When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion

Many individuals grapple with the lasting effects of negative religious experiences. Religious trauma is a significant, yet often overlooked, issue impacting countless lives.

In When Religion Hurts You, Dr. Laura Anderson offers a clear-eyed examination of religion's difficult aspects. Drawing on personal experience and clinical practice, the book explores the nature of religious trauma, the harm caused by high-control churches, and the psychological, relational, physical, and spiritual damage that can result from fundamentalist environments. It addresses the increasing awareness of religious trauma and spiritual abuse, guiding readers toward healing and establishing a new sense of stability.

Dr. Anderson acknowledges that healing is a complex, ongoing journey. The book provides indicators of spiritual recovery for those affected by painful religious backgrounds, offering a path toward wholeness after experiencing religious trauma. Publishers Weekly notes, "Anderson strikes a smart, balanced tone. An exemplary guide to an understudied issue." Foreword Reviews calls it "An exposé of the dangers of high-control religions that makes it easier to recognize and resist religious abuse." This work is essential for understanding the impact of religious trauma and the dynamics of control religion.