Through the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, I provide online trauma-informed recovery coaching for survivors (or those adjacent to survivors) of:
- Adverse religious experiences
- High control and coercive control environments
- Purity culture
- Religious abuse, misconduct, and the cover up of abuse
- SOGICE (Sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts, such as conversion therapy)
Adverse Religious Experiences
Adverse religious experiences are events or environments within religious contexts that result in psychological, emotional, social, or physical harm to individuals. These experiences often stem from high-control or fundamentalist religious settings, where doctrines, leadership structures, and community norms can foster environments of coercion, shame, and exclusion-especially for those who do not conform to prescribed beliefs or identities.
High Control and Coercive Control Environments
High control and coercive control experiences refer to environments-often found in religious, organizational, or communal contexts-where individuals are subjected to persistent, systematic efforts to restrict their autonomy, manipulate their beliefs, and govern their behavior through a range of psychological, social, and linguistic tactics. These experiences are not limited to overt abuse; they frequently operate through subtle mechanisms that normalize deviance, obscure accountability, and erode personal agency.
Purity Culture
Purity culture is a socioreligious system, most notably prevalent in American evangelical and fundamentalist Christian contexts, that elevates sexual abstinence before marriage and rigid gender roles as central markers of personal and spiritual worth. While often presented as a path to “holiness” or “sanctification,” purity culture operates through a matrix of gender essentialism, shame-based teachings, and surveillance, producing deep and lasting psychological and relational impacts-especially for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and anyone whose identity or experience falls outside strict binaries.
Religious Abuse, Misconduct, and the Cover up of Abuse
Religious abuse and misconduct refer to harmful behaviors perpetrated within religious contexts, often by those in positions of authority, that exploit, manipulate, or harm individuals or groups. This includes a spectrum of actions: from sexual, emotional, and spiritual abuse to institutional misconduct, such as the mishandling or concealment of wrongdoing. The cover-up of abuse compounds the original harm, employing organizational tactics to protect perpetrators and preserve institutional reputation at the expense of survivors.
SOGICE (Sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts)
Practices such as conversion therapy or ex-gay ministries attempt to forcibly change or suppress LGBTQ+ identities. These interventions-ranging from formal therapy, to informal pastoral counseling, or exorcisms-are associated with increased rates of depression, suicidality, and long-term psychological harm. I enjoy working with individuals who come from “non-explicit” or “soft” SOGICE environments, such as ex-gay ministries or “Side B” organizations.
How CTRR Coaching Works
At the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery (CTRR), coaching is about meeting you at the intersection of lived experience, evidence-based practice, and radical compassion. Our coaching model is designed for those navigating the aftermath of complex trauma-especially survivors of religious abuse, coercive control, purity culture, and SOGICE-who are seeking not just symptom relief, but genuine transformation and reclamation of self.
Recovery coaching at CTRR is a collaborative, forward-focused process. Unlike clinical counseling, which often centers on diagnosis, treatment planning, and the management of mental health conditions, coaching is not about “fixing” pathology or working within a medical model. Instead, coaching is about cultivating resilience, agency, and new possibilities. We work together to identify your goals, clarify your values, and build practical skills for living more fully in alignment with your authentic self.
Sessions are structured around your needs and aspirations, not a predetermined clinical agenda. You remain the expert of your own experience; my role is to support, witness, and gently challenge you as you move through the complexities of recovery and growth.
My Modalities: A Trauma-Informed, Human-Centered Approach
My coaching draws from several integrative, trauma-informed modalities, each chosen for their ability to foster safety, empowerment, and meaningful change:
- Humanistic Coaching: Rooted in the belief that every person possesses inherent worth and the capacity for growth, this approach centers your lived experience and honors your autonomy. We focus on self-actualization, authenticity, and the cultivation of self-compassion-especially vital for those whose identities have been marginalized or pathologized by religious systems.
- Mindfulness Coaching: Mindfulness practices help you reconnect with your body, regulate your nervous system, and develop present-moment awareness. These tools are especially powerful for survivors of coercive environments, where dissociation and hypervigilance are common. Mindfulness is not about bypassing pain, but about learning to be with yourself in new, compassionate ways.
- Acceptance and Commitment Coaching: Drawing from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), this modality supports you in clarifying your values, accepting difficult emotions, and taking committed action toward what matters most. Rather than fighting or suppressing your pain, we explore how to make space for it-while still moving forward in your life.
- Nonviolent Communication: Communication is a lifeline for those emerging from environments where language was weaponized. Nonviolent Communication (NVC) offers a framework for expressing needs, setting boundaries, and building relationships rooted in empathy and mutual respect. We practice skills for honest self-expression and compassionate listening, both with yourself and others.
- Solutions-Focused Coaching: This pragmatic approach emphasizes your strengths, resources, and what’s already working. Instead of dwelling on problems or deficits, we identify small, actionable steps that move you toward your goals. Solutions-focused work is especially helpful for building momentum and hope in the face of longstanding challenges.
What is my background, and what do I bring to the table? First, I’m a survivor of SOGICE, purity culture, and religious abuse and misconduct. Further, I bring both social science and religious background together in my coaching. I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and am now researching a PhD in sociology of religion. In terms of religion, I earned a master’s degree in biblical and theological studies, and a humanities master’s degree in Catholic studies. Further, I’ve earned certificates and credentials in trauma-informed care, victim advocacy, mediation, conflict resolution, and coaching.
Coaching vs. Clinical Counseling
It’s important to clarify that recovery coaching is distinct from clinical counseling or psychotherapy. While both can be transformative, coaching is not a substitute for mental health treatment. Coaching does not involve diagnosis or treatment of mental health disorders, nor does it operate within a medical or insurance-based framework. Instead, coaching is future-oriented, goal-driven, and grounded in partnership. It’s about helping you build the life you want-on your terms.
If at any point clinical support is needed, I will help you connect with trusted therapists or other professionals. My commitment is to walk alongside you as you reclaim your story, your agency, and your sense of belonging.
At CTRR, our coaching is about more than survival-it’s about cultivating aliveness, meaning, and connection after trauma. Together, we create a space where your voice is honored, your healing is witnessed, and your future is yours to define.