Finding Real Community: Healing and Authenticity Beyond Religious Trauma with Reverend Robert Arnáu

Connection From Here: Finding Community in a Changing World

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Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of religious trauma and self-harm.

One of the most important pillars of a good community is being able to show up as your whole self, being welcomed and accepted as such. But for many of us, it takes time to find this type of community for ourselves, and we go through a lot of heartache in the process. Today’s guest, Reverend Robert Arnáu, is no stranger to this journey and joins us to share his story of surviving conversion therapy and religious trauma to finding true belonging in an affirming spiritual community. Episode 8 of Connection from Here is about healing and authenticity beyond religious trauma.

Rev. Robert Daniel Arnáu is a queer, neurodivergent spiritual director, coach, and minister based in Massachusetts. Raised in the Bronx by his fierce Puerto Rican abuela and Nuyorican mother, he is a survivor of conversion therapy and now offers trauma-informed spiritual direction and coaching for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC/Latiné individuals healing from religious trauma. Ordained through the Metropolitan Community Churches, he currently serves as a minister with The Faith Community in Atlanta, GA. His spiritual path is expansive and deeply rooted in liberation, blending non-Christian-nationalist Christianity with secular Buddhism, reiki, tarot, and ecumenical mysticism. At the core of his work is a belief in the sacredness of bodies, stories, and chosen family. Rob is the author of Sabor Zen, a pocket prayer book inspired by Buddhist precepts and infused with cultural soul—a gentle yet grounded invitation into mindful and embodied living. His approach bridges the mystical and the practical, offering clarity, compassion, and a fierce commitment to justice and healing in every space he enters.

Topics covered:

• The warmth– and the wounds– of being raised in a conservative church as a queer person.
• Rob recounts his experience surviving conversion therapy, illustrating the deep psychological and spiritual scars it can leave.
• The search for community beyond traditional spaces and how Rob found acceptance and healing within an LGBTQ+ affirming church.
• How our wounds can become sources of wisdom and how reclaiming our narrative can become an inspiration to others on similar journeys.

Your need for connection is real, natural, and important. As Rob’s story powerfully reveals, the path to wholeness is often found in safe, affirming community, where every part of you is welcome.

Watch the episode on YouTube here!

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Connect with Robert:

Website

Sabor Zen, a pocket prayer book inspired by Buddhist precepts and

flavored with cultural soul

Sacred & Salty Newsletter (Substack)

Spiritual Directors International Profile

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챕터

1. Finding Real Community: Healing and Authenticity Beyond Religious Trauma (00:00:00)

2. Embracing Authenticity in Community (00:05:08)

3. Conversion Therapy and Personal Trauma (00:10:26)

4. Struggle with Identity and Belief (00:13:56)

5. Identity Crisis & Community Seeking (00:19:17)

6. Healing and Faith Rediscovered (00:25:27)

7. Finding Spiritual Connection Beyond Religion (00:31:45)

8. Flying Blind Without Navigation (00:35:26)

9. Self-Care Before Serving Others (00:43:08)

10. "Heartfelt Gratitude to Rob" (00:44:01)