Not currently meeting
Healing from Religion Support Group
The in-person group in Nashville isn't running at the moment. There weren't quite enough people to make the room work the way a group like this needs to, so I've paused it rather than keep it half-full.
I'd still like to run it. If you add your name below, you'll be the first to hear if it starts again — and your interest is genuinely part of how I decide whether to.
Add your name →Tell me you’d come
No commitment and no cost — just a note from me if and when there’s a group to come to.
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Questions, or want to tell me what would make a group work for you? Get in touch.
In the Meantime
Individual therapy
I work with adults in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Florida on religious trauma and deconstruction. A free consultation is a low-stakes way to start.
Book a free consultation →A free Facebook group
A private group for Middle Tennessee where people compare notes on leaving high-control religion. Free to join, and not therapy — just people who’ve lived it.
Join the Facebook group →Other groups nearby
The national Recovering from Religion network runs free peer-led meetings, and there are other Nashville-area resources worth knowing about.
See Nashville resources →What the Group Would Be
So you know what you’d be saying yes to: a small, in-person peer support group in Nashville, facilitated by a therapist, with a structured flow and gently timed shares so everyone has equal space to speak and be heard. No pressure to share your story — listening is its own kind of participation.
Themes we’d cover
- Reclaiming Identity
- Exploring What Happened
- Relationships with Religious Loved Ones
- Navigating Religious Triggers
- Dealing with Knowledge Gaps
- Setting Healthy Boundaries
- Processing Anger, Grief & Fears
- Exploring New Worldviews
- Celebrating Personal Progress
It would be for you if…
- You're deconstructing, deconverting, or recovering from a high-control or harmful religion — whether you're still in it or you've left
- You're looking to connect with others who truly get it
- Validation and support would be meaningful to you
- You're ready to be affirming and open to experiences different from your own
It would not be…
- Group therapy — there's no diagnosis or treatment
- A space to defend, debate, or recruit for any religion
- A place that will push you toward any belief — including none
- A replacement for individual therapy or crisis care
Who Would Facilitate
Jennifer Bartley, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in religious trauma, faith deconstruction, and recovery from high-control religion.
She trained with Marlene Winell, PhD — author of Leaving the Fold and the psychologist who named Religious Trauma Syndrome — and has led recovery support groups under her model.