Religious Trauma Symptoms Checklist

The concept of "Religious Trauma Syndrome" (RTS) was first introduced by Dr. Marlene Winell in 2011. She noticed a specific set of symptoms in clients who were dealing with the challenges of leaving strict, dogmatic religions and the lasting effects of deep-seated indoctrination. This phenomenon, had been previously noted by others. In 1987, Richard Yao, founder of Ex-Fundamentalists Anonymous, identified a related concept known as “Shattered Faith Syndrome,”. In 1991, David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen introduced the term “Spiritual Abuse.”

Religious Trauma Syndrome can deeply influence various parts of a person's life, affecting their thinking, emotions, social interactions, and even physical health. In simpler terms, being in a harmful religious environment can significantly disrupt both your inner world (like your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and bodily sensations) and your outer world (how you connect with people and manage day-to-day life). Recognizing these wide-ranging impacts is key to helping people heal and move forward from religious trauma.

The following checklist describes some common symptoms of Religious Trauma. It is not meant as a diagnostic tool, but as a resource for understanding your experience and in discussion with healthcare providers.

Religious Trauma Symptoms

Recovering from religious trauma is possible. It often takes time and a gentle pace to work through the many layers of impact. Therapy, support groups, books, and other forms of support are helpful tools along the way. You can learn more about therapy for religious trauma and spiritual abuse on my website. If you are just getting started on a journey of healing, check out about my blog post 3 things to know if you are healing from religious harm.