Dr. Grisel Lopez-Escobar, PhD (in Counseling),
Licensed Mental Health Counselor Providing Virtual Therapy to Adult Clients
in the States of AK, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, ID, IN, LA, MA, ME, NV, OR, SC, TX, UT, VT, WI & WY, USA
Specializing in Supporting Clients who are Newly Secular or Deconstructing from High Control Religions, Groups or Cults: Religious Trauma / Faith Crisis, Religious Deconstruction / Purity Culture / Religious Residue / Mixed-Faith Relationships / Secular Therapy
Cognitive Dissonance
Psychological discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs or values
You feel torn when your lived experiences don’t match what your religion teaches.
You struggle to reconcile messages about love and compassion with the judgment or hypocrisy you witness.
Potential clinical implications (especially in high control settings)
Holding contradictory beliefs can lead to emotional and mental fatigue.
Anxiety may increase during decision-making that challenges internalized doctrine.