Flying Free Podcast Archives

Natalie Hoffman and Tia Levings, Flying Free Podcast Episode 381 - Can You Fully Recover from Religious Trauma?

Healing From Religious Trauma: A Survivor’s Roadmap with Tia Levings [Episode 381]

July 21, 2026

Tia Levings is the New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife and her newest book, I Belong to Me. She survived a Christian patriarchy cult, escaped a near murder-suicide, was excommunicated for telling her own story, and spent 15 years in intensive trauma therapy doing the work to put herself back together. Now she’s handing you the map to healing from religious trauma.

In this episode, Tia and I dig into the real mechanics of religious trauma recovery: why your body refuses to believe you’re safe even when your brain knows it, what “aftermath” actually means (it’s an agricultural word, and it will change how you see your own devastation), why grief work is not optional, and what agency has to do with the entire trajectory of your healing.

What if “Biblical Womanhood” is Actually a Trauma Response? [Episode 380]

July 7, 2026

Let’s talk about something called “the subjugation schema.” It’s a clinical pattern that secular psychologists are actively trying to help women heal from, and the conservative Christian church has rebranded the exact same wound as godliness, biblical womanhood, and a high calling.

If you’ve spent your life apologizing for taking up space, smiling when you wanted to scream, or feeling guilty about basic human needs like rest, preferences, and an opinion of your own, this episode is going to feel like someone finally turned the lights on.

Is Your Church Actually Safe for Abuse Survivors? Here’s How to Find Out [Episode 379]

June 23, 2026

In this episode I’m answering a pressing question Christian women in difficult marriages ask: how do you find a church that will actually support you instead of silence you?

Because not all churches are created equal, and the difference between a safe church and a harmful one can change everything for a woman trying to find her footing. I’ll break down exactly what to look for, what to ask, and what red flags to run from.

The Pastor’s Wife Nobody Saw: Jessica’s Story [Episode 378]

June 9, 2026

In this episode, I sit down with my real-life friend Jessica, a pastor’s wife whose story intersects with mine: her husband was a pastor at the very church that excommunicated me. What started as a conversation about her story turned into one of the most layered, honest episodes I think we’ve ever recorded.

Jessica spent decades being told her emotions were idols, her feelings weren’t facts, and her needs were sin problems she needed to repent of. In this conversation, she shares what it took to finally see through that, what the long road out of a high-control religious marriage actually looks like, and why freedom sometimes takes many years to arrive even after the divorce papers are signed.

Finding Your Freedom, Autonomy, and Independence – High Functioning Women Series Part Four [Episode 377]

May 26, 2026

This is part four of the High Functioning Christian Women in Destructive Marriages series, and today we talk about a concept that ties the whole series together: sovereignty.

Synonyms for sovereignty include: freedom, autonomy, and independence.

If you’ve spent years managing everyone’s needs, shrinking your own, and building an identity around your capacity to give without limit, this episode will challenge a misunderstood theology that was never meant for women who are already pouring out from an empty cup.

Trusting What You Know is True When Others Gaslight You – High Functioning Women Series Part Three [Episode 376]

May 12, 2026

This is Part Three of our series on high-functioning Christian women in destructive marriages. You are the woman people call when something complicated needs solving. You read rooms, spot patterns, and get it right. And yet in this one area of your life, you have been told that your judgment, specifically, cannot be trusted.

Category: Flying Free Podcast