Broken to Beloved Podcast

For the month of June, I'm re-airing some of our favorite episodes. This one originally aired on August 13, 2024.

TW/CW: references to sexual assault

Have you ever had Matthew 18 used against you?

Far too often, the forgiveness passage in Matthew 18:15–17 is weaponized against those who experience hurt and harm. Victims are forced to face their abusers, and there is no real reconciliation. The abuser walks away “forgive...

This conversation is from our 2024 Annual Summit.

Get 30% OFF an All Access Pass from any of our Annual Summits now through the end of June. Use code PODCAST30 to take advantage of this offer today!

In this session, Suzanne shares her surprise at the number of people willing to talk about trauma and her concern about the misuse of the term. She also highlights the subtle nature of religious manipulation and the need for acceptance an...

For the month of June, I'm re-airing some of our favorite episodes. This one originally aired on September 24, 2024.

Trauma fundamentally disconnects us.

It can disconnect our brains from our bodies. It can sever relationships and entire communities. Those of us familiar with trauma know it can have a real impact on our faith or beliefs. It warps our understanding of others, our sense of safety, and even our own identi...

This conversation is from our 2025 Annual Summit.

Get 30% OFF an All Access Pass from any of our Annual Summits now through the end of June. Use code PODCAST30 to take advantage of this offer today!

In this session, Pete shares how the investigative process works for all forms of abuse in spiritual contexts. He breaks down the process of how they investigate abuse reports and misconduct and the overall culture and health of the organ...

For the month of June, I'm re-airing some of our favorite episodes. This one originally aired on July 2, 2024.

Have you ever wondered how to find your way back into healthy relationships after abuse and trauma? By providing clear steps to Name, Frame, and Brave our experiences, Dr. Alison Cook offers practical wisdom to move toward healing and wholeness.

We talk about the unique challenges of leaving toxic spaces and environment...

In this final episode of Season 2, I'm "opening up my office," which is currently covered with my kids' toys and an interesting but good smell of fresh-cut peonies and coffee. Have a seat and get cozy as I share what’s next for the Broken to Beloved podcast and respond to a few questions I received from the audience. During our break, you can look forward to tuning in to some of my favorite recap episodes and ar...

Very few victims of abuse seek out a lawyer for money—most are looking for something else. They want safety, justice, and agency over an impossible situation.

In this episode, I speak to Melissa J. Hogan, attorney, advocate, and author in the field of trauma and abuse, about the legal options available for survivors. She shares where her passion for medical and spiritual trauma comes from, along with several practical tips about how...

How do you restore a relationship with God after spiritual abuse?

It makes sense that you might struggle with the idea of being held and loved by God after experiencing spiritual abuse, or any other form of abuse, for that matter.

In this episode with Michael Cusick, author of Sacred Attachment: Escaping Spiritual Exhaustion and Trusting in Divine Love, helps us understand the safe love available through God and how we might go about...

CW/TW: This episode is centered largely around the topic of Clergy Sexual Abuse (CSA) and its effects. Please be gentle with yourself. If it feels like too much at any point, please feel free to stop, take a break, or skip this episode altogether.

What happens when those in church leadership become the ones who harm—and the institution covers it up? Where does one go to hold these abusers accountable?

In this episode, I talk with Dr....

Ever wonder what it’s like to run a community solely focused on spiritual abuse?

From dealing with the regular stream of scandals and stories to the practicalities of managing the business, it helps to hear how others navigate this field. In this episode, I talk with my friend Amy Fritz, creator and host of the Untangled Faith podcast. We get really honest and a little bit vulnerable about our thought processes, how we make the deci...

Many people who have read The Parable of the Sower interpret it as: You have to be the “good soil”, or else.

However, in my conversation with Jeff Chu, he reframes what good soil actually means and how it’s made. Pulling from his latest book, Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand, Jeff guides us through a beautiful discussion on the theology of compost, returning to cultural roots, embracing diversity, being attentive t...

Are there communities that support survivors of religious trauma without being…religious? Spiritual abuse doesn’t only happen in churches. It can happen anywhere and to anyone, but there’s rarely space for all voices and experiences to be heard.

I recently spoke with the four founders of the newly launched Religious Trauma Network. These four are creating a place that proves you can have a community of healing without believing the ...

When your true face has been hidden for so long, what is it like to finally reveal it?

In this episode, we dive into connection, community, relationships, and what happens when it all falls apart. How do you save face in the presence of such incredible loss?

We explore memory and story work, and how it helps us to unveil present realities by examining our history.

Join us for a more introspective trip into Aimee's path as a write...

CW: marriage and sex (not explicit)

If you grew up in the evangelical Christianity of the 80s and 90s like me, we likely hear or read much of the same marriage advice. What if it was bad advice?

Most of the popular marriage books are written by those with no relevant education or professional credentials and include no research, data, or peer-reviewed evidence for their claims.

Sheila Gregoire and her team are committed to work that i...

How can the Church transform from a place of harm to a sanctuary of healing and truth? How do we learn to recognize the wolves among the sheep when it's hard to tell the difference? How can anyone hold on to faith and find hope after witnessing so much trauma?

From recognizing a real-life parable of an observing how a body that does not follow its head is very sick, to systems that preserve themselves instead of obeying Christ,...

How have harmful religious teachings about gender reinforced sexism and silenced women's voices in Christian communities? Dr. Andrew Bauman discusses his extensive research on the impact of sexism and abuse on women in churches, challenging misinterpretations of biblical texts that have been used to justify inequality.

Bauman shares insights from his book Safe Church, exploring different forms of sexism, the weaponization of fo...

What if the church has been telling women the wrong story about their spiritual gifts for centuries? Historian and author Beth Allison Barr and I dive deep into the forgotten narratives of women's ministry, uncovering a rich and powerful history that challenges everything we've been taught.

From the abbesses who wielded more authority than most modern pastors to the prophetic voices systematically silenced throughout churc...

What if the key to understanding your present lies buried in the stories of your past?

In this episode, I talk with Adam Young about his new book Make Sense of Your Story and the transformative power of story work. We explore how desires and disappointments reveal who we are, why self-contempt must be replaced with kindness, and how the path through trauma leads to connection. Adam provides practical guidance on recognizing when som...

What if pushing harder isn't the answer? Author and trauma therapist Aundi Kolber shares how the surprising path to healing often means doing the opposite of what we've been taught.

In our conversation, she shares her own journey of complex trauma and her work with clients, she reveals why disconnecting from our bodies might have once saved us, but now could be keeping us stuck.

Learn why the smallest acts of compassion tow...