Therapy for Religious and Complex Trauma, & Cult Leavers
Hello! I am so glad you have landed here!
I'm Sam and I am a Queer Registered Therapist and Clinical Supervisor living and working on Gundungarra Land (Goulburn, NSW). I offer appointments in person, as well as online for those in Australia and New Zealand.
I offer trauma-focused therapy for folks navigating religious trauma, leaving cults or high-control communities. Those unpacking spiritual abuse or conversion practices, and finding their way through faith deconstruction.
Whether you’re picking up the pieces after walking away or just starting to question things, I’m here as a guide, companion, and advocate; not someone with all the answers, but someone who gets it.
My work is about helping you make sense of what’s happened, reconnect with your own voice, and gently reclaim your life on your terms and in a way that feels grounded, safe, and true to who you are.
Supporting people navigating religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and faith deconstruction to reclaim their identity, autonomy, and wellbeing.
- Religious trauma therapy & spiritual abuse counselling
- Faith deconstruction support & identity exploration
- Cult & high-control group recovery
- Queer-affirming & poly-inclusive therapy
- Processing grief, guilt, and shame after leaving faith
- Nervous system regulation
Helping all types of relationships; romantic, family, friends, and chosen family to improve communication, connection, and understanding after trauma or faith-related disruption.
- Couples & partner counselling (including queer & poly relationships)
- Family dynamics impacted by religious trauma or faith exit
- Conflict resolution, boundary-setting, and communication support
- Rebuilding trust after spiritual or religious harm
- Supporting healthy connection while respecting faith, identity & autonomy
Trauma-focused clinical supervision for mental health practitioners working with clients impacted by religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and cult recovery.
- One-on-one or small group supervision for therapists, and counsellors
- Guidance on cult recovery, high-control group trauma, and spiritual abuse
- Queer & poly-inclusive approaches to supporting clients
- Ethical decision-making, professional boundaries, and vicarious trauma support
- Reflective supervision to navigate complex cases and countertransference
Sharing lived experience, expertise and insights on religious trauma, cult dynamics, and faith deconstruction through podcasts, workshops, and tailored speaking engagements.
- Religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and cult recovery
- Faith deconstruction and rebuilding identity after leaving high-control groups
- Queer & poly-inclusive approaches to trauma and recovery
- Supporting nervous system regulation and trauma-informed care
- Confident delivering via podcasts, workshops/training, or customised events (including conferences)
Brainspotting
Even years later, the trauma you experienced in a faith system or high-control group can show up in your body and mind; guilt, shame, fear, or panic pulling you back to moments you thought you’d left behind. When trauma is unresolved, your nervous system can stay stuck in fight, flight, freeze or fawn, replaying old memories and keeping you on edge long after the events themselves.
Brainspotting helps your nervous system release what’s still holding on, so the memories can exist without controlling your life. You don’t forget what happened, but the intensity eases, allowing you to feel grounded, present, and free to move forward on your own terms; whether we work online or face-to-face.
The Post Church Files - Substack
My Substack is where I slow down and write in a more honest, raw & reflective way.
I talk about religious trauma, queerness, high-control systems, grief, recovery, and the messy, human process of untangling who we are after harm. It’s part personal reflection, part gentle education, and part naming the things many of us feel but don’t quite have language for yet.
There’s room for humour, anger, tenderness, and swearing when it fits. I’m not interested in offering neat conclusions in this writing, it is a space for curiosity, recognition, and that quiet “oh… it’s not just me” moment.
