Religious Trauma Therapy for LGBTQ People

Gay-affirmative therapy for LGBTQ adults healing religious trauma and navigating faith transitions. Trauma-informed • EMDR • IFS • Brainspotting. In‑person in Draper, Utah and throughout Utah via telehealth.

Spirituality can inspire hope—but when doctrine condemns your identity, religion can feel like a crushing weight.

Man hiking in the wilderness.

If you grew up hearing that being gay, lesbian, or queer made you unworthy of God’s love, the resulting wounds run deep. Maybe you endured conversion therapy, constant worthiness interviews, or threats of excommunication. Perhaps you’ve recently stepped away from a high‑demand religion and now feel spiritually homeless—torn between relief and grief.

Religious trauma often shows up as panic in a chapel, intrusive memories of sermons, nightmares about eternal punishment, or an exhausting inner war between belief and authenticity. You deserve relief and a renewed sense of wholeness.

David Matheson Counseling offers trauma-informed LGBTQ friendly therapy that draws on evidence‑based approaches to calm the nervous system, harmonize inner parts, and rewrite shame‑laden scripts so you can build a new life—and if you choose, a new spirituality—aligned with your authentic self. I am a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Draper, Utah. I also provide therapy via secure telehealth throughout Utah.

Is This Page Speaking to You?

Man looking at a map in the wilderness.

See if any of these experiences resonate with you:

  • Hymns, garments, or scripture readings trigger anxiety, flashbacks, or disgust.

  • Loved ones still pressure you toward conversion therapy that promises to "fix" your orientation.

  • You’ve left the church but carry crushing guilt and internalized homophobia for “breaking covenants.”

  • A mixed‑orientation marriage feels unsustainable yet separating seems spiritually catastrophic.

  • You long for community but fear that every congregation will eventually reject you for being queer.

If any of these experiences ring true, Religious‑Trauma & Faith‑Transition Therapy can help transform fear into freedom.

Possible Results

Man looking at a view in the wilderness.

Below are the kinds of shifts my clients typically experience as we work through religious trauma together:

  • Reduced PTSD symptoms—fewer flashbacks, startle responses, and nightmares linked to church environments.

  • Self‑compassion and acceptance—replacing internalized sermons of shame with messages of worth.

  • Clearer boundaries with family, clergy, or friends who pressure you to remain closeted or return to church.

  • Greater ease in relationships and dating—free from fears of divine retaliation.

  • Freedom from scrupulosity and perfectionism, opening space for creativity, rest, and authentic connection.

Why Work With Me?

David Matheson, CMHC, listens to a client in his Draper, Utah office.

Here are a few reasons LGBTQ clients choose me to guide their healing and faith‑transition journey:

  • Lived experience and compassionate insight – I’ve walked a similar path and bring non‑judgmental understanding to every session. I provide LGBTQ friendly therapy.

  • Broad interfaith experience – I have worked extensively with clients who are/were Latter‑day Saints (Mormons), Evangelical Christians, Catholics, Orthodox Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Bahá’í, Muslims, and Buddhists. I understand how diverse ideologies and communities can impact queer mental health.

  • Laser‑focused specialty – For nearly 30 years I have been working almost exclusively with gay men and lesbian women who have an extremely wide variety of life circumstances and goals. This has provided me with unusual insight and clinical experience. I am an ex-gay recovery therapist.

  • Trauma-informed expertises – extensive continuing education, including training in trauma, EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Brainspotting.

  • Clinical credentials – Master of Science in Counseling/Guidance (Clinical Track) from Brigham Young University; Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (Utah).

  • Accessible care – I work with clients in‑person in Draper, Utah or through encrypted telehealth across Utah, including Salt Lake City, Ogden, Provo, and rural areas.

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FAQs

  • Never. My role is to help you heal and clarify your own values. Some clients reconstruct a progressive faith; others choose secular life. Your autonomy leads.

  • Yes. Growing up LDS and serving clients from Evangelical Christian, Catholic, Orthodox Jewish, Jehovah’s Witness, Bahá’í, Muslim, and Buddhist backgrounds gives me nuanced insight into many doctrines and their impact on non-straight mental health.

  • I rely on Internal Family Systems (IFS) because it provides a compassionate map of your inner world. In IFS we identify protective parts still guarding you from doctrinal shame, exiled parts carrying grief or fear, and—most importantly—the calm, confident Self that can lead them toward healing. By dialoguing with each part, we untangle inherited religious messages from your own authentic truth and restore a body‑felt sense of worth.

    With that foundation in place, I often add Eye‑Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) to desensitize specific trauma memories and install adaptive beliefs your nervous system can trust.

    When distress lives more in the body than in words, Brainspotting pinpoints eye positions that access the stored activation tied to religious experiences or ideology, allowing the nervous system to release that charge.

    Blending these three modalities creates a holistic, neuroscience‑supported pathway from survival to integration and authentic living.

  • Yes. Research shows these modalities are effective via secure video.

  • I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CMHC) in Utah with a Master of Science in Counseling/Guidance (Clinical Track) from Brigham Young University. I am an EMDR Certified Therapist (Level 2), an Internal Family Systems‑informed practitioner, have advanced training in Brainspotting, and am a trauma‑informed therapist. More

  • Click here for information on my fee and which insurance companies I work with.

Ready to Heal?

Religious trauma can shrink your world, but it doesn’t have to decide your future. In-person sessions in Draper, Utah and online via secure telehealth throughout Utah.

Schedule a free consultation.

Contact Me
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