Beyond The Surface

This episode explores the impact of religious trauma on personal identity, focusing on Chris’s experience as a queer person raised within fundamentalist Christianity. Chris reflects on growing up in a Charismatic Baptist church, where emotionally intense healing practices and fear-based teachings shaped his early understanding of faith and selfhood. He shares how messages about sexuality, particularly the framing of homosexuality as broken or demonic deeply affected his mental health, contributing to years of shame, anxiety, and OCD. As the conversation unfolds, Chris speaks candidly about the painful process of reconciling faith with his authentic self, and the emotional fallout of realising that the beliefs meant to save him were also causing harm. The episode highlights the complexity of healing from religious trauma and the importance of honest conversations about faith, sexuality, and recovery for those navigating similar paths.Connect with ChrisFor information on SOGICE - https://sogicesurvivors.com.auTo connect with Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-csabs-67152b224/Connect with Sam You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

This episode delves into the complexities of navigating the Christmas season, particularly for individuals grappling with religious trauma. I reflect on both nostalgia and discomfort that arises during this festive period, articulating what I miss from my past experiences within a church context, alongside the burdens I no longer wish to bear. The conversation emphasises the duality of memory; acknowledging the beauty in the rituals and community while simultaneously rejecting the pressures and emotional manipulations that often accompanied them. This episode serves as a space for shared reflection, encouraging acceptance of both the joys and challenges that accompany this time of year.You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

In this bonus episode, Sam sits down with ex-Mormon therapists Ashley and Melissa to unpack the latest season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives through the lens of religious trauma and deconstruction. Drawing from both their lived experience and clinical work, they discuss the heavier themes woven through the show; sexual assault, childhood trauma, purity culture, and the emotional toll of life inside a high-control religious system. Ashley shares how confronting it can be to watch stories that echo her own, while Melissa highlights the importance of understanding the hidden dynamics that shape these women’s lives. Together, they explore what healing can look like after Mormonism, the power of community, and why compassion is essential for anyone navigating their way out of a restrictive faith.Who are Ashley & Mellissa?Ashley Buckner is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Utah and California. Specialising in a form of trauma therapy called Brainspotting that works to help people find more regulation in their nervous system. She has the additional speciality of religious trauma and faith transitions. Ashley was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (aka: the Mormon Church) and later left in 2008.~~~Mellissa Perry Hill, MS, LPC is a therapist, supervisor, educator, and founder of Inner Compass Counseling & Consultation, LLC—a Gilbert-based practice specializing in Mormon religious trauma, Mormon faith transitions, and nervous-system-centered recovery after high-control religion. As a clinician who left the LDS church herself, Mellissa blends lived experience with deep clinical training in EMDR, IFS-informed care, DBT, and trauma-responsive narrative work. Her approach is warm, grounded, slightly sassy, and rooted in the belief that healing begins when we stop outsourcing our authority and start listening inward.Mellissa has been featured on multiple podcasts, panels, and professional mental-health platforms, where she speaks about the intersections of spiritual abuse, identity reconstruction, complex family dynamics, and the physiology of trauma. She is also the author of the Faith Transition Journal on Amazon and hosts an online clinician community dedicated to ethical, inclusive, anti-shame mental-health care.Outside the therapy room, Mellissa is a mom of three, a sunrise yogi with a soft spot for nervous-system regulation flows, and an unapologetic lover of big books—the kind that sit proudly on your nightstand whether you’re actively reading them or spiritually absorbing them through osmosis.Her work centers on helping people return to themselves: to the body, to intuition, to inner authority, and to a sense of safety strong enough to hold both the grief and expansion of a faith crisis. Whether she’s supervising clinicians, running groups, creating educational content, or speaking on air, Mellissa reminds people that their inner compass isn’t broken—just waiting to be reclaimed.Connect With UsFind out more about Ashley via her website – https://www.ashleybucknerlmft.com/aboutYou can also connect over on InstagramYou can find out more about Mellissa via her website - http://www.inner-compass-counseling.com/You can also connect over on Instagram You can find out more about Sam on her website – a...

In this follow-up episode, Liz and Jesse open up about parenting after faith deconstruction, an experience filled with both healing and unlearning. They reflect on how leaving a high-control church reshaped their ideas of authority, discipline, and what it means to raise kids with curiosity instead of fear. Through personal stories, they share the challenges of guiding children who question everything and the beauty in watching them form their own beliefs. Together, they unpack the shift from obedience to openness, from control to connection, and the daily work of letting their kids feel the full range of being human - joy, pain, doubt, wonder, all of it. It’s a heartfelt conversation about breaking cycles, choosing authenticity, and raising children who feel free to be fully themselves.Connect With UsTo learn more about Liz & Jesse or The Practice Co head to their website.You can follow along over on Instagram – @thepracticecoYou can download The Practice Co on Apple or AndroidYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

Liz and Jesse join us for a deeply honest conversation about what it means to deconstruct faith while rebuilding a relationship that began inside a high-control church. Liz shares her experience growing up as a pastor’s daughter and the shock of discovering her father’s double life, a revelation that shattered her worldview. Jesse reflects on his eclectic spiritual background and the dissonance of questioning the beliefs that once defined him. Together, they unpack the toll of purity culture, the weight of community expectations, and the struggle to find themselves beyond performance and dogma. Through it all, their friendship has been the anchor that’s held them steady through deconstruction and healing. What emerges is a story of liberation, self-discovery, and rediscovering joy in the simple things.Connect With UsTo learn more about Liz & Jesse or The Practice Co head to their website.You can follow along over on Instagram – @thepracticecoYou can download The Practice Co on Apple or AndroidYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

Jeremy shares his experience of growing up within a strict Lutheran sect, offering a candid look at how faith, identity, and his late AuDHD diagnosis intersected throughout his life. From early moments of doubt at just ten years old to the long process of deconstruction that followed, Jeremy reflects on the challenges of navigating a belief system that often discouraged questioning and individuality. The conversation explores how environments rooted in rigid doctrine can stifle self-expression and perpetuate cycles of shame, while also shedding light on the unique ways neurodivergent experiences shape one’s relationship with faith and community. Jeremy reveals the courage it takes to unlearn deeply ingrained beliefs and reclaim a sense of autonomy, offering listeners a deeply human story of resilience, awareness, and healing.Who Is Jeremy?Jeremy Schumacher is a therapist, educator, and coach. Jeremy specialises in couples counselling, religious trauma, and sports performance, bringing warmth, adaptability, and depth to his work. Outside the therapy room, he’s often outdoors with his wife, two boys, and three dogs or happily nerding out about books, music, and the psychology of superheroes.Connect With UsFind out more about Jeremy on his website - https://wellnesswithjer.com/You can connect over on Instagram or YoutubeTune in to Jeremy's podcast Your Therapist Needs TherapyYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

In this episode, Brandie opens up about her experience within a commercial cult operating under the guise of a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme. She reflects on the allure of belonging and empowerment that initially drew her in, and the eventual disillusionment that came with realising the manipulative dynamics at play. Brandie explores the guilt, fear, and loss of autonomy that many, especially young mothers face in these high-control environments. Her journey of leaving the MLM world and rebuilding her sense of self offers a powerful reminder of the importance of self-forgiveness, critical awareness, and community support in reclaiming one’s identity beyond coercive systems.Who Is Brandie?Brandie is a student psychotherapist in clinical supervision, and MLM recovery advocate. She believes everyone deserves freedom of mind, so she speaks out about abuses of power and coercion perpetrated by MLM scams.Connect With UsFind out more about Flipping The Pyramid Connect with Brandie over on Substack or Instagram You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

In this powerful episode, Cheryl shares her courageous journey of escaping the Exclusive Brethren, a high-control religious community marked by isolation and fear. Born into a life defined by strict rules and emotional repression, Cheryl recounts her childhood in rural Saskatchewan, revealing experiences of sexual abuse, indoctrination, and deep psychological control. Leaving the group at just 17, she began the long, painful process of reclaiming her freedom and sense of self. Through raw honesty and reflection, Cheryl offers insight into the emotional toll of religious trauma, the importance of community in recovery, and the transformative power of therapy. Her story stands as a moving testament to resilience, healing, and the human capacity to rebuild after unimaginable loss.Who Is Cheryl? Cheryl Bawtinheimer (née Hope) is a survivor of child sexual abuse who escaped the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church at 17. She now speaks internationally about the hidden harms of high-control religious groups and works to support and empower other survivors and insiders still stuck in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.Connect With UsYou can connect with Cheryl over on Facebook or Instagram For a one-stop shop for the Get A Life Podcast head to their website - https://www.get-a-life.net/You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

Raised in an unorthodox Mormon family, Ashley shares her journey of navigating faith, identity, and the pressures of patriarchal religious structures. In this conversation, she reflects on the tension of growing up with a non-Mormon father, the weight of expectations within her community, and the shame that often accompanied rigid doctrine. Now a therapist specialising in religious trauma, Ashley offers candid insight into the process of deconstructing harmful beliefs, reclaiming identity, and finding empowerment beyond the confines of Mormonism.Who Is Ashley?Ashley Buckner is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Utah and California. Specialising in a form of trauma therapy called Brainspotting that works to help people find more regulation in their nervous system. She has the additional speciality of religious trauma and faith transitions. Ashley was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (aka: the Mormon Church) and later left in 2008. Connect With UsFind out more about Ashley via her website - https://www.ashleybucknerlmft.com/aboutYou can also connect over on Instagram You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

Shunned after leaving the Geelong Revival Center, Jodie shares her journey from the insular world of fundamentalist faith to a more expansive and authentic sense of self. She reflects on the love and community she once knew, alongside the rigid expectations and lack of critical thought that shaped her childhood. Candidly exploring the pain of shunning and the challenge of rebuilding relationships, Jodie offers a powerful story of resilience, healing, and the courage it takes to reclaim identity beyond the confines of a high-control church.Who Is Jodie?Born & raised in high control pentecostalism (GRC, of 'pray harder' and Vic Inquiry fame!), 4 generations deep. Jodie left in her 40s with her family. Her dad was a pastor who spoke up about bullying within ministry, and they got kicked out because they had them stay in their home. They suffered some extreme shunning & witnessed some impressive hypocrisy in the church. Now out for almost 3 years and thriving.Connect With UsConnect with Jodie over on InstagramYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

Lauren’s story begins with the role of golden child, expected to keep the peace in a high-control family by silencing her own needs and striving for parental approval. Over time, this weight collided with her growing awareness of politics and social justice, sparking questions that clashed with her upbringing and eventually led to estrangement. Her journey captures both the grief of losing family ties and the strength found in choosing authenticity, offering hope to anyone navigating the painful, but liberating, path of self-discovery.Who Is Lauren? Lauren Smallcomb is a certified Mind-Body Practitioner whose journey as a healer began at 20 when she became a registered nurse, dedicating a decade to caring for patients in the ER. She later expanded her expertise to become a birth doula and, eventually, a nutritional therapist. In 2020, after making the difficult decision to walk away from a dysfunctional family system, Lauren embarked on a transformative process of rebuilding her mind and body through brain retraining and trauma healing. This journey inspired her to become a certified Mind-Body Practitioner. Her newfound sense of empowerment prompted Lauren and her therapist husband to establish Flourish Therapy, with the intention of helping others heal and thrive after childhood trauma. Born and raised in upstate New York, they now make their home in Northern Thailand with their children, two dogs, and a cat.Connect With UsFind out more about Lauren via her website - flourishtherapy.kartra.com/page/goldenchildYou can also connect on Instagram, Facebook, and SubstackYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

Hana, known online as the Suburban Witch, shares her journey of deconstructing a Pentecostal upbringing in Australia and the lasting impact of religious trauma. The conversation explores her childhood experiences of indoctrination, including purity culture, conformity, and the pressure to tie self-worth to rigid belief systems. Hana reflects on the psychological toll of growing up in a high-control religious environment and the courage it takes to reclaim identity beyond it. Through her story, listeners are invited into a deeper understanding of the resilience and healing that comes with unlearning harmful teachings and embracing authenticity, making this episode a powerful offering for anyone navigating faith, identity, and recovery.Who Is Hana? Hana is a professional Tarot reader, Astrologer & Witch who helps spiritual seekers go from feeling confused, blocked and overwhelmed to feeling confident, connected and clear in their path through a variety of mediums. She hosts the podcast ‘Witch Talks’ interviewing key Witches in the community, has a thriving YouTube channel with content from Spellcrafting, Tarot tutorials, Witchcraft basics and even details her own journey from Pentecostal Christian to proud Witch.Connect With UsFind out more about Hana and her work via her website - https://www.suburbanwitchery.com Connect via Facebook, Instagram & YoutubeYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

In this episode, Rachel shares her story of being immersed into the IBLP (Institute in Basic Life Principles), where the teachings of Bill Gothard shaped her understanding of faith, identity, and community in deeply controlling ways. She reflects on how the subtle mechanisms of spiritual abuse left lasting impacts on her ability to trust, belong, and feel secure in herself, even after leaving. As Rachel traces her gradual disentanglement from the IBLP framework, she sheds light on the resilience required to unlearn harmful teachings and rebuild a life outside of rigid religious control. Her honesty offers listeners both insight into the lingering effects of spiritual abuse and hope in the possibility of healing, as she speaks to the ongoing process of reclaiming identity, truth, and freedom on her own terms.Who Is Rachel?Rachel Lees is an award-winning New Zealand writer in Tauranga and the author of “Sacred Grooming”. The online memoir details her experience of being hand selected at 20 and groomed over years by American fundamentalist cult leader Bill Gothard of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). As one of the whistle-blowers which led to the downfall of the Christo-fascist organisation and resignation of the leader, and then filing a lawsuit against Gothard in 2015, Rachel withstood many personal attacks against her. She is passionate about speak more on predatory grooming and the healing that comes from the pursuit of justice.Connect With UsYou can connect with Rachel on Instagram or SubstackYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

In this episode, Scott, a Japanese American, reflects on his journey of navigating faith, race, and identity within evangelical Christianity. His parents adopted the church as a path to assimilation after the trauma of their own internment during World War II, a legacy that shaped his childhood in predominantly white spaces where he often felt alienated. While evangelicalism offered belonging, it also demanded conformity, leading Scott to eventually question its contradictions and begin the hard work of deconstruction. He shares the emotional labor of disentangling belief from dogma, and how cultural trauma, racial identity, and political realities like Christian nationalism complicate that process. Scott speaks candidly about the loneliness and struggle of leaving faith, but also about the healing found in community and the freedom of embracing uncertainty. His reflections point toward a spirituality grounded not in rigid certainties but in authenticity, compassion, and the courage to hold space for mystery.Who Is Scott?Scott is a 4th generation Japanese American author, musician, and podcaster. Creator/host of Chapel Probation and co-host of The Horny Chapel, Asians in Baseball, and Let's Talk About Text with Blake Chastain. Author of Asian American Apostate: Losing Religion and Finding Myself at an Evangelical University. Composer and editor at Axis Mundi Media with Brad Onishi.Connect With UsScott's Website - http://rscottokamoto.comConnect via Facebook or Instagram You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

Sally shares her journey of recovering from her time in Providence, a high-control cult that exploited her search for belonging. From her childhood as a Vietnamese immigrant to the manipulative dynamics that drew her into the group, Sally reflects on how cults prey on vulnerability and maintain control through fear and psychological tactics. Her story sheds light on both the personal cost of spiritual abuse and the broader patterns of coercion within such movements. Through honesty and courage, Sally also speaks to the process of healing, finding community, rebuilding identity, and reclaiming hope after trauma.Who Is Sally? Sally is a Vietnamese-Chinese-Australian counsellor with lived experience of cult trauma, supporting ex-Providence and Shincheonji members for over five years. She offers trauma-informed counselling and exit support to help people rebuild safety, reconnect with themselves, and rediscover their own values. Connect With UsYou can connect with Sally via her website - https://www.ahavacounselling.com.au/ You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

T shares their powerful story of spending over two decades in a coercive Sufi group and what it meant to finally walk away. We talk about the search for belonging that can draw people into high-control spaces, the manipulation and fear that keep them there, and the emotional cost of suppressing identity for the sake of faith.T reflects on cultic vows, spiritual betrayal, and the resilience it took to reclaim their truth and embracing their sexuality during the pandemic and navigating today’s hostile climate around trans and reproductive healthcare. Their story is one of both heartbreak and renewal, showing how healing and self-definition are possible even after deep religious harm.Who Is T?Born in the US, T graduated from Union Theological Seminary in New York City in 1993. Once a gay feminist liberation theologian, they later spent over two decades (1997–2020) in a coercive Sufi Muslim group in the American Midwest, where obedience to a “living guru” became central to their life. After leaving during the Covid pandemic, T has been reclaiming their sense of self and voice. They are now an activist and a PhD candidate in performance, bringing both lived experience and academic insight to their work as they continue the process of recovery and transformation.Connect With UsFor all details surrounding T and his performance pieces head to - https://quityourcult.net You can also connect via Facebook, Instagram or YouTubeYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

Janice shares her story of growing up in religion, specifically a Pentecostal family in Canada, where vibrant expressions of faith like speaking in tongues were part of daily life. Raised by parents transformed by their beliefs, she navigated the tension between familial love, purity culture, and the pull of individual identity, a journey that would eventually inspire her to write Divorcing Religion. Janice reflects on pivotal moments, from high school relationships that sparked a crisis of faith to a “back to Jesus” chapter that ultimately gave way to deconstruction. We discuss the emotional toll of leaving fundamentalism, the comfort she found in new secular communities, and the healing role of open conversation, resources like Dr. Marlene Winnell’s work. Through candid reflections on family boundaries, forgiveness, and self-acceptance, Janice offers a heartfelt look at religious trauma and the resilience it takes to move beyond it, leaving listeners with both hope and a sense of solidarity.Who Is Janice?Janice is a Registered Professional Counsellor. Founder of CORT (Conference on Religious Trauma) and Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture. Host of the Divorcing Religion Podcast. Author of Divorcing Religion: A Memoir & Survival Handbook, Creator of SEX & POWER Speaker Series. She spent 40 years as a devout Christian. Divorced religion (and her pastor-husband) about 15 years ago and never looked back! Now her life is devoted to helping others recover from religious trauma and embrace this one beautiful, messy, delicious life.Connect With UsFind all you need on Janice's website - https://www.divorcing-religion.com/You can find CORT over on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ComeToCORTYou can also connect over on Instagram or FacebookYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

In this episode, I sit down with Elise as she reflects on her experience growing up in a Pentecostal mega-church and the long, layered process of leaving a high-control religious community. She shares how fear and obedience were embedded in her early beliefs, and how that shaped her sense of self for years. As we talk through the pivotal moments that led to her deconstruction, Elise opens up about the inner conflict, grief, and eventual freedom that came with walking away from faith. We also explore how finding the right language became a powerful part of her healing, because sometimes, putting words to your experience is the first act of reclaiming it. This conversation is an invitation to anyone who’s ever struggled to name what happened to them, and a reminder that defining your own story can be a radical, grounding act.Who Is Elise? Elise Heerde (she/her) is a Certified Coach who helps people recover from religious trauma and cultic systems. Her work is grounded in lived experience, professional training, and a passion for creating safe, judgment-free spaces with a splash of sarcasm. Elise blends authenticity and hope in all she offers. Co-founder of The Religious Trauma Collective (Australia/New Zealand) Her memoir Holy Hell: Saved So Hard I Needed Therapy was released May 2025.Connect With UsYou can find out more about Elise via her website – https://www.eliseheerde.comOr you can connect over on Instagram or FacebookYou can purchase her book Holy Hell: Saved So Hard I Needed Therapy over on AmazonYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

In this deeply moving episode, Erica shares her story of growing up in a religious household in Canada and then moving to Australia, a childhood shaped by fear, guilt, and shame. Her reflections offer insight into the painful journey of untangling self-worth from the expectations of family and faith. We talk about what it means to deconstruct beliefs that were never truly yours, the shame that purity culture breeds, and the disconnection from one’s own body and desires that can follow.Erica’s journey is also shaped by her experience of being neurodivergent, adding another layer to the complexity of surviving high-control religious environments. She opens up about body image, sexuality, and the long road to self-compassion, especially when society and religion have tied your value to your purity. And in a surprising twist, Erica’s discovery about her biological origins prompts a fresh reckoning with her past.This conversation is for anyone listening who’s ever wrestled with identity, family, or faith. Her story is a reminder that healing is messy, layered, and worth every step.Who Is Erica?Erica Webb is a registered counsellor, somatic exercise coach and highly sensitive person. She supports other highly sensitive women to discover their sensitivity superpowers and more confidently navigate the tricky bits of being a sensitive person in an often insensitive world. Erica combines her training in Behavioural Science, Counselling, and various mindful movement modalities, along with her understanding of the nervous system’s role in trauma, pain and high sensitivity. She focuses on Self-Compassion, Kindness and Curiosity as key components to foster resilience as a sensitive human navigating the world. Erica works with clients 1-1 and in her online membership space, the SelfKind Hub. She is also host of the podcast SelfKind with Erica Webb and cohost of the podcast Midlife Unfiltered: The Season of Me.Connect With UsYou can learn more about Erica on her websiteConnect with Erica on both Facebook & InstagramYou can also listen to Erica’s Podcasts SelfKind & Midlife Unfiltered: The Season of MeYou can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

Growing up in the Mormon church, Daisy was expected to follow the rules - and bring her siblings back into the fold. But beneath the surface of religious rituals and gender expectations was a deeper struggle with mental health, body image, and the pressure to be the “good girl.” In this episode, Daisy opens up about the impact of purity culture, the silence around emotional wellbeing, and the loneliness of living in a community that misreads pain as a spiritual flaw.Her story explores what happens after you leave: the guilt, the shame, the slow work of finding yourself again. Daisy shares how writing, community, and coming out as bisexual became lifelines in her journey toward freedom. This conversation is a tender and honest look at what it means to untangle your identity from a faith that tried to define it for you.Who Is Daisy?Daisy lives in the Utah Valley with her husband and three kids. When she’s not writing her next book, she’s reading, cooking, and spending time with her family. Her love of writing has been prominent since childhood, and she’s always felt a call to share her stories, as well as been encouraged to by her late grandpa. A hopeless romantic since she first saw The Phantom of the Opera at age eight, she’s been writing her own romances ever since!She’s a former member of a high demand religion and hopes to bring light to the issues of the church in which she was raised, while also telling beautiful stories about life after leaving.As a fat woman, body inclusivity is extremely important to her, so most of her FMCs, and some of her MMCs, will be fat baddies who get their HEA. She’s also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and it’s important to her that everyone who reads her books feels safe and welcome.Connect With UsYou can find more about Daisy on her website - https://www.daisywren.com/Or you can connect over on Instagram.You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective