Trafficking, Cult, & Coercion Survivorship
Some traumas don’t happen in a single moment. They happen slowly—woven into systems, beliefs, and identities we were taught to hold sacred.
At SaltPsych, we hold space for those who are reclaiming their minds, bodies, and voices after life inside a high-demand religion, cult, trafficking situation, or any system that stripped away their autonomy. We believe that healing isn’t about just moving on — it’s about unlearning, reimagining, and becoming whole again on your own terms.
What We Treat — This specialty includes support for survivors of:
+ HIGH-DEMAND RELIGION (e.g., FLDS, Jehovah's Witnesses, Evangelical Christian movements)
+ CULTS OR SPIRITUAL ABUSE
+ HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND EXPLOITATION
+ IMMIGRATION-RELATED TRAUMA (direct or intergenerational)
+ RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL DECONSTRUCTION
+ IDENTITY LOSS OR SUPPRESSION
+ SHAME-BASED CONTROL SYSTEMS (purity culture, indoctrination, coercion)
+ INTERSECTING TRAUMA THAT COMES FROM THE MARGINALIZATION OF COMMUNITIES LIKE THE LGBTQIA+, NEURODIVERGENT, AND OTHERS
A Note from London, Therapist at Salt Psych
I became a therapist because I witnessed, firsthand, what it means to survive the impossible. I had an up-close view of what trauma looks like when it’s systemic, layered, and ongoing.
I grew up watching the way trauma follows people through borders, families, and time. My deepest inspiration comes from my grandmother, who fled her home in Germany during the Nazi regime. Watching her navigate the world with both fierce resilience and quiet sorrow taught me something fundamental: how to survive and still carry love, culture, and selfhood when the world tells you to forget them. She carried both fierce strength and grief in the same breath — and in many ways, she taught me how to do the same.
That lens has never left me. It’s why I found myself drawn to people surviving the systems no one talks about enough: the immigrant journey, high-control religions, cults, trafficking, coercive systems, and the quiet violence of forced identity suppression. I understand the deep, internal conflict that can come when you’re trying to save yourself while also mourning a version of your identity the world might not accept. The disorientation, the survival mode, the grief that never fully lets go. The people I work with are often trying to reclaim pieces of themselves that were never truly lost — just buried.
I hold a certification in Human Trafficking Prevention and Intervention from Florida State University, and I’m in active collaboration with local partners like the Asian Association of Utah to ensure that every therapist on my team is trained to serve these survivors with competence and care.
What makes this work even more personal is its overlap with the many communities we already serve at SaltPsych — especially LGBTQIA+ folks, whose identities are often directly targeted in both trafficking and cultic environments. This isn’t separate work. It’s the same work — helping people return to themselves, no matter how far they’ve been pulled away.
And here’s the truth: I am not drained by this niche that found me. I walk away from it every day feeling more human. You are not too complex. You are not too broken. You are not too much.
How We Help
We don’t rush to “fix” anything. Instead, we walk with you as you rebuild what safety, identity, and connection mean — on your own terms. Some of the approaches we use include:
Narrative Therapy
Trauma often steals your story. We help you take it back — not by erasing the past, but by telling it in your own voice of truth. Finding this voice often comes from learning to feel safe while making personal choices again.
Parts Work/
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Survivors of coercion often carry fragmented selves — the loyal one, the rebel, the protector. We help you meet all of them with compassion.
EMDR or Brainspotting
For those whose bodies still live in survival mode, these modalities can help reprocess disturbing memories and reduce their emotional charge.
Somatic Practices
Trauma doesn’t just live in the mind. We guide you to reconnect with your body in ways that feel safe and empowering.
Every person is different. Our goal is to tailor therapy to the full complexity of your experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely not. We support people who are questioning, leaving, staying, or rebuilding within their faith tradition. This is your journey — we’re here to hold space for whatever that looks like.
Yes. Many of our clients are still navigating family, church, or community relationships. We help you process that reality with nuance and care.
We understand the complexities of ongoing safety concerns. While we are not a crisis center, we collaborate with local organizations and can help build a care plan that fits your situation.