Therapist Dr. Laura Anderson and faith deconstruction coach Angela Herrington join Shari and Cait to discuss Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). So many survivors experience CPTSD, particularly when we’ve grown up in high-demand religions and/or abusive homes. Healing isn’t easy, but it is possible! We talk about different ways to get support through trauma-informed therapy and coaching, as well as grounding practices to help with dissociation and the importance of self-compassion.

Be sure to subscribe to Survivors Discuss for more episodes on life after toxic religion.

Dr. Laura Anderson (PhD, Saybrook University; LMFT) is a therapist, trauma resolution and recovery coach, writer, educator, and creator who specializes in complex trauma with a focus on domestic violence, sexualized violence and religious trauma. Laura has a private practice in Nashville, TN and is the founder and director of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, an online coaching company where she and the other practitioners work with clients who have experienced high demand/high control religions, adverse religious experiences, cults, and religious trauma.

In 2019, Laura co-founded the Religious Trauma Institute with the goal of providing trauma-informed resources, consultation, and training to clinicians and other helping professionals who work with religious trauma survivors. Laura’s first book, When Religion Hurts You: Healing From Religious Trauma and the Impact of High Control Religion, was released by Brazos press in October 2023. She lives with her dog, Phoebe, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Find Laura on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and her website.

Angela Herrington is a faith deconstruction coach and host of The Deconstructing Faith Summit, who helps people break free from toxic religious culture & empowers them to recover from #churchhurt. She has led online ministries for a decade, enjoys working with clients 1:1, in groups, and is a dynamic conference speaker. She’s a Lark’s Song Certified Life Coach who reaches thousands of people in 40+ countries each month on Facebook, IG, Twitter, Pinterest, and her blog.

She’s a firstborn, Enneagram 8, Gen Xer who loves to question everything. She holds a BA from Indiana Wesleyan and a Master in Leadership from Wesley Seminary. Her graduate research project focused on leadership development and opportunities for Gen X women in the US church.

Angela and her unique online ministry are featured in Lyz Lenz’s 2019 book God Land: Story of Faith, Loss, and Renewal in Middle America. She has published articles in Hope for Women and HOPE is Now magazines. She has been featured in The New Republic, Publisher’s Today, and Religion News Service.

Her first book, Deconstruct Your Faith Without Losing Yourself (Eerdmans, February 2024), shares her decade of experience as a faith deconstruction coach, personal stories, a hefty dose of compassion, and her trademark Gen X humor. Angela is also a wife, a mom to 5, and a proud resident of Marion, Indiana, with her family when they’re not traveling the US in their RV.

Find Angela on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and her website.

Cohosts:

Clare Heath-McIvor: kitkennedy.com

Shari A. Smith: shariasmith.com

Cait West: caitwest.com

Website: https://survivorsdiscuss.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/survivorsdiscuss/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SurvivorsDiscuss