Last updated: March 9, 2026
By accessing or using mybrokenshelf.com (“the Site”), you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.
We may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and post a prominent notice on the Site. Material changes take effect 30 days after posting. Your continued use of the Site after that period constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.
You must be at least 13 years old to use this Site. If you are between 13 and 18 years old, you may use the Site only with the consent of a parent or legal guardian. By using the Site, you represent that you meet these age requirements.
The Site is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If we learn that a child under 13 has submitted content to the Site, we will promptly delete it.
mybrokenshelf provides peer support, educational information, and community resources related to religious deconstruction, faith transitions, and religious trauma. All content on this Site is provided for informational and educational purposes only.
The content on this Site does not constitute and should not be construed as:
This Site is not an emergency service. Do not use this Site, including the discussion board, to seek help for a mental health crisis or emergency.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact:
mybrokenshelf has no ability to intervene in emergencies. We do not monitor the discussion board in real time and cannot respond to crisis disclosures.
Content on this Site discusses topics including religious trauma, spiritual abuse, identity loss, family estrangement, and related themes that some readers may find emotionally distressing. You engage with this content at your own discretion. If any content triggers distress, we encourage you to step away and seek support from a qualified professional.
Content about religious practices, doctrines, and experiences reflects particular perspectives and interpretations. The Site does not claim to represent any single tradition’s authoritative view. Religious and spiritual interpretations vary widely, and our content may not reflect all perspectives within a given tradition. For tradition-specific questions, we encourage you to consult knowledgeable individuals within that tradition or qualified scholars.
Some content on this Site is drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by humans with lived experience. While we strive for accuracy and sensitivity, AI-generated content may contain errors or omissions. We encourage you to verify information independently and to consult qualified professionals for matters affecting your health, safety, or legal rights.
The Site includes a directory of therapists and mental health professionals. Inclusion in this directory does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee of any therapist’s qualifications, competence, or suitability for your specific needs. You are solely responsible for evaluating and selecting any therapist or professional, and for verifying their credentials and licensure. mybrokenshelf is not responsible for any interactions, outcomes, or disputes between you and any listed professional.
mybrokenshelf is not a healthcare provider, health plan, or HIPAA covered entity. We do not collect, store, or transmit protected health information. Any communication between you and a listed therapist occurs outside of mybrokenshelf’s systems. You should verify that any therapist you contact maintains appropriate privacy protections.
Content reviewers and contributors are individuals with personal lived experience navigating religious deconstruction or faith transitions. They are not licensed professionals unless separately identified as such. Their review of content does not constitute professional endorsement, and their involvement does not create any professional obligation to users of the Site.
mybrokenshelf staff, volunteers, and contributors are not mandated reporters. The Site does not monitor user communications for reportable disclosures. If you need to report abuse or are aware of someone in danger, please contact your local authorities directly.
The Site allows users to submit posts and other content, including through the anonymous discussion board. User-generated content reflects the views of its authors, not of mybrokenshelf. We are not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or legality of any user-generated content. We reserve the right to remove content that violates these terms or that we deem harmful, at our sole discretion.
By submitting content to the Site, you grant mybrokenshelf a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, store, moderate, and remove that content in connection with operating the Site. You retain ownership of any content you submit.
When using the Site, you agree not to:
We reserve the right to remove content and restrict access to the Site for any user who violates these rules, at our sole discretion and without prior notice.
All original content on the Site — including articles, guides, tools, design, and branding — is owned by mybrokenshelf and protected by applicable copyright and intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from our content without prior written permission.
You may share links to Site pages and quote brief excerpts for non-commercial, personal, or educational purposes with attribution to mybrokenshelf.
If you believe that content on the Site infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to hello@mybrokenshelf.com with the following information:
We will investigate and respond to valid notices in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Repeat infringers will have their content removed and may be permanently banned from the Site.
Use of the Site does not create any professional–client relationship between you and mybrokenshelf or any of its contributors, reviewers, or affiliated professionals. No fiduciary, therapeutic, attorney–client, or other professional relationship is formed by your use of this Site.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, mybrokenshelf, its owner, operators, contributors, reviewers, volunteers, and stakeholders (collectively, “the mybrokenshelf Parties”) shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of, or inability to use, the Site or its content. This includes, without limitation, damages for loss of profits, goodwill, data, or other intangible losses, even if the mybrokenshelf Parties have been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Your use of the Site is at your sole risk. The Site and its content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the mybrokenshelf Parties from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or in any way connected with: (a) your access to or use of the Site or its content; (b) your violation of these Terms & Conditions; (c) your reliance on any information provided on the Site; or (d) any content you submit to the Site.
Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms & Conditions or your use of the Site shall first be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If the dispute cannot be resolved informally within 30 days, either party may pursue binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, conducted in the State of Utah.
You agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted on an individual basis and not as a class action, collective action, or representative proceeding. You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration against the mybrokenshelf Parties.
Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction, or from filing claims in small claims court.
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Site at any time, for any reason, including but not limited to violation of these Terms & Conditions or the Prohibited Conduct section above. We may also remove any content you have submitted. You may not circumvent any suspension or ban.
Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including Limitation of Liability, Indemnification, Dispute Resolution, and Intellectual Property) shall survive any termination of your access to the Site.
The Site may contain links to third-party websites or resources. These links are provided for convenience only and do not imply endorsement. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites.
Some book links on this Site are affiliate links to Bookshop.org and Amazon. When you purchase through these links, mybrokenshelf earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Affiliate partnerships never influence our editorial choices. Book recommendations are selected based on relevance and quality, not affiliate availability. No book is recommended because of its affiliate commission.
This revenue helps keep the Site free and independent. For more details about our editorial standards, see our Editorial Standards page.
These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Utah, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.
The Site is operated from the United States and is primarily intended for users in the United States. If you access the Site from outside the United States, you do so at your own risk and are responsible for compliance with the laws of your jurisdiction. We make no representation that the Site or its content is appropriate or available for use in any particular location.
We are committed to making the Site accessible to all users. We strive to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. If you encounter an accessibility barrier on the Site, please contact us at hello@mybrokenshelf.com and we will work to address it.
If any provision of these Terms & Conditions is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.
If you have questions about these Terms & Conditions, please contact us at hello@mybrokenshelf.com.
For information about how we handle your data, please see our Privacy Policy.