Owning Your Religious Past is a gentle, grounded, and empowering six-session exploration designed for adults who want to better understand how their earlier religious experiences continue to shape their spiritual life today. Whether your past includes moments of deep inspiration, painful memories, or a complex mix of both, this course provides space, tools, and community to help you make sense of your story with compassion and clarity.
Through guided reflection, facilitated discussion, and practical exercises, participants will learn approaches for:
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Recognizing and healing from religious trauma
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Naming and reframing harmful messages or patterns
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Identifying positive or life-giving experiences that still support your current beliefs
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Integrating your past into a healthier, more authentic spiritual path
This series honors both the wounds and the wisdom that can come from religious upbringing. Participants will be encouraged—but not required—to attend all six sessions in order to gain the full benefit of the program and to help cultivate a consistent, supportive group environment.
Leadership
This course will be co-led by Rev. Charlotte Arsenault, Jolyn Emrys, and a local therapist specializing in religious trauma within the LGBTQIA+ community, offering a balanced blend of spiritual insight, lived experience, and clinical grounding.
Who Should Attend
Anyone seeking to understand their religious past—whether they are reclaiming, reframing, reconstructing, or simply curious about the ways their history informs their present—is welcome. All identities and backgrounds are embraced.
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Location