Ellen Mennell is recognized when it comes to her work in Social Justice, Inner Healing, Awakening, Religious Deconstruction and Religious Trauma. She is CEO of Advocate of Soul, an online coaching business, an International Speaker, Women’s Circle Facilitator, the author of AS IS, Book 1 & 2, and the host of Advocate of Soul., on YouTube.
The world is shifting, whether politically, socially, or religiously, and these are not random occurrences. They are engineered and fueled by those who profit from division, thrive on fear, and believe power is best hoarded, not shared. Nowhere is this more evident than in the rise of Christian Nationalism in the United States. This movement weaponizes faith to consolidate political control, leaving countless people wounded in its wake.
As a Religious Trauma Coach, I witness the deep scars left behind. My liberation from Christian fundamentalism has ignited my passion to expose and heal these wounds. The individuals who come to me are not just people who have lost faith in a system; they have been manipulated and abandoned by the institution that once promised them love and community.
In this moment, as religious institutions either gasp for breath or double down on exclusionary tactics, we must make a choice: Do we cling to these crumbling walls, or do we take a chance and build something new, something rooted in community and interfaith connection?
The church has hurt people, now what?
Let me say it plainly: The church has done immense harm. Whether it’s through purity culture, authoritarian leadership, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, or the policing of personal spirituality, many have found themselves betrayed by communities that once shaped their faith.
This suffering does not exist in a vacuum. It manifests as anxiety, depression, loss of identity, and deep distrust of any structured belief system. The wounds inflicted by religious institutions do not disappear with time; they require active soul work, a process that can feel lonely without support. For many, the idea of spirituality becomes tainted by trauma, making it difficult to differentiate between oppressive religious structures and personal faith.
But this does not have to be the end of the story. What if, instead of running toward isolation, we leaned into something else? Something bigger? What if we sought spaces where multiple faiths and perspectives could exist in harmony? What if we understood that our healing could be found not in opposition to faith but in collaboration with those who practice it differently than what we once knew?
Resolving religious pain does not mean returning to the institutions that caused harm. It means finding community by reclaiming our beliefs and forming relationships with people who share our values, regardless of their faith traditions.
The power of interfaith collaboration
Religious trauma is not just a Christian problem. People across Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and countless indigenous practices have faced the same fundamentalism, coercion, and hierarchical abuse. But they have also found healing. And here lies our opportunity: Instead of siloing ourselves, we can learn from each other.
There is so much wisdom to be found when we break free from the idea that only one tradition holds the truth. Interfaith collaboration allows us to find common ground and embrace the richness of diverse spiritual practices. By engaging with different perspectives, we begin to see our struggles in new ways and find language for reconciliation that we may never have encountered within our original traditions.
Examples of collaboration that work
Interfaith empowerment groups: Spaces where individuals from different religious backgrounds come together to process their experiences, support one another, and reclaim their spiritual autonomy without fear.
Multi-faith activism: Uniting across faiths for common causes such as racial justice, reproductive rights, or LGBTQ+ inclusion can create a force stronger than isolated movements.
Sacred text dialogue groups: Instead of fearing or dismissing religious texts, some have formed interfaith study groups that critically examine sacred writings, allowing collective wisdom to emerge.
Trauma-informed spiritual retreats: These retreats provide space for those wounded by religious institutions to explore spiritual practices in a safe, affirming environment, often incorporating teachings from various traditions.
Joint community efforts: Different faith groups come together for social work, whether feeding those who are homeless, providing disaster relief, or supporting mental health initiatives, showing that collaboration can lead to direct and meaningful change in people’s lives.
How do we move forward?
Religion, at least in its institutionalized Western forms, is in crisis. Churches are closing, younger generations are leaving in droves, and faith leaders are scrambling to figure out why. But rather than seeing this as a death sentence, I see it as an invitation to build something better. Here are tangible ways to act:
Create or join interfaith spaces: Whether online or in person, being part of a space where multiple beliefs coexist can be healing.
Support religious trauma recovery work: Many organizations (and individual coaches like me) are helping people process their experiences.
Challenge Christian Nationalism: It’s time to speak out against the use of Christianity as a tool for oppression.
Amplify voices from different faith traditions: Read books, listen to podcasts, and share the wisdom of those from spiritual backgrounds outside your own.
Build bridges, not walls: When you meet someone who believes differently than you, approach with curiosity, not hostility. Ask about their story, their beliefs, and what has shaped them. We grow through understanding, not condemnation.
Encourage inclusive spiritual practices: Meditation, mindfulness, and other universal spiritual practices can provide a middle ground for those healing from religious trauma without requiring adherence to a specific belief system.
Putting collaboration into practice
I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to acknowledge my collaboration with Brainz Magazine over the past year. Writing for them has been a journey of expansion and deep connection. It has allowed me to share these critical conversations with a broader audience, challenge the status quo, and inspire people to think beyond the rigid structures they may have once known. More than anything, it has been a space where collaboration thrives and voices from different backgrounds and spiritual persuasions come together to create something powerful.
To Brainz, to my fellow writers, and to every reader who has engaged with my work: thank you. Your openness, your willingness to wrestle with hard truths, and your hunger for something more are what fuel this work. And this is just the beginning.
We can create spaces of inclusion. We can rewrite the narrative. We can prove that collaboration, not division, is the way forward. The walls built by fear-mongering and control are crumbling. It’s time to create something new.
Are you ready?
Ellen Mennell, Spiritual/ Empowerment Coach
Ellen Mennell, a trail blazer for Freedom, believes compassion, love, and understanding is key to healing our planet. This led her to live in more than 20+ nations leading humanitarian efforts around Social Justice. These experiences shaped Ellen’s life forever and gifted her with a diverse way of thinking, living and being. Overcoming Life’s challenges and Spiritual awakening led her to abandon decades of religious fundamentalism. Her journey has inspired others to rise into their own power. Ellen’s coaching strategy, writings, speaking events, and inner healing work gives permission to people everywhere to live from their own truth, by walking their own path, and by saying YES to what stirs their soul.
