Abuse recovery, healing, and faith collide in this powerful episode with author Andi Bull. Discover lessons from her book When Your Protectors Didn’t, and learn how to find hope, identity, and strength—even if you weren’t abused. This memoir-style conversation will inspire women to embrace healing, overcome imposter syndrome, and see their stories through God’s eyes.

Andi’s book transformed my perspective, showing me that healing is possible and biblical stories hold deeper meaning than I ever realized. Whether you’ve experienced trauma or simply battled perfectionism, people-pleasing, or anxiety, this episode will meet you where you are.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction: Why this episode is for every woman

(03:15) Meeting author Andy Bull and her powerful book When Your Protectors Didn’t Protect

(09:45) Overcoming perfectionism, people-pleasing, and performance anxiety

(15:28) Biblical lessons that transform how we see ourselves and God’s love

(22:40) Andy’s childhood abuse and the moment she realized her “normal” wasn’t normal

(31:10) How imposter syndrome shows up in writing, faith, and life

(39:55) Discovering surrender through hardship, cancer, and God’s presence

(48:20) Paradigm shifts: seeing life differently and suspending judgment

(55:45) The power of sharing your story to help others heal

Key Takeaways:

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• You don’t have to be abused to relate to abuse recovery—perfectionism and people-pleasing carry similar wounds.
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• Biblical stories hold fresh, healing insights when we look at them with open hearts.
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• Abuse and dysfunction are not normal, even if they’ve been your lived experience.
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• Imposter syndrome can be overcome by embracing identity as a daughter of the King.
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• Sharing your story is one of the most powerful ways to connect, heal, and empower others.
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Guest Bio:

For over twenty-five years, Andi has dedicated herself to the study of God’s word, graduating from the King’s University with her Master’s in 2003.

As she read the Bible through the eyes of a survivor of traumatic childhood abuse, she saw how God passionately seeks the lost, gently restores the broken, and tenderly heals broken hearts. 

Andi became inspired to advocate for emotional well-being, not only for herself but also for the women she is privileged to mentor one-on-one and those she speaks to at conferences. The lessons and insights she gained are in her book, When Your Protectors Didn’t: Healing from a Past of Broken Pieces. 

Raised in South Africa as a child, she now resides in sunny Southern California with her husband, daughter, and pups. She loves her family, friends, pups, and coffee—lots and lots of coffee! 

Resource Links:

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• Get Andi Bull’s book: When Your Protectors Didn’t Protect https://a.co/d/5naO43I
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• Learn more at lesakoski.com
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Tags/Keywords:

abuse recovery, healing after abuse, childhood trauma, Christian healing, women over 40 podcast, people pleasing, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, memoir podcast, faith and healing, God’s love, When Your Protectors Didn’t Protect, Andy Bull