Me…

My name is Lee.
I'm a qualified and long experienced psychotherapist, counsellor and coach.
Before doing this, I spent almost 40 years as one of Jehovah's Witnesses (born in), serving as a Pioneer along with congregational responsibilities.
Like many people who leave high-control religious environments, I experienced first-hand the challenges that can follow major changes in belief, identity and community.While every person's story is different, there are aspects of this experience that can be difficult to explain to someone who has never lived through it.
You won't need to educate me about concepts such as shunning, fear-based teachings, loss of community, identity or the struggle to trust your own thoughts and feelings again after years being told not to trust ourselves.
I understand both professionally and personally how profound these experiences can be: religious trauma is deeply rooted… I get it!Alongside my own experience of leaving a high-control religious environment, I have spent many years working professionally as a psychotherapist, counsellor and coach, helping people navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, loss, identity change and major life transitions.

• Arrow Down

Why this can be so difficult…

Religious trauma often develops within high-control religious groups where fear, guilt, shame or the threat of shunning are used to influence behaviour.
One of the hardest things about religious trauma is that it often affects every part of life at once.
It isn't simply a matter of changing your beliefs.
You may be grieving people who are still alive but no longer speak to you.
You may be questioning things that once felt certain.
You may be trying to build an identity outside of a group that shaped your thinking, relationships and sense of self but are now struggling to feel as though you belong anywhere.
Many people tell me they feel lost, angry, anxious, confused or disconnected. Others struggle with guilt, panic, depression or an ongoing fear that something bad will happen because they chose a different path.
These reactions are more common than you might think.

• Arrow Down

How I can help…

Religious Trauma Therapy provides a space where you can speak openly about your experiences without judgement and without pressure.
I am not here to persuade you towards religion or away from it.
Instead, my role is to help you understand what you've been through, make sense of the impact it has had on your life, and support you in moving towards the future you want for yourself.
For some people, that means processing painful experiences from the past.
For others, it means rebuilding confidence, overcoming anxiety, navigating family relationships or discovering who they are outside of a religious identity.
Wherever you are in your journey, our work will be guided by your needs.If you've found your way to this page, there is a good chance you've already been carrying a great deal on your own.You don't have to continue doing that.

Sessions here are conversational and tailored to the individual rather than rigidly following a one-size-fits-all model.Online video sessions cost £50 and usually last between 60–75 minutes. We allow flexible time because meaningful conversations rarely fit neatly into a strict therapy hour.

• Arrow Down