Beyond The Surface

What happens when the foundations of your faith start to crumble? Our latest episode of "Beyond the Surface" tackles the intricate and emotional journey of religious trauma and faith deconstruction with our insightful guest, Dr Laura Anderson. Growing up in a fundamentalist Christian environment, Dr Laura opens up about the challenges she faced, from grappling with purity culture to her first existential crisis after high school.

Through her story, we explore the impact of stringent religious doctrines on personal beliefs and life choices, shedding light on the difficult path of questioning long-held convictions. We celebrate the powerful evolution of embracing spiritual uncertainty and growth. Dr Laura discusses moving away from rigid religious labels, reclaiming personal goodness, and finding joy in new identities and communities.

More About Dr Laura

Dr. Laura Anderson (PhD, Saybrook University; LMFT) is a therapist, trauma resolution and recovery coach, writer, educator, and creator who specialises in complex trauma with a focus on domestic violence, sexualised violence and religious trauma. Laura has a private practice in Nashville, TN and is the founder and director of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, an online coaching company where she and the other practitioners work with clients who have experienced high demand/high control religions, adverse religious experiences, cults, and religious trauma. 

In 2019, Laura co-founded the Religious Trauma Institute with the goal of providing trauma-informed resources, consultation, and training to clinicians and other helping professionals who work with religious trauma survivors. Laura’s first book, “When Religion Hurts You: Healing From Religious Trauma and the Impact of High Control Religion”, was released by Brazos press in October 2023. She lives with her dog, Phoebe, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Connect With Us

• Find out more about Dr Laura over on her website - https://drlauraeanderson.com/
• You can also connect over on Instagram - @drlauraeanderson

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

What happens when devotion turns into oppression? Join us for a gripping episode of Beyond the Surface as we sit down with Ruth from snowy Connecticut, who bravely recounts her harrowing experiences growing up in a militant Catholic institution. Separated from her parents and subjected to the institution's extreme religious and political ideologies, Ruth's story is a powerful testament to the devastating effects of institutionalised abuse and religious indoctrination. Through her vivid recounting of physical, emotional, and psychological torment, we gain a deeper understanding of the traumatic impact of growing up in such a cult-like environment.

Who Is Ruth?

Ruth Reymundo Mandel has been in training and implementation since 1995. Her career began as a middle school teacher in post revolutionary Nicaragua. As a teacher in a developing, post war country she became dedicated to issues surrounding social justice and violence. She later transitioned to higher education and worked at the Bryman School and at The Art Institute of Phoenix as an Assistant Director of Admissions. Her responsibilities included vetting prospective students and identifying barriers to enrolment and to matriculation.

After taking a break to raise her three children, she began working as a trainer and technical support for a national professional line nutritional company and an international professional line herbal company which trained medical professionals in alternative therapies.

In her role she trained doctors and medical professionals in clinical application and was an ongoing support for successful implementation through patient outcomes. She developed systems for practice management, patient support, managed, created and promoted cyclical education events for clinical success. She developed training strategies to respond to a variety of real time field challenges.

Ruth also worked as a professional business coach specialising in systems and practice management. Her dedication to understanding root challenges, institutional, structural and personal impediments which keep people from applying their skills and knowledge in a targeted and successful way helped many of her clients increase their business success.

Aside from her professional accomplishments Ruth is a published poet, an artist, writer and a public speaker. Drawing on her childhood experiences growing up in an abusive, religious institution and as a survivor she is a fierce advocate for those who have experienced institutional abuse. She is dedicated to helping survivors and allies understand their behavioral coping mechanisms, arising out of trauma and mitigating societal and personal judgments surrounding common human responses to violence.

Connect with Us

• To find out more about Ruth's work - https://safeandtogetherinstitute.com/
• Connect over on Instagram or LinkedIn

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form

Growing up in a conservative evangelical bubble, Aaron's early realisation of being gay sparked a profound internal conflict within the rigid doctrines of his faith. From his childhood filled with love and support despite restrictive beliefs, to his tumultuous journey as a pastor grappling with his sexuality, Aaron's story is a testament to resilience and the quest for authenticity. Join us on this emotional and thought-provoking episode of Beyond the Surface as Aaron reflects on his upbringing and the painful yet formative experiences that shaped his path.

Who Is Aaron?

Aaron Kelly, a gay man living in Naarm, grew up in conservative evangelical circles and spent his adult life deeply involved in church leadership. He realised he was gay at 12 but was taught to view his sexuality as sinful. He endured harmful conversion practices during his teens and twenties, leaving lasting emotional scars. As a Pentecostal Pastor with the Australian Christian Churches, Aaron and his then-wife founded Fresh Church in 2015, a vibrant and diverse community. However, when LGBTQIA+ members joined, Aaron faced a conflict with the ACC’s constitution, which prohibited LGBTQIA+ individuals from leadership roles. After two years of studying biblical interpretations of sexuality, Aaron rejected the notion that homosexuality was a sin.

In 2020, Aaron came out as gay, resulting in the loss of his pastoral credentials and his termination as pastor of Fresh Church. He and his wife, though still close friends, separated shortly after. Since then, Aaron has focused on healing and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in religious settings. His story was featured in a 2024 interview on Channel 10’s “The Project,” helping pass a NSW bill banning conversion practices. Aaron is now working on a book about his journey from pastor to proud gay man, continuing his efforts to promote understanding and diversity in religious contexts.

Connect With Us

• Connect with Aaron over on Facebook or Instagram

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

Join us for a profound exploration of healing religious trauma through the body, featuring insightful conversations with Liz Milani and Erica Webb. Liz, a former pastor and pastor's kid, shares her journey of navigating an involuntary deconstruction of faith, leading her to create a supportive community for others on similar paths. Erica, a somatic exercise coach and counsellor, brings her expertise on how purity culture and teachings of bodily mistrust contribute to a disconnection from the body's inherent wisdom. Together, we discuss the long-term impacts of religious trauma and the importance of reconnecting with and processing trauma through bodily awareness and mindful movement.

Who Are Liz & Erica?

Liz Milani is a writer, and the co-creator of the The Practice Co App. She lives for wholehearted, grounded spirituality, and to help people feel free to find God for themselves, in the world, in the lives they have. Liz lives on the Central Coast of NSW, Australia, with her partner, Jesse, and their three kids. 

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 Us

• To learn more about Liz or The Practice Co head to their website.
• You can follow along over on Instagram - @thepracticeco
• You can download The Practice Co on Apple or Android

• You can learn more about Erica on her website
• Connect with Erica on both Facebook & Instagram
• You can also listen to Erica's Podcasts SelfKind & Midlife Unfiltered: The Season of Me

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

Charli shares her experiences growing up in a devout Christian home, the challenges of seeking validation, and the complexities of moving beyond ingrained beliefs. After leaving an abusive marriage and facing family estrangement, she found solace in raising her children with autonomy and openness. Discover how she rebuilt her intuition, set firm boundaries, and redefined her faith, creating a nurturing space for the next generation. We also explore the power of community and inner strength in overcoming trauma and isolation, highlighting the significance of gut instincts, nature, and holistic practices in healing. This episode is filled with resilience, self-discovery, and encouragement for those deconstructing their faith.

Who Is Charli?

Charli is an Emotional Strength & Trauma Coach, and loves having courageous conversations around all thing’s trauma and traumatic impact.

With a history of her own personal trauma stemming from religion, spiritual abuse, narcissistic abuse, and coercive control, she now lives a life of freedom and autonomy while she raises her 2 beautiful young teens and supports others who are ready to find freedom and healing in their own journeys.

Connect With Us

• You can find more about Charli over on her website.
• You can also connect on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn.

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

In this episode, Laura shares her experience of being born into the fundamentalist group/cult known as The Truth, discussing the isolation, coercive control, and spiritual abuse she endured. We explore the unique challenges faced by women in these communities and Laura's struggle with identity. Laura reflects on her childhood values, teenage years without typical rites of passage, and the pain of leaving her family and community. She talks about her reintegration, dealing with C-PTSD, and finding her own beliefs. Laura also offers advice to those beginning their deconstruction journey.

Who is Laura?

With over 17 years of experience in accounting and finance, Laura founded the social enterprise and BCorp #GoKindly in 2018. An adventure motorbike rider and open water swimmer, Laura brings a dynamic perspective to her work.

Raised in the 5th & 3rd Generation inside The Truth/2x2s, a high-control, coercive fundamentalist cult, Laura has a unique understanding of religious control. A fierce feminist with an intersectional approach to life, Laura sits on the board of several grassroots, women-led social services organisations.

Holding a BA in Chinese Language & Women’s Studies and a BCom in Accounting & Finance, Laura is also a CA, CPA, and AAICD. With over 20 years of experience supporting women and young people leaving high-control religious groups, Laura has a deep interest in coercive control within religious contexts, drawing from over 30 years of observation.

Laura writes blogs, provides commentary and context on religious and spiritual abuse conversations, and consults with family violence providers to support individuals leaving high-control religions.

Connect with Us

• You can find out more about Laura over on her website.
• To connect with Laura on social media, head to Instagram - @lauramc.au

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

In this episode, Sarah shares her journey from a Christian upbringing to the present day broader worldview, influenced by the pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement. She talks about the emotional process of leaving her faith, navigating a mixed-faith relationship, and discussing faith with her children. Sarah reflects on reconciling emotional ties to God with new intellectual insights whilst allowing for curiosity and why "spirituality" doesn't fit her experience. She also offers advice for those beginning their own deconstruction journey.

Who Is Sarah?

Sarah Henn Hayward has been writing since she cracked open her first “quiet time” devotional journal. 

Sarah grew up in the Chicago suburbs, went to Marquette University for physical therapy, and moved to Spokane, WA, where she met her husband and grew their family. They love camping in the Pacific Northwest and take advantage of their beautiful surroundings as much as possible.

 After her deconstruction and departure from the faith of her youth, Sarah felt lost and adrift. Being a Christian was the foundation of her identity, giving her life purpose and meaning. She turned to books for comfort. When the progressive Christian voices fell flat and the atheistic approaches to life couldn't relate to her grief, she began writing her own spiritual memoir. 

 The process of writing Giving Up God unlocked a previously undiscovered part of Sarah's brain, and she is now full of ideas for more books. She has plans for more non-fiction memoirs and a novel, and she has started writing a children's chapter book series. 

 She's been loving the process of writing and publishing, and she is excited to see where this journey will take her!

Connect With Us

• To find out more about Sarah head to her website
• You can also connect with Sarah over on Instagram - @shaywardwrites

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

This is Rachel's Story..

More About Rachel

Rachel is a Minister’s kid, eldest daughter, who grew up in the church and did all the ‘right’ things from a young age, but realised over time that being a bisexual feminist with an environmental science degree didn’t sit that well in certain church circles. She asked too many questions and poked at the wrong bears. Which queued the pain and continued deconstruction…

Connect

• To connect with Rachel head to her Instagram.

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

This is Maggie's Story...

Who Is Maggie?

Maggie runs the Instagram account @hello_deconstructionists and the host of the Hello Deconstructionists podcast, where she is building community post evangelicalism. She is a religious trauma survivor and a dedicated therapy client where she’s working hard to understand who she is outside of religion. Her goal is to share parts of her own story and bring other survivors together to help them know they’re not alone on their deconstruction journey.

Connect With Us.

• To connect with Maggie over on Instagram - @hello_deconstructionists
• To listen to Hello Deconstructionists on Spotify

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

This is Amanda's Story...

More About Amanda

Amanda is a Faith Deconstruction & Reconstruction Coach + Clinical Social Worker. You can find her at the intersection of mental health, social work, and theology.

She supports thoughtful Christians and communities who are wrestling through big doubts and questions and hope to stay within the Christian faith while finding more ease and wonder in the process. Her goal is to help people ask different questions and expand the lens of what can be possible in their Christian faith.

Connect With Us

• Amanda’s Website – https://www.heyamandawaldron.com/
• To connect with Amanda over on Instagram - @heyamandawaldron

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.