Are you looking for practical ways to heal from spiritual trauma?

In this episode with Dr. Arielle Schwartz, a licensed psychologist, you'll learn how to regulate, rebalance, and rewire your nervous system without having to relive your trauma. After spiritual abuse, it's common to feel on edge, in high alert, or entirely shut down. She explains why this happens and how to connect with our bodies again through breath, co-regulation, and other embodied practices for healing. Listen in for a practical understanding of polyvagal theory.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Guest Spotlight ✨ 

Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a licensed psychologist and leading voice in the healing of trauma. She is an internationally sought-out teacher and author of eight books including The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook, Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma, and Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga. As the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy, she offers a mind-body approach to therapy for trauma and informational mental health and wellness updates through her writing, public speaking, social media presence, and blog. She believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart.

Website | Instagram | YouTube

Links & Resources 🔗

• The Polyvagal Theory Workbook for Trauma by Arielle Schwartz | Amazon | Bookshop
• The Complex PTSD Workbook | Amazon | Bookshop
• Center for Resilience Informed Therapy

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Have you ever needed a hug but got a spiritual platitude instead?

In this episode, we discuss spiritual bypassing—what it is, how to identify it, and what to do when we’ve experienced it. I am joined by Peridot "Peri" Gilbert-Reed, Ph.D., a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist. She has conducted extensive research on spiritual bypassing and shares her findings with us, along with several examples of what it sounds like. If you've experienced the intentional or unintentional harm of someone minimizing or demonizing your pain, listen in.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Guest Spotlight ✨ 

Peridot Gilbert-Reed, Ph.D., is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist as well as a supervisor in both areas. She received her Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology with a concentration in theology from Liberty University. Her research focuses on spiritual abuse and spiritual bypass (as received by another person). Her research, combined with her own lived experience with spiritual abuse, provides a unique lens into spiritual trauma and its impact. She is an adjunct professor for Liberty University.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Links & Resources 🔗

• 988 Crisis Hotline
• Wounding Words: A Phenomenological Study of How Individuals Experience Receiving Spiritual Bypass | Dissertation by Peridot Reed, 2023
• "Don't Spiritually Bypass Your Church-Hurt Neighbor" | Article by Peridot Reed with Christianity Today

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Why does Broken to Beloved exist? And what difference does it make?

Over the last 2 years since we were founded as an organization, we've worked to provide quality resources for you to move toward healing and wholeness. And through programs like our Annual Summit, Cohorts, Book Club, and this Podcast, we've seen over 60,000 of you engage with us!

Thank you.

Thank you for being here, for your time, and for trusting us to continue working to create these programs for you.

And, we need your help. As we move to close out 2025, we're hoping to raise $7,000 in one-time donations and $3,100 in monthly donations. Giving Tuesday is December 2, and this is your invitation to join us in supporting our mission.

Donations make up almost 30% of our annual income, and we truly can't survive without you and your support. You are the heroes that allow us to continue this work.

Last year, it only took 55 people to help us raise over $10,000! This year, we're hoping a few more of you will join us reach our goal. We're looking for:

• 5 donors at $100/month
• 20 donors at $50/month
• 40 donors at $25/month
• 60 donors at $10/month

Would you consider becoming one of our 125 heroes by clicking here to support our mission? If you can give more, less, or want to give a one-time donation, you can also set that up here. 

Get the full show notes here. 📄

Support the show

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How do you find hope when there are a million reasons to worry?

In this episode, Sara shows us ways to recognize and calm our anxieties around our bodies, churches, and politics. We talk through her latest book, Nervous Systems, which is full of spiritual practices for those seeking personal and collective peace. If you have been taught negative connotations around your anxiety, in this conversation, Sara helps reframe and normalize it—believing that Jesus meets us there with hope, not demand. We also talk about the anxious reality that many people with spiritual abuse face when re-entering the church or community. Sara shares how she has moved from suspicion and cynicism to slowly trusting again. 

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Guest Spotlight ✨ 

Sara Billups is a Seattle-based writer and cultural commentator whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Christianity Today, Aspen Ideas, and others. Sara writes Bitter Scroll, a monthly Substack letter and co-hosts the podcast That’s the Spirit. She earned a Doctor of Ministry in the Sacred Art of Writing at the Peterson Center for the Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. Sara works to help wavering Christians remain steadfast through cultural storms and continues to hope for the flourishing of the Church amid deep political and cultural division in America. Her second book, Nervous Systems, will be released November 4, 2025, from Baker Books.

Website | Instagram | Bitter Scroll Substack

• Nervous Systems by Sara Billups | Amazon | Bookshop
• Orphaned Believers by Sara Billups | Amazon | Bookshop

Similar Episodes You Might Like:

• 077: Seeking Wholeness in Low Seasons Justin McRoberts

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What if your anxiety and depression aren't going away any time soon?

Many have been taught that depression means you're broken, that sadness is a lack of faith, or that anxiety is a sign of weakness. This can feel hopeless, especially when the strongest prayers and medicine don't cure your condition. In this conversation with Justin McRoberts, we explore the concept of wholeness and challenge the idea that health is the absence of negative emotions and experiences. He talks about his latest book, co-written with Scott Erickson, In The Low: Honest Prayers for Dark Seasons, and how he has learned to embrace anxiety and depression. Your heart will stir as you hear his story and compassion for those stuck in the low, especially those who have lost their faith community due to spiritual abuse.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Guest Spotlight ✨ 

Justin McRoberts is an author, coach, speaker, and songwriter. For over 20 years, Justin has helped artists, ministers, and entrepreneurs find their way and solve problems in their creative processes. When he's not writing, speaking, or coaching, you can find him as the host of the At Sea Podcast. He lives in the East San Francisco Bay Area.

Website | Instagram | Podcast

Links & Resources 🔗

• In the Low by Justin McRoberts and Scott Erickson | Amazon | Bookshop
• In the Absence of the Ordinary by Francis Weller | Amazon | Bookshop

Support the show

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Has it become clear how deeply you've been hurt?

Spiritual abuse can be so subtle, you don't even know that it's happened...until it's too late. In this episode, I talk with Katherine about her freshly launched book, A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts, and how to find life on the other side of spiritual abuse. We talk about the systems where religious control can be found, the process of leaving fundamentalist spaces, how to honor your emotions and see your body as your friend, the difference between singleness and loneliness, and how to diversify your community. This is a must listen for anyone seeking hope for healing.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Guest Spotlight ✨ 

Katherine is the founder of Tears of Eden, a nonprofit supporting survivors of spiritual abuse, and the former executive producer and host of the groundbreaking podcast Uncertain, a podcast that pioneered pivotal conversations around Spiritual Abuse. She also is a Certified Trauma Recovery Practitioner working primarily with clients who have survived cults, high-control environments, spiritual abuse, and sexual abuse.

Katherine is a huge advocate for the power of art to help us on our healing journey. She participates in improv theater both as a performer and coach and is the author of one novel. She has been a guest on a number of podcasts, including IndoctriNation and A Little Bit Culty, is the author of several nonfiction articles, and writes regularly at katherinespearing.com and tearsofeden.org.

Links & Resources 🔗

Website  |  Tears of Eden  |  Instagram  |  Newsletter

• A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts by Katherine Spearing on Amazon | Bookshop
• Continued Conversation with Heather Gargis
• BITE Model of Authoritarian Control PDF download by Steven Hassan

Support the show

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We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today.

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How can you know what to expect from Broken to Beloved?

Have you ever wondered how we make decisions or what guides our thought process? Have you wanted to know if you'll ever fit in or belong in this community?

In this week's episode, I hope to clear all of that up for you by telling you about our seven Core Values, all gathered in one place.

📝 Get the full show notes

Links & Resources 🔗 

• Support our mission with a monthly donation
• Read about Our Values
• Read “Responding in Reactionary Times” on Substack
• Apply for the THROUGH Cohort

Similar Episodes You Might Like

• Episode 066: Integrity and Theology with Meaghan Hampton
• Episode 063: A Rebellion of Care with David Gate
• Episode 061: Healing After Spiritual Trauma with Dr. Hillary McBride
• Episode 036: Burning a Path to Renewal with Erin Moon
• Episode 003: Making a Space for Everyone with Jenai Auman

Support the show

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We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today.

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Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:
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Hey, it's Brian with a few short updates for you about this fall.

We've made the difficult decision to cancel our Gathering for this year, and to steward our time, energy, and resources into our most impactful programs.

If you registered, you should already have received an email about next steps. If you have not received an email, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Applications for the THROUGH Cohort are now open, and limited scholarships are available. Apply today for our 8-week program.

If this podcast or our other programs have been helpful to you, would you consider becoming a monthly partner? Our goal is to raise $5,000 in monthly support, and we're about a fifth of the way there. Here's what we currently need:

• 5 supporters at $100/month
• 15 supporters at $50/month
• 50 supporters at $25/month
• 80 supporters at $10/month
• 95 supporters at $5/month

If you're able to join us, it would mean the world, and would go to directly support our mission to provide practical resources for recovery from and safeguarding against spiritual abuse. You can set up a monthly donation here.

Finally, we've hit 50K downloads! And it's all thanks to you, our listeners. I'd love to hear from you. Consider leaving a rating, review, or comment for us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or sharing with a friend.

I'm so grateful for you listening and for being here.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Links & Resources 🔗

• Apply for the THROUGH Cohort
• Set up a monthly donation

Support the show

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We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today.

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Has spiritual abuse caused you to feel like you've lost part of your identity?

One of the most common things I hear from the spiritual abuse community is that they feel like they don't know who they are anymore. Without organized religion, a sense of community, and all of the structures that once held you up, it's easy to feel lost or inherently broken. However, on this episode, Hunter Mobley, Enneagram teacher and author of Letting Go, Finding You, shares ways that you can rediscover who you've always been. He takes us through the nine enneagram types and shares contemplative spiritual disciplines that may feel like safe, accessible ways to hold on to your faith after deconstruction.

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Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Guest Spotlight ✨ 

Hunter is a gifted Enneagram teacher, author, attorney, and former pastor who brings deep insight and compassion to his work. He apprenticed under renowned Enneagram teacher Suzanne Stabile and now teaches alongside her and her husband, Joe Stabile, at their teaching center in Dallas, Texas. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Hunter combines his diverse professional experiences with a heartfelt approach to spiritual growth. In 2020, Hunter authored 40 Days on Being a 2, part of the Enneagram Daily Reflections series, offering heartfelt insights for those with a Type Two personality. And recently published his new book, Letting Go, Finding You, which explores the Enneagram’s transformative power in helping individuals release limiting patterns and embrace their true essence.

Links & Resources 🔗 

Website | Instagram | Facebook

• Letting Go, Finding You by Hunter Mobley | Amazon | Bookshop
• Try Softer by Aundi Kobler | Amazon | Bookshop
• The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile | Amazon | Bookshop

Support the show

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We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today.

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Is healing from spiritual abuse actually possible?

The worst part of spiritual abuse is that it attempts to destroy your personhood, sense of safety with others, and imagination of a good God. It can feel like you are broken beyond repair. However, in this episode, Rachael Clinton Chen shares that healing is not only possible, but your faith, hope, and love can stay intact in spite of immense spiritual harm. She talks to us about the goodness that is available to us through experiences of healthy human attachment, spiritual formation, embodiment, and revisiting our stories in the presence of an empathetic witness.

Get the full show notes and links here. 📄

Guest Spotlight ✨ 

Rachael is a trauma care practitioner, speaker, and pastoral leader. She serves as a lead instructor for the Allender Center at The Seattle School and is co-host of the Allender Center Podcast with Dr. Dan Allender. She holds a Master of Divinity from  The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology and recently had the honor of being named by Sojourners as one of “9 Christian Women Shaping the Church in 2024.”

Rachael is devoted to addressing the harm of abuse – especially spiritual abuse – at the intersection of trauma, healing, embodiment and spiritual formation. She leads the Story Workshop for Spiritual Abuse & Healing and recently developed the Allender Center’s Spiritual Abuse & Healing Online Course, inviting survivors of spiritual abuse to journey together towards healing and reclamation.

Website | Instagram | The Allender Center Podcast

Support the show

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