Religious Trauma Therapy for LGBTQ+ People

Gay-affirming trauma-informed therapy for LGBTQ+ adults healing religious trauma and navigating faith transitions. 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.

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.

I’m David A. Matheson, MS, CMHC, a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Utah. My practice offers inclusive, trauma-informed LGBTQ 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.

Is This Page Speaking to You?

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.

Results You Can Expect

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?

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

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

  • Advanced trainings – trauma‑informed with extensive continuing education.

  • Exclusive LGBTQ+ focus – Sessions with a queer‑friendly mental‑health counselor who speaks your language—no need to translate or defend your identity.

  • Broad interfaith experience – I have worked extensively with Latter‑day Saint (Mormon), Evangelical Christian, Catholic, Orthodox Jewish, Jehovah’s Witness, Bahá’í, Muslim, and Buddhist clients and understand how diverse doctrines can impact queer mental health.

  • Accessible care – In‑person in Draper UT or online LGBTQ therapy throughout Utah to include Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, and rural towns.

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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 begin with 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 both are effective via secure video with bilateral tapping, audio tones, or visual cues.

  • 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.

  • I provide LGBTQ‑friendly therapy, gay therapy, lesbian‑affirming counselor Draper Utah, gay men’s mental‑health counseling, inclusive therapist Draper, and conversion‑therapy survivor support.

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.