Healing Religious Trauma: Queer Identity, Deconstruction, and Inner Child Work with Liz Rhea

In this episode of boy meets therapy, host Dustin Oliver is joined by therapist Liz Rhea for an honest and deeply moving conversation about religious trauma and queer identity. Together, they unpack how adverse religious experiences can shape self-worth, relationships, and mental health, particularly for LGBTQ+ individuals. Liz shares her clinical insights on the effects of sermons and church environments, while exploring the power of deconstruction, inner child work, and grief processing in healing. This episode offers both personal and therapeutic perspectives on what it means to navigate religious trauma and find safety, self-acceptance, and liberation in therapy.

Whether you're deconstructing your faith, supporting a loved one, or working through your own trauma, this conversation is a must-listen.

Connect with Liz Rhea:

Instagram: ⁠@lizrheatherapy⁠

Website: ⁠www.lizrheatherapy.com⁠

Connect with boy meets therapy:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@boymeetstherapy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@boymeetstherapy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website with Free Resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boymeetstherapy.com⁠⁠

Episode Guide & Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:09 Understanding Religious Trauma

06:13 The Impact of Environment on Trauma

09:07 Experiences of Religious Trauma

12:08 Personal Stories and Reflections

15:10 Navigating Identity and Faith

17:46 Exploring Queer Identity and Community

19:12 The Process of Deconstruction

23:07 Reclaiming Identity and Rituals

24:47 The Impact of Religious Trauma

28:04 Understanding Sin and Identity

31:39 Creating Safe Spaces in Therapy

36:02 Inner Child Work for Queer Individuals

37:12 The Framework of Grief in Healing

Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver