‘It is nothing to be ashamed of if you've experienced trauma based upon your religious upbringing, but it is something that can drive you to do things that are self-harmful.’

Dr. Darrel Ray is the founder of Recovering from Religion, a non-profit working with people experiencing religious trauma, and the Secular Therapy Project, which helps clients find therapists offering secular, science-based therapy.He spoke about how traumatic religious experiences can impact the limbic system, which is involved in behavioral and emotional responses like the “fight or flight” response, and about the importance of recognizing its possible impact on the brain.