Finding Support During a Faith Crisis
Going through a faith crisis and feeling the total overwhelm it brings? You are not alone! A faith crisis can be such a disorienting experience. It is common to navigate a lot of change when you grapple with big questions about your beliefs and how they can impact your life. For individuals, couples, and families facing a faith crisis can feel stressful. Finding support can aid you in your well-being and relationships.
Creating Community
Building a support system during a faith crisis is crucial. Have you seen the Barbie movie where, at a dance party, she suddenly opens up and asks, 'Have you ever thought about dying?' Errrrrrrrp! The music stops, the room goes silent, and everyone stares at her! It's a shocking moment, but it highlights the importance of finding a community of like-minded people who can support you during tough times.People who understand you can help reduce feelings of isolation, provide you with validation, and even help you develop insights into your unfolding experience. There are many ways to find your safe community! You can begin by searching for faith crisis support groups online or in-person, through social media, or even work with a trusted therapist.
Faith Crisis Therapy
A therapist can be helpful during a faith crisis, as this experience is like putting together a complex puzzle. I recommend finding a therapist experienced in faith crisis, faith transitions, or religious trauma therapy. Embarking on a therapy journey can be hard, but find a therapist who connects with you about your unique experiences with understanding. People may wonder how a therapist can help with a faith crisis. Here are some of the key areas a therapist can assist you with:
Emotional Support: Navigating a faith crisis can bring up feelings of confusion, grief, guilt, anxiety, or even anger. A therapist can help you work through emotions in a safe, nonjudgmental environment.
Identity Exploration: Faith is often tied closely to one’s sense of identity. Therapy can help you unpack what your faith has meant to you over time, helping you explore new ways of understanding yourself that align with your evolving beliefs.
Clarifying Values: During a faith crisis, you might be unsure about what values or principles you want to guide your life. A therapist can help you discover your values and how you can build them into your life!
Dealing with Loss: A faith crisis can come with loss. Whether it’s the loss of a community, a sense of belonging, or an idealized version of the world. Therapy can help you grieve and heal the emotions that arise.
Coping with Relationships: A shift in your faith may put a strain on relationships with a spouse, child, extended family, friends, a religious group, or your community. A therapist can help you learn how to have hard conversations, manage conflict, and maintain healthy relationships. Individual, couple, or family therapy can help you process changes together.
Exploring Existential Questions: A faith crisis may bring up big existential questions about meaning, purpose, and spirituality. A therapist can support you in exploring these questions and offer frameworks for understanding them, whether you choose to stay part of your religion or not.
Empowerment and Growth: A therapist can encourage and empower you to explore what feels authentic as you move forward, helping you discover new sources of meaning and purpose to align with your true self.
ResourcesPutting your life back together after a faith crisis can take time and effort, but there are many creative tools that can support you along the way. Clients often share the connections they've found through podcasts, music, art, and other resources. Here are a few popular options that others have appreciated and that you may find helpful too:
Books No Nonsense Spirituality by Brittney L. Hartley A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari Shefali Tsabary Combating Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassan | Movies & TV The Truman Show (1998) Pleasantville (1998) Tangled (2010) The Matrix (1999) Moana (2016) Going Clear (2015) |
I want to reassure you that you can find your path through a faith crisis. May you discover what supports you best along the way.
Ashley
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