Beyond The Surface

This podcast episode delves into the intricate topic of deconstructing monogamy, wherein we engage in a profound exploration of diverse relationship structures. Our conversation centres on the societal norms surrounding monogamy, particularly within high-control faith contexts, and the implications these norms have on individual identity and relational dynamics. The episode not only illuminates the challenges faced by individuals questioning traditional relationship models but also highlights the potential for growth and self-discovery that arises from such explorations. Throughout, we advocate for open dialogue and the importance of understanding the values that underpin our relational choices, encouraging listeners to embrace their authentic selves.

Who Is Ann?

Ann Russo, LCSW, MA, Theology is a mental health advocate, therapist, and thought leader specializing in healing religious trauma, sexual empowerment, ethical non-monogamy, queer identity, and inclusivity in mental health. With over two decades of experience, she combines professional expertise and lived experience to inspire transformation and foster meaningful conversations about often-stigmatized topics. Ann is currently writing her first book under contract with PESI, which introduces the Religious Trauma Treatment Model (RTTM). She is also the founder and clinical director of AMR Therapy, a boutique mental health practice serving clients with a focus on culturally competent, accessible care for marginalized communities.

Connect With Us

• You can find out more about Ann via her website, YouTube or connect on LinkedIn

• You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.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, Emily opens up about growing up in a high-control religious environment and the emotional toll it took on her sense of self. She reflects on how the rigid beliefs of her faith once felt grounding but eventually left her feeling anxious, stifled, and disconnected from her own identity. Her story captures the often messy and deeply personal journey of deconstructing long-held beliefs in search of freedom and authenticity.

As we chat, Emily speaks to the power of community in healing, and how connecting with others on similar paths helped her rebuild trust in herself. Together, we explore what it means to find belonging outside of oppressive systems, and how stepping into vulnerability can lead to transformation. This conversation is a gentle reminder that while deconstruction can be painful, it can also be a doorway to discovering who you really are.

Who Is Emily?

Emily Maynard is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, where she focuses on supporting people after religious trauma. She grew up in high control religion and Purity Culture in the United States, and talks about real life after religious trauma on her Instagram. Emily is certified in EMDR therapy, and loves swearing and pub trivia nights.

Connect With Us

• You can find out more about Emily via her website or Instagram

• You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

Ex-Jehovah’s Witness, musician, and filmmaker Scott takes us on a powerful journey of identity, creativity, and liberation. Growing up in a high-control religious environment, Scott found freedom through music, filmmaking, and ultimately, the act of walking away. His documentary Witness Underground is a moving tribute to artists who, like him, broke free from religious constraints and reclaimed their voices.

In this episode, we explore the emotional cost of leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the loneliness of being labelled rebellious, and the courage it takes to choose authenticity over conformity. Scott’s story is a reminder that healing often begins where creativity is born—and that it’s possible to find belonging outside of systems that once defined us.

Who Is Scott?

Scott was raised in the Great Lakes region. His teen music community recorded two indie rock albums while being influenced by a religious cult. He ran camera and sound for a local news station and went to university for photography and digital media. He spent five years in Hanoi, Vietnam focused on documentary filmmaking culminating in a music-scene anthology film, Hanoi Mixtape.

Witness Underground is Scott's first documentary. He runs the adjacent Banana Island Films YouTube channel featuring interviews with CULT ESCAPE ARTISTS demonstrating how self-expression shortens the path to healing after traumatic experiences highlighting people who have successfully navigated mind control.

He's volunteering with Decult related projects including a peer to peer support group in the home city of Decult, Otautahi New Zealand.

Connect With Us

• You can find out more about Witness Underground here - https://www.witnessunderground.com/
• You can also connect with Scott over Instagram - @scotthoman or via Facebook

• You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

Steph’s (She/They) journey is anything but ordinary. Raised in Spain and California by missionary parents, faith wasn’t just a belief—it was her family’s entire identity. In this episode, she shares what it was like growing up in a world shaped by martyrdom, purity culture, and rigid gender expectations, and how these pressures left her feeling rootless and anxious.

Together, we unpack the emotional toll of high-control religion and the complex process of stepping away from a “good church girl” identity. From questioning her beliefs to rediscovering creativity and community, Steph’s story is a powerful reflection on the courage it takes to deconstruct and rebuild a life that truly fits.

Who Is Steph?

Steph is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California specialising in Religious Trauma. As an exvangelical themselves, they often think of how their own religious upbringing intersects with the clinical space and their clients. It has been powerful to create space where clients can feel seen and validated while exploring their unique experiences. Their deconstruction process was a pivotal time to hone their values system, rebuild community, and learn how to trust their instincts. Now, they help others do the same!

Connect With Us

• You can find out more about working with Steph via her website - http://www.stephanieharimototherapy.com
• You can also connect over on Instagram

• You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

Larry shares his journey from a rigid Catholic upbringing to a broader, more personal exploration of spirituality. His story weaves through early experiences shaped by guilt and expectation, a high-pressure career in investment banking, and a life-altering moment following the events of September 11, 2001. This turning point led Larry to explore diverse spiritual traditions - both Eastern & Western, and to question the boundaries of religious dogma. The conversation delves into faith, symbolism, and the power of personal interpretation, inviting listeners to reflect on their own evolving spiritual paths.

Who Is Larry?

Larry Jordan spent 25 years in investment banking, assisting companies, governments, and non-profit agencies in issuing over $10 billion of municipal bonds for capital projects and cash flows.

In 2011, he quit his job and sold his house to spend his life in service. He drove veterans to the VA clinic, prepared 1,000 tax returns for low-income families, taught school in Africa, and volunteered for the American Red Cross.

Over the last 20 years, he traveled around the world, read over 1,000 books about spirituality, and had some powerful experiences in several spiritual traditions, including baking in a sweat lodge, chanting to Shiva, meditating in a zendo, and whirling with the dervishes.

His first book, "The Way: Meaningful Spirituality for a Modern World" won Silver a 2024 Nautilus Book Award.

Connect With Us

• You can find out more about Larry & his book via his website.
• You can also connect on Instagram, & Facebook

• You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

This bonus episode delves into the profound complexities surrounding the celebration of Easter, particularly for those who have experienced religious trauma. We explore the multifaceted emotions that arise during this season, acknowledging that for many, Easter serves as a poignant reminder of guilt and suffering rather than joy. Both Jane and I reflect on our personal experiences of navigating this time post-church, discussing the weight of expectation and the societal pressures that accompany such traditions. We emphasise the importance of self-care, encouraging listeners to confront their feelings and articulate their needs, whether that involves reclaiming the holiday or choosing to disengage entirely. Ultimately, this episode seeks to provide solace and validation to those grappling with their relationship to Easter, affirming that each individual's journey is valid and deserving of respect.

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

• You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
• To connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

You can also find both of us over at The Religious Trauma Collective

This episode explores the complexities of religious trauma and faith deconstruction, shedding light on the psychological and emotional toll of leaving high-control religious communities. Jacqui shares her story of growing up in Australia with a deep spiritual yearning that clashed with her agnostic family background, leading her into church communities that both fulfilled and constrained her. The discussion delves into the nuances of coercive control within religious institutions, families, and workplaces, emphasising the importance of reclaiming personal identity. This episode offers insight, reflection, and hope for those navigating their own path beyond faith.

Who Is Jacqui?

Jacqui Cousins is a Public Health Practitioner & Mental Health Nurse Counsellor. She specialises in institutional trauma, including medical, religious & workplace trauma. A Master of Public Health informs her focus on person-centred care, education, and advocacy.

Connect With Us

• You can find more out about Jacqui via her website - Nursing the Mind
• You can also connect via Instagram or Facebook

• You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

Spicy book author Sara Madderson joins Beyond the Surface to explore the intersections of faith, sexuality, and personal identity, drawing from her convent education in Dublin and Manchester. She reflects on the pervasive guilt and shame instilled by Catholic teachings and the ways purity culture shaped her understanding of desire and repression.

As the conversation unfolds, Sara discusses her literary work, including novels written under the pen name Elodie Hart, which challenge traditional narratives by exploring sexuality (sometimes within religious contexts). Through her writing, she reclaims her story and invites readers to confront the often-taboo tensions between faith, sex and self-expression. This episode offers a thought-provoking look at the power of literature to spark dialogue, promote healing, and challenge deeply ingrained beliefs about autonomy, desire, and self-acceptance.

Who Is Sara?

Sara Madderson is the person behind the pen name Elodie Hart, an author of super spicy contemporary romance with side helpings of Catholic trauma and priest kink.

Connect With Us

• You can find all of Sara/Elodie's books on her website - https://elodiehartsaramaddersonshop.myshopify.com/
• You can also connect via Instagram, Facebook or her Facebook group.

• You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

Marla’s (who I have dubbed the 'Heretical Poet') journey is one of profound transformation, from a conservative evangelical upbringing to an open-minded and inclusive perspective. She shares the challenges of maintaining authenticity, unlearning ingrained biases, and navigating traditional marriage ideals while deconstructing her faith.

Her experiences across different U.S. regions shape her reflections on systemic racism, queerness, and spirituality. Through her passion for “poem art” and advocacy at pride festivals, Marla offers guidance to those on similar paths, proving that healing and joy come from embracing personal truth and breaking free from harmful ideologies.

Who Is Marla?

Marla Taviano is into books, love, justice, globes, anti-racism, blue, gray, rainbows, and poems. She reads and writes for a living, wears her heart on her t-shirts, and is on a journey to live wholefarted (not a typo). She's the author of Unbelieve, Jaded, and Whole, and lives in South Carolina with her kids and her cats.

Connect With Us

• Find out more at about Marla and her books over on her website - marlataviano.com
• You can also connect on Facebook & Instagram

• You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.

Authenticity is at the heart of this episode as we sit down with Nismah, who shares her journey from growing up in a strict evangelical household to deconstructing her faith. She reflects on the emotional struggle of reconciling her sexuality with religious beliefs and the pressures of purity culture, particularly for women.

Nismah opens up about her time at Bible college, drawn by an unconscious crush, only to confront doctrines that challenged her understanding of identity. As she unlearns ingrained beliefs and embraces her queer identity, she highlights the power of supportive communities in healing and self-discovery.

Who Is Nismah?

Nismah is a songwriter, producer, vocalist, entrepreneur, and feminist who has been writing and producing music since 2005 for herself, other artists, and sync licensing. After stumbling into the world of film and TV placements in 2011, she cracked the code on funding a music career, landing features in hit shows like Love is Blind, Dancing with the Stars, and Temptation Island. With a degree from Berklee, songwriting and production credits on hundreds of songs, and the opportunity to learn from industry legend Kara DioGuardi, Nismah continues to push creative boundaries and build an ever-evolving musical legacy.

Connect With Us

• You can find out more about Nismah's work on her website
• You can also connect over on Instagram

• You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.