The Friendly Feminist 
Family Psychologist 

Purity culture is a term used to describe the social and religious messages that tie a person’s worth to their ability to adhere to a collection of very strict moral rules. Although most commonly associated with sex and intimacy, it can shape how safe it feels for us to have needs, express those needs to others, make mistakes, or trust our own judgement. 

I’ll be the first to admit that both “how does that make you feel?” and “where do you feel that in your body?” are clichés, but clichés exist for good reason! Turning our intention inward and answering these questions can offer genuinely important information about how we're doing. In therapy, we talk about emotions, but emotions aren’t just thoughts. There's always something going on in our bodies alongside our emotions, whether we notice it or not.