In this season finale, Heather McG shares her personal journey deprogramming from a fundamentalist Christian environment. Joined by guest host Sydney Davis Jr. Jr., Heather talks about what it was like growing up with 21 siblings, confronting the beliefs that no longer served her as an adult, and redesigning her life from the ground up. Heather and Sydney explore the complexities of fundamentalism, the impact made on their lives, and how to shed your shame. The conversation also talks about how we are more than the worst things that have happened to us, and how changing your life starts with you. After all, happiness is an inside job.

CHAPTERS

04:53 Facing Loss and Personal Growth

09:56 The Impact of Fundamentalism

15:04 Racism and the White Savior Complex

20:05 Acknowledging Privilege and Moving Forward

22:14 The Power of Sharing Personal Stories

24:41 Navigating Change and Growth

25:08 The Systemic Nature of Fundamentalism

28:35 Confronting New Realities in Chicago

31:20 The Shift in Beliefs

35:17 The Great Unlearning

39:15 Finding Closure with a Complicated Past

44:52 The Complexity of Grief and Freedom

48:03 Shame and Its Impact on Healing

51:24 The Power of Sharing Stories

57:22 Finding Hope and New Beginnings

ABOUT SYDNEY DAVIS JR. JR.

Sydney Davis is a comedian, satirist and host of the podcast Growing Up Fundie. Her standup comedy special, Trash, is available on Amazon Prime, and she holds an MFA in creative non fiction. She currently lives in Arizona with one husband, four parrots, and three venus fly traps.

• Follow her on IG: @sydneydavisjrjr
• YouTube: SydneyDavisJrJr

MORE ABOUT THE HAPPILY NEVER AFTER

The Happily Never After is a podcast that features stories of big endings that led to personal breakthroughs. While endings can hurt, they also provide opportunities to heal and grow, and sometimes, they even set us free. Endings can offer an opportunity to begin anew, in a better way, and that’s what we’re here to talk about.

• New episodes every Tuesday.
• Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thatheathermcg⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG for related content and discussion.
• Read The Happily Never After on Substack at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thehappilyneverafter.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Learn more about Heather McG at  www.heathermcg.com.