ABOUT Faith Transitions, LLC
Non-Religious Spiritual Direction
Faith Transition Coaching
Religious Deconstruction Courses
MICHAEL CAMP - Principal
Non-Religious Spiritual Director and Companion
Faith Transition Coach
Virtual consultations via Zoom
Certified with The Center for Non-Religious Spirituality
M.S. Eastern University
Ex-evangelical and former missionary and seminarian
Theology nerd
Podcaster at The Spiritual Brewpub
Published author of 3 books on faith deconstruction
“I highly recommend Michael’s services if you're deconstructing or experiencing religious trauma."
~ Hiren Valand, coaching client
What kind of spiritual direction do I give?
I seek to be an encouraging, guiding, validating, empowering, and healing spiritual coach. I am not “directing” you to believe a certain way or embrace a particular spiritual path. I create a safe haven for you to share your struggles or your traumatic/abusive religious experiences. I then guide and empower you to address them and together we discover solutions and pathways that work for you. I have lots of tools in my toolbox that may help. I’ll share with you ones that fit your situation and you decide which to use to help you deconstruct harmful beliefs, overcome trauma, rebuild a spirituality, find or create a new community, and/or adopt new
practices that are meaningful to you. Even though I’m not a licensed therapist, I have training, experience, and knowledge of the psychology of faith shifts, spiritual abuse, religious trauma syndrome (RTS), cognitive behavioral therapy, Jungian psychology, and therapeutic if-then logic. I also have knowledge in the history of ancient and modern Christianity, biblical scholarship, and Bible translations, as well as some grounding in other religious faiths, including Islam and Judaism. If I believe you would also benefit from a professional therapist, I will share resources to find one.
What are my qualifications?
I’m a certified Non-Religious Spiritual Director with the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality. I’ve been a Faith Transition Coach since 2020. I attended Fuller Seminary and have an M.S. degree from Eastern University. I spent 25 years in the evangelical movement as an ordained missionary to Muslims in Africa and a lay leader in a variety of churches. I witnessed and experienced church harm, spiritual abuse, and religious trauma. I’m an author with three
books on faith deconstruction and a fourth on overcoming toxic religion and depression. I deconstructed from evangelical Christianity and forged my own non-religious spirituality with the help of many others. I love helping people through faith shifts to deconstruct harmful theology and rebuild a healthy path based on a good study of history and one’s own inherent and learned wisdom.
What are some of the tools I use to help people?
For people who have suffered religious trauma or spiritual abuse, it is not uncommon to have the residue from experiences or harmful doctrines ringing in your ears. I help people use Cognitive Therapy Mood Charts (found in the book Feeling Good, by Dr. David Burns) to help overcome depression or anxiety that is connected to harmful faith teachings. I have built out examples that are easy to learn and that help you do this on your own. I also have suggestions for developing “If-Then Philosophical Logic” that helps people address harmful narratives that come from religion, like self-hatred and fear of judgment. I help you through thought experiments, a Spiritual
Inventory, and self-care rituals that improve your self-worth and critical-thinking skills. Together, we examine your faith deconstruction and decide what gaps there are that I can help you fill through examining historical facts and scholarship. If applicable, I help people develop their own spiritual practices to replace church, religious meetings, and communities. I have a Religious Deconstruction Course that teaches a good study of Christian history to help people understand why certain harmful beliefs and practices are not historically grounded (This is free when you sign up for at least one spiritual direction session).
What types of spiritual practices do I help people adopt if they choose?
When people leave conservative churches, sometimes they find a progressive or liberal church that meets their spiritual needs. But oftentimes they don’t. The religious trauma or church burnout may be such that they are “done with church” and any religious meetings. There may be a void because all those religious activities and community are suddenly absent. If this is you, there’s an
opportunity to create your own traditions or practices (whether you’ve left church or not). Here is a partial list of spiritual practices that can help you reconnect with yourself, others, and your sense of who God is. I help you develop such practices and you choose and create your own spiritual-but-not-religious experiences that enrich your life:
Non-Religious Spiritual Practices:
Gratefulness Meditation
Contemplation
Peacemaking
Pub Theology
Historical Study
Compassion Meditation
Restorative Justice
Centering
Discussion Groups
Humility
The Art of Listening
Lovingkindness
Service Organizations
Generosity
Celebration