Queering and Decolonizing Religious Trauma Therapy with Sam Sellers

In this episode, Kit Morgan sits down with religious trauma expert, Sam Sellers, to explore the nuanced intersections of religion, colonization, and mental health. They discuss how religious trauma impacts queer communities, decolonizing therapeutic practices, and building trauma-informed spaces by confronting harm and dogma. In this episode:The origins of the term "religious trauma" and its personal significanceHow colonization influences religious trauma across bordersThe importance of queer-centric religious trauma educationChallenges of applying traditional trauma therapies like EMDR with religious trauma survivorsThe systemic issues in assessment, diagnosis, and therapeutic approachesStrategies for creating affirming, autonomy-respecting environmentsThe vital role of deconstructing patriarchy, white supremacy, and misogyny in religious trauma healingPractical advice for new therapists entering this specialized spaceResources:Religious Trauma CollectiveAnchored Counselling ServicesBeyond the Surface PodcastSam on InstagramTo learn more about religious trauma, check out @theliberatedporch on Substack, Instagram, and TikTok