RTN Podcast - Growing Up in Religious Fundamentalism Shapes Mental Health and Faith with Dr. Gillian Harvey

Religious trauma is often carried quietly, even when it shapes a person’s entire inner world. In this episode, Rebekah Drumsta speaks with Dr. Gill Harvey.

Dr. Harvey talks openly about growing up in a high‑control faith, the long shadow it cast, and what it took to finally reclaim her own voice and spirituality. Her story and clinical insight offer a clear look at how religious trauma shows up in real lives and what healing can actually look like. They also discuss Dr. Harvey’s groundbreaking new book, Fundamentalist Religious Childhoods and Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing.

You’ll hear about:

• how rigid rules, fear and purity culture shape a child’s sense of self

• the ways religious trauma can surface in the body, emotions and relationships

• simple grounding tools that help when old patterns or triggers show up

• spiritual practices that support connection rather than control

• what helpers and clinicians often miss when working with religious trauma

Dr. Harvey brings together personal experience and years of research to show how people can rebuild their inner world, reimagine their spirituality and move toward a faith that feels honest and autonomous. This conversation is steady, compassionate and deeply validating for anyone untangling the beliefs they grew up with.