Faith, Dissonance, and the Journey of Religious Deconstruction

When You No Longer Fit In: Faith, Dissonance, and the Journey of Religious Deconstruction

What happens when the old frame no longer holds you?

When the practices that once brought you comfort start to feel hollow—or even harmful.

When the songs, the prayers, the rhythms of faith you once trusted feel more like triggers than nourishment.

When you start to notice that you can’t quite “get back” to the version of yourself that fit inside the world you were given.

You want to feel safe again.

You want to feel connected.

But what used to work… doesn’t.

The Dissonance Is Real

Maybe the people around you are still in it. Still praying the same prayers. Still offering the same advice:

“Just trust God.”

“Just pray about it.”

“Lean not on your own understanding.”

But those words no longer land the way they used to. You try to bring up your doubts or questions, and you’re met with silence… or concern… or a well-intentioned attempt to fix you.

And that’s when the loneliness sets in.

Because it’s not just about what you don’t believe anymore.

It’s about where you no longer belong.

A Grief Without a Name

This is a kind of grief.

The kind that doesn’t always have a name.

The kind that no one sends flowers for.

You may be grieving the loss of a worldview, a structure, or a sense of certainty and safety.

You may be grieving relationships that now feel more distant—or conditional.

And you may not know what you believe anymore, or who you can talk to about it.

You’re Not Broken

Here’s what I want you to know:

You’re not broken for asking questions.

You’re not lost for outgrowing something.

You’re not a problem because you no longer fit into someone else’s framework.

You’re going through something big—and you deserve support.

What Group Work Can Offer

In the wake of spiritual disorientation, what many people need most is space—space to be real, uncertain, messy, and still held with care.

Group therapy offers something unique:

• A place to explore without fear—free from judgment, correction, or pressure to believe a certain way
• Support without an agenda—just honest connection with others walking similar paths
• The relief of not having to “perform” faith, certainty, or peace when what you really feel is grief, confusion, or anger
• A space where your story matters, but you’re not required to defend it
• The power of witnessing others in their process, which often helps validate and soften your own

You don’t have to do this alone.

And you don’t have to have it all figured out to begin.

A Therapy Group for Deconstruction and Religious Trauma

This is why I’m creating a therapy group for people deconstructing and healing from religious harm.

This group is for those in the middle of the deconstruction process—or quietly navigating the emotional aftermath of leaving a faith that once shaped their world.

It’s a space where:

• You don’t have to explain yourself
• You don’t have to believe anything specific
• You don’t have to hide the parts of you that no longer fit the mold

It’s a space to bring your grief, your doubt, your questions, and your complexity.

To hear, and be heard, by others walking a similar path.

A Note on Deconstruction and Trauma

Not everyone who is deconstructing their faith has experienced religious trauma—and not every painful experience in religion is traumatic.

But many people find that as they begin to question or leave their faith, old wounds come to the surface.

This group is a space where we can gently explore both:

The pain that might still be unhealed, and the uncertainty of stepping into something new.

Learn More

If this resonates with you—or someone you know—I invite you to reach out.

Click here to learn more about the group, or contact me directly with questions.

You are not alone in this.

And this—this dissonance, this in-between place—might be the beginning of something sacred, too.

About the Author

Katie Webb is a psychotherapist at Louis Laves-Webb, LCSW, LPC-S & Associates in Austin, TX. She specializes in relational, psychodynamic, and existential therapy, with a focus on grief, religious trauma, and identity reconstruction. She is passionate about creating spaces where people can explore their stories and feel fully human in the process.