Alissa's Awake

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Eva who shares her incredible journey from being recruited into Jehovah's Witnesses in post-Soviet Latvia to eventually escaping after more than 20 years inside the organization.

She was only 15 years old when she was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. What followed was years of judgment, conditional love, and being permanently labeled for choices she made as a teenager.

Ieva's story is a powerful reminder that healing is possible. Whether you're questioning your beliefs, navigating life after leaving a high-control religion, or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers hope, validation, and encouragement.

If this video resonates with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who may need to hear this story. Every voice matters, and every story helps someone else feel less alone.

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Gina as she shares one of the most heartbreaking stories.

Gina devoted her life to her faith and raising her twin daughters. But after being disfellowshipped, everything changed. What followed was years of fear, manipulation, false accusations, CPS investigations, family betrayal, and a custody battle that ultimately separated her from her children.

Despite losing her children, her community, and her family, Gina never gave up hope. This conversation is ultimately a story of survival, resilience, and a mother's unwavering love.

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Chelsey as she courageously shares her personal journey. Born and raised in the Jehovah's Witnesses she questioned her faith at a young age, and ultimately walked away before adulthood.

From being treated as "bad association" by her own family, to being scrutinized by elders, pressured into harmful relationships, and blamed for speaking up about abuse, Chelsey's story sheds light on the pressure many young people face inside high control religious environments.

At just 13 years old, she told her father she was an atheist. By 17, she made the difficult decision to leave the organization behind. In this conversation, Chelsey opens up about the emotional toll of growing up under constant judgment, the culture of silence surrounding abuse, and how she found the strength to build a life on her own terms.

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Hannah and Alexis, two best friends whose lives were deeply impacted by their time in the organization. They experienced significant trauma, including abuse and assault, and witnessed firsthand how harmful behavior can be hidden within the religion.

Everything changed when Hannah was disfellowshipped, leaving Alexis with the painful expectation of shunning her closest friend. Instead of ignoring her instincts, Alexis chose to trust her conscience. She made the difficult decision to step away from the organization and reconnect with Hannah, who had already been out for more than a year.

Today, they are rebuilding their lives, healing from their experiences, and strengthening the friendship that once seemed lost. In this interview, they share their journey and encourage others to trust their instincts, question what doesn't feel right, and discover the beauty, freedom, and genuine connections that exist beyond the organization.

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Denise as she courageously shares her personal journey. I interviewed her daughter Audrey and now she's ready to share her side of the story.

Denise shares how she found Jehovah’s Witnesses later in life while searching for the truth. She, her husband, and their young daughters fully embraced the religion and built their lives around it.
Everything changed when her husband became seriously ill and the Jehovah’s Witness blood doctrine suddenly became deeply personal. Denise opens up about the fear, heartbreak, and confusion of desperately searching for answers while receiving mixed messages within the organization during one of the most devastating times of her life.

After losing her husband, Denise began to recognize major flaws within the organization that she could no longer ignore. Today, she continues her spiritual journey outside of organized religion and gives some truly great advice to others.

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Zaiga as she courageously shares her personal journey.

She opens up about how she found the Jehovah's Witnesses in Latvia as a teenager and while her life as one wasn't long, she had years of dealing with the impact those teachings had on her. Despite being disfellowshipped for over 10 years, it took an ex-elder meeting up with her to help her see this was a cult! Now she is sharing her story to hopefully help others who may be in the place she was, before she saw the organization for what it really is.

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Ashley as she courageously shares her personal journey.

She opens up about how life as one of Jehovah's Witnesses left her feeling deeply depressed, emotionally hollow, and struggling to find herself. She also witnessed firsthand the devastating way the organization handled CSA allegations and tragically lost a childhood friend as a result.

Now, Ashley has chosen to speak out in hopes of helping others who still feel silenced, unheard, or unable to share their own experiences.

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Desiree as she shares her personal journey.

She shares what it was like feeling like she didn’t belong from a very young age, yet continuing to play a role to keep family and friends happy. After one Google search, everything changed. The beliefs she had always questioned came crashing down when she discovered information about Raymond Franz and his books.

She continued going through the motions until the birth of her second child, when she realized she didn’t want her children to grow up living a lie. She and her husband quietly faded.

Now, 11 years later, she is finally telling her story to help others see that those who leave are not bad people. They are simply people who allowed themselves to question what never felt right.

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Bobbie as she shares her deeply personal journey.

She discusses what it was like being a child during 1975, including the fear that was deeply engrained in her. To her experience with injustices within the congregation, from being reproved for her own SA to the mishandling of CSA. She discusses how ignoring her intuition kept her trapped in the organization for far too long.

This story highlights systemic issues and the importance of questioning and seeking truth.

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Jasmin as she shares her deeply personal journey.

Born and raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jasmin experienced the pain of losing her father to shunning after he left the organization and tried to gently challenge her beliefs. She devoted her life to the religion, pioneering and eventually serving as a need greater, which led her to Cambodia, leaving behind everything familiar, including her family in Australia.

While there, she began to notice shifts within the organization during COVID, sparking deeper questions and a more critical look at what she had always believed.

Jasmin opens up about her awakening, navigating a faith crisis, and ultimately finding freedom beyond Jehovah’s Witnesses.