Beyond The Surface

This is his story...

Bio

Growing up, Tim always felt at home in evangelical spaces – until years later, when his studying and questions caused him to no longer be welcomed at in his church community. Broken-hearted, but undeterred, Tim continued to pursue a deeper understanding of faith, history, theology, and the evangelical church. The more he uncovers, the more he realises the importance of advocating for the marginalised in the church, exploring the full depth and breadth of Christian faith traditions, and holding toxic churches and leaders accountable.

Links

• To check out the work that Tim does with The New Evangelicals
• To connect with them over on Instagram - @thenewevangelicals

• 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 discussion on megachurch culture through the miniseries 'Prosper' on Stan.

Connect with us!

• To find out more about Jane and her practice head to her website - https://janekennedycounselling.com.au/
• Or to connect with her on social media; you can find her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn

• To connect with Elise head to her website - https://eliseheerde.com
• Or you can also find her on Instagram and LinkedIn

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

This is her story...

Bio

⁣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. 

Links

• 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

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

This is his story...

Bio

Brad Klausman was born and raised within the Southern Baptist Church community. He received his degree in biblical studies at Palm Beach Atlantic University and his master’s from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. After serving in full time ministry for over two decades, Brad found himself having to choose between the church and his LGBTQ+ daughter. Without hesitation, he chose his daughter. Now Brad is a certified life coach and empowers individuals who are struggling within, on the way out of, or have left the church to find freedom from systematic religion.

Links

• To learn more about Brad and his work head to his website.
• To connect with Brad over on Instagram - @brad.lifecoach

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

This is My Story....

Bio

As a Queer religious trauma therapist, I work from a trauma informed and lived experience stance. I understand the profound impact that religious experiences can have on individuals and am here to provide an accepting and non-judgmental space to explore your inner world.

 I will be releasing my new workbook “Embracing Queerness and Faith” early 2024 which I am hopeful will bring an internal sense of authenticity and freedom to many.

 Currently living and working in Goulburn on Gundungarra Land in my private practice Anchored Counselling Services but offering therapy worldwide (except US & Canada).

 I am equal parts professional and compassionate with a dash of sarcasm and humour that make the therapeutic journey even more relatable and enriching. I also have an incredibly cute and furry co-therapist Naya; she is a sweet and intuitive Cavoodle.

Links

• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• I am also over on Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

This is Hannah's Story..

Hannah went from an evangelical Jesus-loving Christian to an agnostic atheist. Her journey started about over a year and a half ago, when her partner of 4 years called her out by telling her that she wasn’t really a Christian anymore and she is so glad that he did. It took 27 years for her to have her religious bubble finally popped for resulting in seeing all the bullshit and lies that she had been fed for years by the church. Now she is 29 soon to be 30 and still healing from the trauma that religion has left her with.

Links

• To connect with Hannah on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_the_deconstructing_damsel_/

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

If you haven't listened to Part 1 of Matt's Story - you are going to want to.

This is Part 2.

Matt is the Director of MGA Counselling Services and provides individual, couple, family, and group counselling. He is also the founder of Forest Therapy Victoria. Matt has a special interest in relationship counselling, grief, trauma, abuse recovery, high sensitivity, and spirituality. Matt provides professional and personal development courses on a range of topics and speaks regularly at conferences and in the media on sexuality and mental health.

Aside from his counselling work, Matt also freelances as a cartoonist and illustrator. He is the author and illustrator of the Shapes, Lines and Dots: Creativity and Wellbeing for Kids series of books, plus regularly does commissions for corporate and community clients.

Links:

• For more information on Matt’s creative ventures head to - http://mattglover.com
• To connect with Matt about his practice head to https://mgacounselling.com.au/
• To connect over on Instagram - @matt.r.glover

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

This is Matt's Story...well part of it.

Matt is the Director of MGA Counselling Services and provides individual, couple, family, and group counselling. He is also the founder of Forest Therapy Victoria. Matt has a special interest in relationship counselling, grief, trauma, abuse recovery, high sensitivity, and spirituality. Matt provides professional and personal development courses on a range of topics and speaks regularly at conferences and in the media on sexuality and mental health.

Aside from his counselling work, Matt also freelances as a cartoonist and illustrator. He is the author and illustrator of the Shapes, Lines and Dots: Creativity and Wellbeing for Kids series of books, plus regularly does commissions for corporate and community clients.

Links:

• For more information on Matt’s creative ventures head to - http://mattglover.com
• To connect with Matt about his practice head to https://mgacounselling.com.au/
• To connect over on Instagram - @matt.r.glover

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

This is Angela's Story...

Angela is a faith deconstruction coach and host of The Deconstructing Faith Summit who helps people break free from toxic religious culture & empowers them to recover from #churchhurt. She has led online ministries for a decade, enjoys working with clients 1:1, in groups, and is a dynamic conference speaker. She’s a Lark’s Song Certified Life Coach who reaches thousands of people in 40+ countries each month on Facebook, IG, Twitter, Pinterest, and her blog.

She’s a firstborn, Enneagram 8, Gen Xer who loves to question everything. She holds a BA from Indiana Wesleyan and a master’s in leadership from Wesley Seminary. Her graduate research project focused on leadership development and opportunities for Gen X women in the US church.

Angela and her unique online ministry are featured in Lyz Lenz’s 2019 book God Land: Story of Faith, Loss, and Renewal in Middle America. She has published articles in Hope for Women and HOPE is Now magazines. She has been featured in The New Republic, Publisher’s Today, and Religion News Service.

Her first book, Deconstruct Your Faith Without Losing Yourself, shares her decade of experience as a faith deconstruction coach, personal stories, a hefty dose of compassion, and her trademark Gen X humour. 

Angela is also a wife, mom to 5, and a proud resident of Marion, Indiana with her family when they’re not traveling the US in their RV.

Links:

• Angela’s Website - http://angelajherrington.com/
• Connect with Angela over on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
• To purchase Angela’s book in Australia on Booktopia

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

In this episode, Phil delves into faith deconstruction, highlighting it as an introspective journey rather than a move towards de-conversion. He touches on the comfort of certainty, the impact of small changes, and the special challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community. Phil emphasises the importance of self-compassion and community support for individuals reevaluating their beliefs, especially those grappling with the realisation of having supported harmful systems. Concluding with advice for newcomers to deconstruction, the conversation underlines kindness and community as vital components in navigating this transformative process.

Who is Phil?

Phil Drysdale is a public speaker, podcaster, researcher, and coach specialising in the area of Deconstruction. For over a decade he’s helped people navigate the painful journey beyond their faith tradition. He conducts research into the Deconstruction community through The Deconstruction Network, runs a regular podcast about Deconstruction, provides free resources to help people on their journeys and offers a safe space for people to process their deconstruction.

Links:

• Phil’s Website - https://www.phildrysdale.com & The Deconstruction Network
• You can find Phil over on Instagram

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