of which are well-researched approaches for trauma, anxiety, depression, and complex PTSD. Sessions are paced carefully to avoid re-traumatization and prioritize nervous system safety.

  • That’s very common. Even after leaving a faith tradition, its impact can remain in the nervous system, relationships, and sense of self. Therapy can help you process those effects and reclaim safety, meaning, and belonging on your own terms.

Have another question? Email hello(at)philoxenia.com to get in touch.

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Your story Matters here.

Schedule a consultation so we can learn more about your needs and see if we’re a good fit. We’re looking forward to hearing your story and taking this journey of healing with you.

Schedule a Consultation