the flying free podcast

the flying free podcast

The Flying Free podcast offers a Christ-centered perspective on emotional and spiritual abuse that protects and honors women. Tune in each week to hear conversations with abuse advocates and fellow survivors who will walk with you on your journey, offering hope and healing that will change your life.

New to the podcast, or not sure where to begin? Click below to see our most popular episodes.

recent podcasts

Breaking Free from Narcissistic Moms and Spouses Without the Guilt Bound by Blood or Vows

Breaking Free from Narcissistic Moms and Spouses Without the Guilt Bound by Blood or Vows [Episode 345]

Is it ever okay to walk away from your own mother… or your husband? (Cue the gasps from the peanut gallery clutching their pearls.) If you grew up in church culture, you probably heard that honoring your parents and submitting to your husband meant swallowing abuse with a smile. But guess what? That’s not actually what Jesus had in mind.

In this episode, I sit down with Christian counselor and author Kris Reese (yes, the YouTube powerhouse with over 476,000 subscribers) to dismantle the toxic myths that keep Christian women chained to destructive relationships.

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Two Hotel Rooms: One Rescue Mission

Two Hotel Rooms: One Rescue Mission [Episode 344]

You know how sometimes life gives you lemons and then instead of sugar for lemonade, the church hands you a moldy marriage book and says, “Submit harder”? That was my reality. In this episode, I take you back to a hotel room where I was nine months pregnant and seriously questioning if I wanted to keep living.

Instead, I stumbled my way out of despair and into freedom thanks to a stack of books, a laptop, and eventually, the real God (not the mean knock-off version I had been worshiping).

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Out of the Poisoned Pond: Jennie’s Story

Out of the Poisoned Pond: Jennie’s Story [Episode 343]

What happens when you grow up in hyper-conservative church culture, marry your Bible camp sweetheart at 20, and then spend decades swimming in a poisoned pond of patriarchy, affairs, gaslighting, and spiritual abuse? Jennie’s story is a real look at what it takes to finally climb out of the muck and into fresh water.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it me? Or is this whole thing just completely bonkers?” then pull up a chair. Jennie’s journey from silent suffering to empowered freedom will resonate with every woman who’s ever been told to “submit more, pray harder, and wear longer skirts” while her husband runs wild and gets a pat on the back from church elders.

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Favorite Episodes

When You Are Betrayed by Your Church, Family, and Friends

In this interview with public speaker and coach, Patrick Doyle, we talk about how to cope with the betrayal from church, family, and friends that occurs when women of faith stand up against abuse in their homes. Betrayal of this kind is extraordinarily traumatic…

How Can You Tell if Your Abusive Partner Has Changed?

In the very first episode of the Flying Free podcast, we hear from Bob Hamp of Think Differently Counseling as he answers the question: how can you tell if your abusive partner has changed?

Bob Hamp is a licensed marriage and family therapist…

What Do You Do If You’re Married to a Fool?

What is a fool? How does the Bible define a fool? And what is a woman of faith to do when she realizes she is married to one? Join Rachel and Natalie as they talk about how to deal with the fools in your life…

Taking Back Your Life After Emotional Abuse

Oh my goodness GRACIOUS, do I have a treat for you. Today I’m speaking with Gender Justice Specialist, Natalie Collins, about how to take back your life from abuse as well as her brand new book, Out of Control: Couples, Conflict, and the Capacity for Change…

Seven Things an Abuser Does When You Set Boundaries

Learn the seven predictable things an abuser does when you set boundaries. Knowing what to expect in advance will empower you to respond with emotional control and self-respect…

What is Gaslighting in a Toxic Narcissistic Relationship?

You spend every conversation talking in circles, being told why you’re always at fault, apologizing for anything he did wrong, and feeling like a piece of human trash. The chance that you’re experiencing gaslighting…

The Difference Between a Normal Marriage and an Emotionally Abusive Marriage

In this episode, Rachel and Natalie compare and contrast their former marriages to emotionally abusive partners and their current relationships to emotionally healthy men…

Is Suffering Really One of God’s Purposes in Marriage?

In this episode Rachel and Natalie discuss the suffering wife. Is suffering really one of God’s purposes in marriage? And does an emotionally and spiritually abusive marriage reflect the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church…

Are You Married to a Quiet Covert Abuser with a Hidden Lifestyle?

While Julie experienced more overt abuse during her formative years, she ended up married to a quiet, covert abuser with a hidden lifestyle.

“The hidden abuse made far more lasting marks on my soul than the overt abuse I experienced as a child ever did.”

Find out what helped her decide to pay the price for freedom…

The Beliefs That Keep Christian Women Stuck in Abusive Marriages

In today’s podcast episode, I share my own story of how I got into an abusive marriage, why I stayed, and how I got out.

I kept journals throughout the course of my marriage, and in this episode I will share an inside look into my heart and belief system while I navigated the relentlessly painful circumstances of my marriage…

When Your Husband and Pastor Demand Reconciliation and Forgiveness

Abusive people almost always demand reconciliation with their victims. Why is that? What is their motivation? And do victims owe their abusers trust and relationship after having prior trust and relationship violated over and over again…

Setting Boundaries with a Husband Who Blames You for Everything

In today’s episode, Natalie, Rachel, and Becky tackle a common issue many survivors have when they begin to set boundaries with a husband who blames you for everything. You’ll also learn why taking all the responsibility in a relationship is never a win-win for anyone and what you can do instead…