A whole Religious Trauma Collective? Unheard of!
I still remember the first time I Googled “religious trauma.” It wasn’t a phrase anyone around me used, not in therapy rooms, not in universities, not in my friendship circles. But deep down, I knew there was a name for what I was carrying.
Leaving high-control religious spaces had shaken my identity, my relationships, even my sense of reality.
And it wasn’t just me.
Over the years, I met so many others navigating the same disorientation. People from all walks of life; LGBTQIA+ folks, exvangelicals, ex-cult members, those deconstructing quietly behind closed doors. All holding grief, confusion, and trauma that no one seemed to talk about openly here in Australia and New Zealand.
It’s from that place that the Religious Trauma Collective (RTC) was born:
A homegrown response to a very real need for connection, understanding, and support.
And now, I’m thrilled to announce something we’ve been dreaming up for a while:
The very first RTC Online Event is happening this June 19–21, 2025.
Creating Something We Wish We Had
This event is everything I wish had existed when I was fumbling through deconstruction and healing.
It’s three days packed with real conversations (the kind that don’t sugar-coat things), lived experience wisdom, clinical insight, and practical tools.
Whether you’re still in the thick of it, years down the road, or a practitioner trying to support clients in this space — there’s something here for you.
Here’s a snapshot of what’s included:
- 20+ incredible sessions, including panels, storytelling, clinical discussions, and specialist topics
- Australian and New Zealand voices, finally speaking directly to our cultural context
- Pre-recorded sessions for flexibility (because life doesn’t wait for a livestream)
- A final live reflection session to gather and close out the event together
- 48-hour free access to each day’s sessions, so you can watch on your own schedule
- Optional All Access Pass offering unlimited access until December 31st, 2025, with some seriously great bonus extras (available from June 9th)
We’re covering everything from faith deconstruction, purity culture, cult dynamics, loss of identity, to navigating spiritual abuse and rebuilding community after religious harm.
The Religious Trauma Collective isn’t about “bashing religion” or telling anyone what to believe.
It’s about giving space to grief, complexity, and rebuilding in your own way.
Why This Event is Different
There’s no shortage of conversations about religious trauma happening internationally, but when you’re from Aus or NZ, it can sometimes feel like we’re just meant to “translate” American content and hope for the best. The Religious Trauma Collective are prioritising Aussie & Kiwi voices.
This event is different because:
- It’s grounded in our realities: Aus/NZ stories, cults in our backyards, safe faith spaces, megachurch collapses, and the quiet spiritual abuse that doesn’t always make the news.
- It’s a blend of voices: psychologists, social workers, podcasters, authors, coaches, lived experience advocates, we are all coming together.
- It’s a celebration of story and nuance: We’re not here to offer neat answers. We’re here to honour the messiness and resilience of this work.
We’ve also made it as accessible as we can:
Every session is free for 48 hours – no paywalls, no pressure.
And if you want to take your time (or keep revisiting), there will be an optional All Access Pass available.
About That All Access Pass (Because It’s Worth It)
The All Access Pass isn’t just about convenience (although, honestly, being able to rewatch when your brain finally switches on is pretty handy).
It’s about giving you tools for the long haul.
When you grab the All Access Pass, you get:
- Unlimited access to all 20+ sessions until 31st December 2025
- Three bonus sessions, including a hilarious journal throwback conversation (because laughter IS healing) and a guided Havening self-soothing exercise
- A completion certificate for OPD/CPD hours if you’re a practitioner
- Six downloadable resources, including ebooks, as well as resources on identifying religious trauma, spirituality & identity workbook, and practical boundary scripts
- 20% discounts on select online courses from our incredible speakers
- Automatic entry book bundle giveaway packed with books on cult recovery, coercive control, and healing (Early Bird Registrations Only)
And if you’re a therapist, social worker, coach or practitioner? This pass is full of tools you can weave into your client work straight away.
Early bird pricing is $95 until June 19th, then it jumps to $125, so don’t sleep on it. Available from June 9th
Why Now?
If you’re anything like me, you probably spent a long time wondering if you were “overreacting.” Wondering why the grief felt so deep, the shame so sticky, the loneliness so pervasive.
Maybe you even told yourself to “just move on”, while your nervous system kept signalling that something wasn’t healed yet.
- You’re not imagining it.
- Religious trauma is real.
- Deconstructing is disorienting.
- And reclaiming your identity does deserve time, community, and language.
The Religious Trauma Collective event is a space to put down the shame and start weaving new meaning.
You can dip in and out. Stay in the background. You can journal your heart out. You can cry, laugh, get angry, get hopeful or all of the above.
There’s no “right way” to heal here. Just your way.
Join Us
Mark your calendars: June 19–21, 2025.
Or better yet, register now and let us send you reminders so you don’t have to trust your brain to remember dates.
And if you want the bonus content and lifetime access? Keep an eye out for the All Access Pass opening soon.
I can’t wait to see you inside the event space.
- You’re not making it up.
- You’re not overreacting.
- And you are definitely not alone.
The team at The Religious Trauma Collective will meet you wherever you’re at. Jump over to Instagram to join the conversations – @thereligioustraumacollective
You can connect with me via my contact form!