Purity Culture Trauma Therapy in Maine

Purity Culture Trauma & Deconstruction

You feel so lonely and afraid. You see people all around you having relationships and enjoying love and you can’t seem to get there. Everyone sees you as successful, gifted, and on top of your shit, but honestly, you feel so behind. It’s like the “love rapture” happened and you got left behind. 

You didn’t have a choice when you were younger with what you were taught. You didn’t know it was messed up and that it would mess you up. That you were learning to hate yourself and who you were. It feels really unfair. 

And now, you're having to figure out your sexuality and sexual desire instead of just being able to move on like others. You clam up around someone you like. You don’t make the first move. You don’t enjoy your body. You don’t even know what you like so how the heck would someone else know? 

You're embarrassed to share because you don’t have much experience sexually. And you honestly don’t know much sexually. Maybe you’ve dabbled in porn here or there or had some sexual encounters but you feel so passive and a bit lost in those instances. And you become so focused on pleasing others that you don’t feel pleased yourself. In fact, when things get focused on you, you don’t like it and you get squirmy. You want to know what it is to lust after someone and not feel reserved. 

You really do feel like you were fucked up growing up in purity culture. You lost a chapter of your life where most people get to learn and experience sexuality. You got thrown into it as an adult trying to figure out something while all your classmates are in graduate level courses!

Some days it feels easier to not even try at all and that’s what scares you. You don’t want to shut down or give up but you do need help. You need someone to understand what your feeling and help you get what you need to move forward in life. 

My name is Laurie, I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Portland, Maine.

I help purity culture honor students/dropouts who are left scratching their heads and wondering what to do about love, desire, sexuality, and sex and help them recover the lost chapter of their lives. 

My clients experience:

• a sense of feeling seen and heard and that their lived experience is valid

• a lessening of shame and self-judgment

• the ability to explore their own body without fear of damnation

• a trusting that their desires and wants matter and are good

• a sense of safety to try on new sexual identities, if it feels right

• the courage to make the first move and feel great about it

• the space to expand their sexual education and fill in the gaps that are missing

My clients don’t just deconstruct what they were taught, I help them connect with themselves in a curious and compassionate way and explore what it means to be a healthy, sexual being. You won’t get the wide-eyed disbelieving look when you tell me your story; instead, I’ll meet you with deep understanding, a steady presence, and creative problem-solving to help you move forward. 

Someone once created a safe space for me and now I get to create a safe space for others to be authentic and explore who they are and who they want to be. 

My clients meet with me weekly so they have consistent support and we can create momentum for change. I will often allow my clients to dictate their priorities and will integrate gentle challenges and homework with my clients if they are willing and when they are ready. Therapy doesn’t have to feel scary or mysterious. It can feel like a well-needed conversation and a soft place to land. You don’t have to do this by yourself, let’s do it together. 

Contact me for a free consultation for therapy in Maine

If you are ready to find that lost chapter of your life and start feeling comfortable in your own body, contact me for a 15 minute consultation by clicking below to discover how it can feel to love your own body, trust yourself, and live a life of desire. My other specialties include LGBTQ+ issues and Life Transitions.