Excommunication

Formal removal or banning from a religious community, often with public consequences

• You’re publicly removed from membership and told you’re no longer welcome.

• After a disciplinary hearing, you lose access to community events and relationships.

Potential clinical implications (especially in high control settings)

• Trauma from public shame or abandonment may occur.

• Feelings of humiliation or unworthiness may linger.

• A disrupted sense of belonging or identity can persist.