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

Understanding Coercive Control and the Harms Inflicted on to Adult and Child Victims

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

“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.

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

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

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.)

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Beautiful Prisons and Golden Lies

Beautiful Prisons and Golden Lies [Episode 348]

What if that golden cage you’re sitting in was never locked? What if all that “God’s will” rhetoric was just fear cosplaying as holiness? In this episode, I tell you a story, a simple one with birds, bars, and just enough metaphorical mic drops to wake up the part of you that’s been sedated by religious gaslighting. Buckle up, buttercup. It’s time to talk about freedom.

This isn’t just another chirpy motivational talk. It’s a truth-telling, cage-rattling invitation to examine the lies we’ve been fed about safety, love, and obedience, especially in the name of God. You were made to fly, not decorate someone else’s spiritual furniture.

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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…