Healing from Spiritual Abuse Archives

Do You Need Someone to Rescue You? [Episode 355]

November 25, 2025

In this episode, I get down and dirty with a topic that triggers all the rule-followers and religious gatekeepers: salvation. Not the flannelgraph-Jesus kind where you prayed the “magic words” at age seven and then spent the next 30 years terrified you did it wrong. Nope. I’m talking about real, liberating, soul-exploding salvation.

This one’s especially for you if you’ve ever stayed in an abusive marriage because you thought God would be mad if you left. If you’re exhausted from trying to please “godly” authority figures who think they are mini Popes. If you’ve prayed the salvation prayer 73 times just to be sure it “took.”

Church Relationships After Divorce: Reclaiming Your Spiritual Community

November 21, 2025

Ever wondered what happens to your church relationships when your marriage falls apart and you do the unthinkable (aka, choose not to be miserable for the rest of your life)? In this episode, I sat down with Diana, Stacey, and Marie, to talk about the real fallout that happens not just in marriage, but in the holy halls of church after divorce.

Neighbors, Acquaintances, and Small Town Gossip: Living Free in a Fishbowl

November 14, 2025

So you got divorced, and now you’re the scandal of the century in your tiny town (or tight church circle). You’re dodging judgmental glances in the grocery store and wondering if your prayer request just got broadcasted as Christian-sanctified gossip. Sound familiar?

In this episode, I team up with my friend and fellow coach, Diana Swillinger, to talk about how to take your power back when your life becomes the talk of the neighborhood.

If you’re tired of feeling like your healing is public property and you’re ready to walk tall again, even while Sister So-and-So is side-eyeing you from the church pew, this one’s for you.

The Subtle, Insidious Nature of Spiritual Abuse [Episode 352]

November 4, 2025

What if the very place you went for safety, love, and divine wisdom turned out to be the scene of the crime? Today we’re diving headfirst into the world of spiritual abuse.

This week, I’m joined by Katherine Spearing, founder of Tears of Eden, trauma recovery practitioner, and author of a new book, A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts.

If you’ve ever been told that “God doesn’t want your happiness, He wants your holiness” while you were slowly disintegrating inside, well, friend, you’re in for a ride.

Understanding Coercive Control and the Harms Inflicted on to Adult and Child Victims [Episode 350]

October 21, 2025

“He doesn’t hit you, so it must not be abuse.” Yeah, no. That tired old line needs to die.

This week, I sat down with Dr. Christine Cocchiola, a powerhouse expert on coercive control, the kind of abuse that doesn’t leave bruises but instead, destroys lives. Christine breaks down how abusers don’t need fists to dominate; they weaponize EVERYTHING from the court system, to churches, to your very own kids.

If you’ve ever been dismissed, disbelieved, or labeled “too angry,” this episode is a masterclass in seeing the invisible, calling it what it is, and taking your power back, even if you have to fake it ‘til you make it from the ICU of your life.

Toxic Beliefs That Keep Christian Women From Their True Identity (A Story about a Runner) [Episode 349]

October 14, 2025

Have you ever felt like life has you wearing a 200-pound emotional backpack labeled “Christian womanhood”? In this episode, I unpack (literally) the toxic beliefs that are holding us back using a metaphorical story about a woman who wants to run, but can’t. Because, surprise! She’s lugging around spiritual abuse disguised as Bible truths.

You’ll meet Sarah, a fictional but oh-so-familiar woman who stands at the edge of a running trail, paralyzed by invisible weights. Enter Elena, the wise older woman who helps her go full Marie Kondo on her belief system. You’ll want to tattoo some of Elena’s one-liners on your forearm. (Okay maybe just put them on sticky notes.)

Category: Healing from Spiritual Abuse