ARE YOU SEEKING TO HEAL FROM RELIGIOUS TRUAMA, FREE YOURSELF FROM SHAME & CONNECT WITH GOD IN A NEW WAY
hi there!
I’m Elizabeth, and I created Light Shift to support people on their journey to reclaim their spiritual self-worth. I’m passionate about working with those who love God but have experienced hurt or trauma within their church communities. I know firsthand how disorienting it can feel to experience a spiritual disconnect, and how heavy the weight of shame can become. You may even start to question your beliefs and/or teachings.
My goal is to help you heal and nurture a deeper connection with God, so you can free yourselves from shame and rebuild their self-worth. Light Shift is all about focusing on your unique path toward healing and spiritual growth, providing a safe space to explore your spirituality and relationship with God beyond traditional religious boundaries.
My purpose is to support you in living authentically and embracing your unique God given light. I am a trauma-informed therapist who specializes in helping individuals heal from trauma—especially religious trauma—while reconnecting with their true selves and God’s love.
I understand that you might be dealing with a lot right now—whether it’s past trauma, wounds from religious experiences, or struggles with self-worth that keep you from moving forward. I believe that with the right tools and support, you can confront these challenges and find your way to healing and freedom.
Your Journey, Your Story
This is a space for exploration, healing, and community. I believe that every story is unique, and I genuinely want to hear yours. If you’ve faced challenges that have led you to question your spiritual beliefs or have felt sidelined by those you once trusted, you’re in the right place. Many of us, including myself, struggle with feelings of isolation, battling the sense that they don’t quite belong in their faith communities. This experience can lead to a painful spiritual disconnect, where you may feel distanced from God and your faith practices. The weight of judgment from others can also foster deep-seated self-doubt and the belief that you are unworthy of love and acceptance. Grappling with conflicting messages about your spirituality can further exacerbate this disconnect, leaving you confused and unsure of how to navigate your relationship with God. Such experiences can profoundly impact your self-worth, making you question your value and place within your spiritual community.
In our work together, we focus on several key areas:
Navigating Religious Deconstruction: Supporting you in questioning and dismantling beliefs while encouraging personal growth and exploration, all while helping you hold onto and grow your faith.
Healing from Religious Hurt: Addressing the emotional pain and confusion stemming from negative experiences within faith communities, helping you find clarity and understanding.
Fostering Spiritual Growth: Encouraging you to explore new perspectives and practices as you build a faith that resonates with your authentic self, beyond the confines of traditional beliefs.
Creating a Supportive Community: Offering a space where you can connect with others who share similar experiences, fostering understanding and solidarity as we navigate these challenges together.
Together, we can address the pain from past experiences, challenging limiting beliefs and exploring new perspectives, taking you on a journey leading to a deeper faith and relationship with God.
deconstructing religion does not have to mean losing your faith
MY Own STORY…..
I’ve been there, navigating the messy journey of self-worth and spirituality while grappling with deep feelings of shame and judgment. When I was younger, I faced judgement within my church home, where I felt inadequate and unworthy. This environment, initially intended to provide support and love, instead imposed a weight of shame upon me that I carried for years. When I became pregnant at 18, the church's response prioritized "fixing" what they viewed as a sin over understanding my situation and addressing the underlying issues that led me there.
Instead of compassion and guidance, I faced pressure to conform to expectations that felt suffocating. There was little focus on the emotional turmoil I was experiencing or the unhealthy dynamics of the marriage they expected of me—a marriage that was more about correcting my sin than recognizing what was unhealthy for me. A marriage I told was necessary, but was deemed unworthy to be held within the church walls. The message I received was clear: my worth hinged on my ability to adhere to their ideals, and any deviation was met with judgment, not healing.
Although I continued attending church and participating in its community, I often felt like an outsider, going through the motions while feeling profoundly disconnected from both my faith and my inner self. The sense of shame weighed on me, warping my beliefs and leading me to question my value as a person. It created a barrier between my soul's yearning for genuine connection and the faith that was supposed to nurture it.
THE DISCONNECT
This disconnect was not merely an emotional experience; it became a significant barrier to my healing from past traumas, creating internal struggles that felt insurmountable. My faith, intended to provide comfort and guidance, transformed into a source of deep pain and confusion. The teachings I had relied on were now intertwined with feelings of shame and inadequacy, complicating my relationship with spirituality and self-worth.
The pain of religious trauma led me to a profound spiritual crisis, where I struggled not with God but with the people in the church who treated me so differently than the loving nature of God that I believed in. It became clear that the messages they conveyed emphasized judgment over compassion, leaving me with a deep-seated belief that I was unworthy of love and acceptance, both from others and from God. Each interaction within my church community seemed to reinforce the notion that my value was conditional, deepening my disconnection from both my faith and my authentic self. This disconnect not only hindered my healing but also led to a sense of spiritual isolation. Healing cannot flourish under the weight of judgment; it must occur in supportive spaces where individuals can explore their wounds and reconnect with their inherent worth.
It was through confronting my own disconnection and understanding the roots of my spiritual crisis that I began to heal. I learned the importance of reclaiming my self-worth and recognizing that my value is inherent, not determined by others’ judgments. A vital part of this healing process involved deconstructing harmful religious teachings that had clouded my perspective, enabling me to reconnect with God’s true message of love and grace. Embracing my inner light—God’s divine light within me—helped me discover a path to healing where I recognized my worthiness of love, authenticity, and acceptance.
This understanding forms the foundation of my work with clients, as I guide you on your unique path of self-discovery and healing. Creating a safe environment where you can explore your spiritual wounds without fear of judgment. I am deeply committed to helping you reclaim your sense of self-worth, and embrace the transformative love that God offers. Let’s reshape how you view yourself in relation to God, embarking on a meaningful journey toward healing and a deeper faith.
ThE roots of Light Shift
Light Shift is rooted in the transformative power of God’s light and renewal, as well as my own deeply personal journey of spiritual healing. Inspired by the messages spoken over me over 20 years ago from Ezekiel 47:12 and Revelation 22:1-2, I believe in everyone's unique path to healing and transformation.
These verses speak to the healing and restorative nature of God. Ezekiel emphasizes that "fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river," with their leaves providing healing, while Revelation describes the "river of the water of life" flowing from God's throne, where the tree of life bears fruit and offers healing to the nations. Together, these verses speak to the sustenance and restoration that flow from God, reminding us that just as the water nourishes the trees of life, God’s light can guide our paths toward healing and wholeness.
Light Shift empowers you to address the hurts and trauma you've encountered. Regardless of where you are on your spiritual path—whether you are new to faith, have no relationship with faith, or have experienced hurt within your spiritual journey—I am here to walk alongside you. Together, navigating your experiences and questions, allowing you to experience healing and connect with God in a new way.