The Religious Harm Recovery Digest | Hyper-competence might look like a strength, but it can also be a trauma response. In this digest, I take a closer look at how high-control religion wires you for over-performance and how to start releasing the internal pressure that often comes with it.
The Religious Harm Recovery Digest | This newsletter explores how the concept of “spiritual warfare” can actually serve as a form of psychological abuse, reinterpreting everyday emotions and experiences as spiritual threats. It also looks at how this type of manipulation impacts your sense of reality, your emotional world, and your personal agency.
A Note From Megan | “Biblical discipline” often brings to mind harsh, physical punishment, but there’s another piece that often hits even harder—emotional withdrawal. In this Note, I explore how god’s model of discipline influenced our parents and our own relational experience with god as a father figure in ways that may continue to impact our relationships even today.
The Religious Harm Recovery Digest | Many people leave religion but continue living with fear, shame, or self-doubt. This RHR Digest explores how teachings about inherent badness create a wide spectrum of harm, from negative self-beliefs to fears of demons and hell, and why the nervous system remains impacted even after separating from those teachings.
A Note From Megan | Do you ever make a commitment and immediately regret it? This is common for people who grew up without real autonomy. In this newsletter, I explore developmental autonomy abuse, how it this form of religious trauma lingers in the nervous system, and what can help commitments feel safer over time.
A Note From Megan | The holiday season can trigger a whirlwind of emotions for those of us who grew up in religious environments. This newsletter unpacks some of my personal experiences with these triggers and how we can navigate this time in ways that honor our evolving relationship with holiday traditions.
The Religious Harm Recovery Digest | Have you ever felt like you’re caught in a cycle of never feeling good enough due to constant self-examination and confession? This newsletter explores how that mindset can lead to overwork, burnout, and chronic self-criticism, offering insights on how to disrupt that cycle so you can cultivate a healthier sense of self.
The Religious Harm Recovery Digest | Have you ever wondered why rest, pleasure, and self-care feel impossible, leaving you anxious or guilty even when you logically know you deserve them? This newsletter explores how internalized beliefs from high-control religions and nervous system dysregulation make slowing down a challenge, and how U.S. culture often reinforces these patterns.
The Religious Harm Recovery Digest | This issue of the RHR Digest explores how the internalized voice of god can continue to influence your thoughts and emotions long after leaving a high-control religion. Learn more about how this voice may manifest as intrusive thoughts and learn practical steps to quiet it while reconnecting with your authentic self.
A Note From Megan | In this newsletter, I share how my electric toothbrush has become a surprising reflection of the state of my nervous system.