Faith Transitions

I enjoy working with individuals who are experiencing a faith crisis or transition.  Sometimes an unexpected traumatic life event causes you to question God and your belief system.  Other times, you become disillusioned with a religion based on social policy, the behavior of leaders, or troubling history.

I particularly love working with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a.k.a. LDS/Mormon clients going through this common experience.  Cultural competence is essential in understanding religious jargon and subtle consequences of breaking the mold.  It can be helpful to work with a therapist during the process of sifting through beliefs, deciding which ones to keep, defining and reprioritizing values, and sorting out the implications of this new position in which you find yourself.

If you are married, sometimes couples therapy can be helpful.  When one partner decides to move away from a belief system upon which the marriage began, it can be helpful for each spouse to discuss the values by which you each want to continue to live.  Some partners experience a faith transition as a betrayal and find it painful or feel that their spouse has changed.  Others wonder if their partners decided to leave their faith which was once beloved, will they be discarded next?

Working with a therapist can facilitate conversations that allow each partner to feel heard and respected.  What will you teach your children?  To what extent will each spouse participate in religious activities?  How will you relate to extended family members who may have difficulty with the decisions you make as a couple?  These are just a few examples of ideas that may be helpful to discuss with a counselor.

It can also be beneficial for parents who have a teenager or adult child going through this process to have some support during this time.  It can feel like a real loss when a child rejects something that is important to you, especially if you believe that there may be lifelong or even eternal consequences for deviating from a particular path.  You may be experiencing symptoms of grief and loss such as anger, bargaining, or depression, and working with a therapist to process your emotions can help.  A therapist can also help you learn to interact with your child in a respectful and loving way during a time which can be rife with conflict.

If you would like help navigating your own faith transition or that of a loved one, book your first appointment below or contact me for more information.