What happens when the place that was supposed to hold you becomes the place that rejects you?

In this episode of Q-MindBody, Darren talks with therapist Araya Baker about religious trauma, family rejection, and what it takes to heal when faith and family are tangled together. Araya works with queer clients at Equity Counseling Services in Houston, and he brings both clinical insight and his own Pentecostal and Apostolic background to the conversation.

They explore why religious trauma is often a double wound, both relational and existential. They also look at why fundamentalist communities cling to rigid rules, how spiritual perfectionism and performative holiness fuel queer scapegoating, and the red flags of controlling or abusive religious leadership. Araya shares how he reconciles his love of people with his faith, why he isn't anti-religion, and what a healthier, more humane Christianity could look like.

His message to queer Christians and survivors of religious abuse: you may be rejected by one community, but there are other communities waiting to embrace you.

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ARAYA BAKER

Website: https://arayabaker.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arayabaker

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