Tag: Spiritual Abuse

God Doesn't Hate ALL Divorce

God Doesn’t Hate ALL Divorce [Episode 284]

“Does God really hate divorce? And why haven’t my years of praying brought any fruit?”

Abuse survivors ask me these two questions regularly, and today, I’m going to use Malachi 2:16 as well as a chapter from my newest book, All the Scary Little Gods, to answer them both. Beautiful butterfly, I pray this episode is an encouragement to you as you wrestle with these important topics.

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Emotional and Spiritual Abuse Survivor Q&A

Emotional and Spiritual Abuse Survivor Q&A [Episode 282]

Here are some of the questions I answered in today’s episode:

– Should I tell my adult children and close friends about the hidden emotional abuse I’m experiencing?
– I feel guilty because we’re in the middle of the divorce process, but all of a sudden, my husband has started being nicer than he’s ever been!
– Why am I so afraid to tell my husband that I am done with the marriage?
– How do I avoid being triggered in a situation where my needs are being ignored or misunderstood?
– Is my husband abusive, or just selfish and immature?
– And MORE!

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Is Your Church Safe?

Is Your Church Safe? [Episode 275]

Ryan Geoge grew up with a father who abused him, a church that hurt him, and a heart that needed healing. Even after learning he wasn’t the only one being abused at the hands of his father, Ryan still found healing he desperately needed, and he’s on a mission to help others heal, tell their story, and live life to the fullest.

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How to Reframe and Recover From an Abusive Sermon

How to Reframe and Recover From an Abusive Sermon [Episode 273]

Once upon a time, I dared to write a letter to the pastor of a church I was attending at the time (after having been excommunicated from another church for telling the truth about my life, requesting help, and then acquiring a divorce to protect myself). In my letter, I wrote that his sermon that morning did not take into account abuse survivors’ experiences—survivors who were probably sitting in the pews that morning confused and scared about what he was preaching at them. I wanted him to hear his own words from a different perspective—a survivor’s perspective. Surely this letter wouldn’t fall on deaf ears. He was a shepherd representing Jesus, right? He loved his flock and would want to care for their hearts, right?

Wrong.

Let me read you the letter I sent him, and then let me read you his letter back. It may shock you that a “shepherd” would respond this way. It shocked me then, too, but it doesn’t shock me anymore. I’ll tell you why in today’s episode.

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Holy Ghosted: Spiritual Anxiety and Religious Trauma

Holy Ghosted: Spiritual Anxiety and Religious Trauma [Episode 271]

Have you ever been ghosted by someone? They disappeared from your life, seemingly into thin air? Have you ever been worried that God might ghost you, especially if you don’t dot your “i”s” and cross your “t’s?” Spiritual anxiety is common among Christians, and Dr. Tiffany Yecke Brooks wants to break that down with you inside her newest book, Holy Ghosted: Spiritual Anxiety, Religious Trauma, and the Language of Abuse​.

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