Connect to your authentic self, shame-free.

Religious Trauma Therapy in Denver

Therapy for faith deconstruction, purity culture recovery, and healing from church hurt, trauma, and abuse.

Holly Boulanger, LPC is a licensed therapist in Colorado specializing in religious trauma.

You want to be motivated by authenticity and confidence in yourself. Instead you find yourself battling a harsh inner voice and you don’t know how to turn it off.

You’re constantly policing yourself so that you can self-correct before anyone else has the chance to notice you falling short. 

The Daily Impact:

When your partner needs some “me time” you support them 100% but you’re afraid to ask for the same in return because you really don’t want to be a burden to your loved ones.

There was a time in your life when you were energized by community. Now, interacting with the world feels painful so you retreat. Isolation feels safer than risk risk of being misunderstood.

You carry a persistent, heavy guilt. Whether as a partner, parent, or friend, you’re haunted by the feeling that no matter how much you give, you are fundamentally lacking.

Smiling, confident woman after religious trauma therapy in Denver

These echos are holding you back.

These aren't just automatic negative thoughts; they are the remnants of a system that demanded perfection. They show up by:

Creating distance between you and the important people in your life because vulnerability feels like a risk you can no longer afford to take.

Holding you back from pursuing career goals and from feeling proud of what you’ve already accomplished because you’re waiting for the world to “discover” you’re a fraud.

The looming sense you’re never enough no matter how hard you try so you’ve considered what it would look like to stop trying altogether.

Holly Boulanger, LPC - Denver therapist offering religious trauma therapy.

Hey, I’m Holly.

I’m a therapist specializing in the intersection of religious trauma, purity culture, and identity reclamation. I help adults untangle the "shoulds" and "musts" they inherited from high-control environments so they can finally hear their own voice. You’ve likely spent years following a blueprint that wasn’t yours, self-correcting and making yourself small just to stay on the “right” path.

Clients often tell me they feel understood here in a way they haven’t experienced elsewhere. This is likely because I understand that deconstructing isn't just a change of mind. It's a rebuilding of your entire world. My goal is to create a space where your skepticism is welcome and your autonomy is sacred.

You don’t have to keep carrying the heavy weight of religious shame alone. Healing is a collaborative process, and we can start that work together.

My clients struggle as you do. They are passionate, intelligent, and deeply caring, yet they feel like they are constantly failing an invisible test.

When they first come in, they describe lying awake at night replaying conversations, convinced they said the wrong thing or came across the wrong way. They wish they could quiet their mind, but the mental noise never seems to stop.

They push themselves through the day with a smile while inside they feel heavy and disconnected. Even small decisions feel exhausting because they’ve been trained to look for a “right” answer that doesn’t exist.

They avoid situations where they might be perceived as less-than-perfect, even when it means missing out on things they care about. They feel safest keeping their real opinions and needs tucked away where no one can criticize them.

Their self-doubt creates a wall. They aren’t the kind of friend, partner, or parent they want to be. They feel like they’re failing in their relationships. And their confidence in their ability to show up authentically is tanking.

Woman enjoying peace and confidence after religious trauma therapy in Denver.

Maybe you’re worried that therapy will mean talking about things you’ve spent years trying to move past. Or that looking at the past might make the pain worse. You might even believe a therapist won’t truly understand what it’s like to grow up in a community where belonging was conditional and being your true self was a risk.

Feeling unseen is exhausting – and experiencing rejection when you’ve shared your true self is excruciating. It can make you want to give up on getting help altogether.

You deserve to feel grounded and at ease in your own mind. If you want to trust your own voice and move through life without the constant weight of self-criticism, I’d love to help you get there.

Why My Clients Seek Therapy

Many of the adults I work with are navigating the lasting effects of growing up in a rigid or conservative religious environment. They’ve often been told, directly or indirectly, that their needs, feelings, or identities weren’t valid. Perfection was the goal and the expectation and the lesson was: if life isn’t going how you want it to, you need to do more. Be better. Try harder. Asking questions, especially of authority figures, was not tolerated. Even now, after updating their belief systems, those messages still echo — shaping how they see themselves, how they relate to others, and how they move through the world.

Others come to me because life simply feels too loud and overwhelming. They’re burned out from holding it all together for everyone else. They’ve gotten so used to putting their own needs last that they’ve forgotten what it’s like to feel calm, confident, and at home in themselves.

Whatever your reason for seeking therapy, you can be confident that in my office you’ll be met with respect, curiosity, and a no judgement zone. You can read more about the types of problems my clients are facing at the pages below.

Specialties

  • Self-Esteem

    Let go of negative self-talk and re-connect with your inner wisdom and authentic self.

  • Anxiety

    Calm your nervous system, quiet your mind, and uncover the starting point of your worries.

  • Religious Trauma

    From healing religious trauma to reconstructing your faith to fit your current values, I’m here for it.

  • EMDR

    Finally leave the past in the past and move forward with a life you love with calm and confidence.

Holly Boulanger, LPC - Offering in-person and virtual therapy for religious trauma in Colorado

Let’s figure this out together. Here’s how:

  • Self-schedule your free 15-minute consultation today. I’ll answer any questions you have and you can be sure we’re a good fit.

  • Join me each week to unpack what’s been keeping you stuck. Together, we’ll develop the tools you need to thrive.

  • You’ll see yourself more clearly, and you’ll be ready to take steps forward toward a life you love.

You don’t have to keep living with the constant voice of the inner critic, the weight of old shame, or the fear of showing up as your authentic self.

Self-esteem therapy in Denver can help you feel more confident, connected, and whole. Whether you’re looking to process religious trauma, manage anxiety, or simply feel more like yourself again, I’m here to walk alongside you.