Alyona Smoky - A Beautiful Liberation
CW: War in Ukraine
Alyona Smoky was born and raised in Ukraine, where her mother joined a high-control, conservative evangelical church when Alyona was young. As a result of family stressors, Alyona shouldered much of the emotional burden in her family as a child, and she grew up very quickly in a chaotic and emotionally intense environment.
When she was 16, Alyona moved to the U.S. with her family due to political unrest in Ukraine. She found coming to the U.S. disorienting, having left behind community and structure while carrying internalized religious control with her. Alyona felt stuck between two worlds — Ukrainian and American — and didn’t feel truly at home in either.
In this episode, Alyona shares her fascinating story of immigration and her liberation from high-demand religion and purity culture. Don't miss her journey of becoming a coach, writer, and photographer, as she helps others recover from high-control systems, including religion, cults, and ideology-heavy environments. Alyona also hosts the Showing Up Sustainably Podcast.
FIND ALYONA:
Alyona's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/alyonasmoky?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=9c4ed103-f24b-4f70-8139-c914dbec5e59
FIND JANICE:
Janice Selbie's Best-selling book Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available in the USA:
Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF
and CANADA
Amazon
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF
Recordings are available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket now:
https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/
Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific and Thursdays at 6pm Eastern (starting April 17). Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support:
https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services
Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here:
https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services
Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:
Threads: Wisecounsellor@threads.net
BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/
Subscribe to the audio-only version here:
https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast
The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular mental health clinician.
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