About

More than a decade ago, Tim and Candice met at the Q Christian Conference and found a shared language around faith, survival, and queer identity.

In late 2025, as Tim was finishing the manuscript for his memoir, Conversion Therapy Dropout, a glaring gap in the landscape became impossible to ignore. While there were plenty of resources around LGBTQ+ affirming theology and coming out, there were almost no accessible, practical resources designed to help LGBTQ+ people actually heal from the psychological impact of conversion therapy and religious trauma. In late 2025, Tim reached out to Candice with a simple question: What if we built the exact resource our community is missing?

That conversation became PRAY THE GAY TO STAY.

We designed this 31-day journey to bridge the gap between lived reality and clinical care, combining Tim’s personal experience as a conversion therapy survivor with Candice’s extensive clinical expertise counseling queer individuals through religious harm. Because we believe so deeply in the necessity of this work, we fully self-funded the creation of this course as a gift to our community. We do not make any personal profit from this project. When you enroll, 100 percent of your proceeds go directly to funding affirming mental health therapy scholarships through Affirming Therapy.

Our prayer is that this course will give you the grace to finally stop waging war against yourself, let go of the exhaustion of trying to earn belonging, and step into the steady, unwavering truth that you are already whole and loved just as you are.

Candice Czubernat, LMHC

She is the founder of The Christian Closet, the first online mental health practice created specifically to serve LGBTQ+ Christians and people of faith, and the founder and Executive Director of Affirming Therapy, a nonprofit expanding access to LGBTQ+ affirming mental health care through therapy scholarships.

Drawing from both her clinical experience and her own journey, Candice helps LGBTQ+ people heal from religious harm, shame, and the belief that they need to change who they are in order to belong.

Candice lives in Southern California with her wife, Crystal, their twelve-year-old twins, Deacon and Dylan, and their miniature schnauzer, Charlie Bonz. When she’s not working, you’ll most likely find her cheering from the sidelines at her kids’ baseball or softball games, walking the dog, or planning her family’s next adventure.

Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez

Timothy is an award-winning writer and commentator focused on the intersection of faith, sexuality, and belonging who survived eight years of conversion therapy while working in evangelical megachurches.

He is the author of Conversion Therapy Dropout and co-founder of Church Clarity. He has contributed to TIME, Oprah Daily,Harper’s Bazaar, Religion News Service, and The Advocate.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Timothy now calls New York City home, where he continues his work as a writer, digital strategist, and advocate for queer people of faith.