One of the most damaging impacts of any kind of abuse, including spiritual abuse, is the belief that we somehow deserved it. We can become convinced that the mistreatment was our fault, that our past experiences justify it, and that those who harmed us must be right in their assessments. Spiritual abusers are skilled at exploiting insecurity. Their words can sound logical, even righteous, while quietly destroying confidence and identity.

In this week's episode, Josh Patterson returns to share more of his story. When he faced spiritual abuse within the church where he served, he had no one who stepped in to protect him. The mistreatment continued until he finally resigned. The condemning words spoken over him lingered long after, creating deep doubts about his calling and even God's love for him. Eventually, the weight of the harm pushed him out of ministry entirely. Josh opens up about this painful part of his journey and how healing is slowly finding its way back into his life.

Connect with Josh:

Josh Patterson's podcast:

https://www.joshuagpatterson.com/rethinking-faith

Scripture mentioned: Proverbs 6:10-19

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at [email protected].

This week, I'm joined by podcaster Josh Patterson, who courageously shares the first part of his story while still in the middle of the struggle. Josh has experienced spiritual abuse twice at the hands of church leadership. The first wound came as a teenager when his family was shunned from their church. Years later, it happened again while he was serving on pastoral staff. These experiences left deep marks, and Josh is still walking the long road of recovery.

I am grateful for his willingness to speak while the story is still unfolding. Nothing is tied up neatly, justice has not yet arrived, and the pain is still being worked through. Yet Josh is confident that God has not stopped working. In this episode, he shares what happened and how these experiences have shaped his life. His honesty invites us into the reality of healing in progress, where faith meets ongoing hurt and hope remains alive.

Connect with Josh:

Josh Patterson's podcast:

https://www.joshuagpatterson.com/rethinking-faith

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at [email protected].

This week, Dr. Ryan Mullins, lecturer at the University of Lucerne, returns to share the next chapter of his story. After years of enduring deception and manipulation from his doctoral supervisor, Ryan came to recognize the spiritual abuse that had taken place. With great courage, he reported the truth to university authorities, setting in motion a difficult process filled with consequences and painful revelations.

As the lies unraveled, healing slowly began. God's faithfulness sustained Ryan through loss, uncertainty, and the long wait for full vindication. His story is both heartbreaking and deeply hopeful, reminding us that even in the midst of injustice, God is still working to bring truth, redemption, and restoration.

Connect with Dr. Ryan:

Website: https://www.rtmullins.com/

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at [email protected].

It can be deeply confusing when someone in spiritual authority—especially a person who claims to follow Christ—uses that position to lie, manipulate, and control. The betrayal cuts even deeper when that person is someone you trusted to guide your growth and development.

This week, Dr. Ryan Mullins, a theologian and professor at the University of Lucerne in Switzerland, shares the first part of his story. During his doctoral studies, Ryan discovered that the supervisor assigned to mentor him was not the man of integrity he appeared to be. As manipulation and dishonesty began to shape his academic journey, Ryan faced difficult questions about truth, trust, and how to respond when those in power misuse their influence. His story offers a window into the realities of spiritual and academic abuse—and the grace that sustains us when truth comes to light.

Connect with Dr. Ryan:

Website: https://www.rtmullins.com/

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at [email protected].

In this week's episode, I begin a new series on spiritual abuse with a solo teaching. I talk about God's true design for spiritual authority and how He intends leaders to serve as under-shepherds who protect, guide, and love His people with humility and integrity. When that design is distorted by pride or control, the result can be deep confusion and pain. Spiritual abuse misrepresents God and can leave lasting wounds in the hearts of those affected.

I also share how we can begin to recognize spiritual abuse for what it is and take the first steps toward healing. My prayer is that this episode brings understanding, hope, and encouragement to anyone who has been hurt by unhealthy leadership or who longs to see God's goodness restored in the place of spiritual harm.

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at [email protected].

When the trauma of life feels too heavy to bear, where else can we go but to Jesus? He alone understands the depth of our wounds and the weight of the sins committed against us. This week, Jolie Nabigondo returns to share the extraordinary story of how Christ met her in the aftermath of unthinkable suffering. After surviving the horrors of the Congolese genocide, Jolie's faith was pushed to its breaking point, but God's healing power proved stronger than her pain. Through surrender and forgiveness, He transformed her trauma into a testimony of freedom and redemption.

Now serving in refugee resourcing, Jolie works alongside people from the very tribe that once sought to destroy her. Her ability to love her former enemies is a triumph of the gospel, a powerful reminder that nothing is too hard for God (Jeremiah 32:17) and nothing is impossible with Him (Luke 1:37). You will be deeply inspired by this conversation about healing, forgiveness, and the unstoppable grace of Jesus.

Connect with Jolie: https://brand.site/HumuraCareCenter

Books mentioned:

How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana (Author), Abigail Pesta (Author)

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculée Ilibagiza (Author), Steve Erwin (Contributor)

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at [email protected].

Most of us can only imagine the horrors of war,, but for many around the world, it is daily reality. Jolie Nabigondo, born and raised in Congo, has lived through what she calls not a war, but a genocide. Like the Holocaust of World War II, the ethnic cleansing in her homeland has taken countless innocent lives and left unimaginable trauma in its wake.

In this week's episode, Jolie courageously shares the first part of her story abou twhat happened when she was captured by those who despised her for how she looked. For nearly a year, she was held in darkness, starved, stripped of dignity, and haunted by what she witnessed. Her story is one of pain, loss, and the struggle to trust God in the midst of deep suffering.

Yet even in the darkest moments, God was not absent. This week, Jolie invites us into the raw reality of her captivity—and next week, she will share how God brought her into profound healing and freedom.

Links Mentioned:

Jolie's mental health clinic: https://brand.site/HumuraCareCenter

Friendly House: Http://friendlyhouse.org

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at [email protected].

Family estrangement is becoming more common, often born out of years of unspoken pain and unresolved hurt. When relationships within our families fracture, walking away can feel like the only option. But what does it mean to pursue reconciliation when safety, truth, and forgiveness all hang in the balance?

In this episode, Blanche DiDomenico returns to share the next chapter of her story. After experiencing childhood abuse and neglect, Blanche wrestled with how to honor her parents when they never acknowledged the harm they caused. Through her journey, God revealed what it means to set boundaries, seek healing, and practice honor in a way that reflects His heart.

This powerful conversation invites listeners to consider how grace, truth, and healthy boundaries can coexist—and how God meets us in the tension between forgiveness and self-protection.

Connect with Blanche:

Blanche DiDomenico's website: https://blanchedidomenico.com/

Blanche's book: Rise with Purpose: A Biblical Workbook for Building Resilience, Growing in Faith, and Living Your God-given Calling

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at [email protected].

What happens when the ones we long for love and safety from are also the ones who wound us? In this episode, author, podcaster, and nurse Blanche DiDomenico shares the first part of her story. As a Filipino-American, Blanche grew up with a father working overseas for most of her childhood, leaving her mother to wrestle with fears and unresolved struggles. That environment shaped an unsafe childhood—but it did not define Blanche's future.

Through her story, we see both the pain of broken family dynamics and the surprising ways God's grace can prepare a life for His purpose. Join us as Blanche opens up with honesty, courage, and hope about navigating love, abuse, and the complicated longing to be seen by the very people who caused harm.

Connect with Blanche:

Website: https://blanchedidomenico.com/

Blanche's book: Rise with Purpose: A Biblical Workbook for Building Resilience, Growing in Faith, and Living Your God-given Calling

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at [email protected].

Unforgiveness can keep us trapped when we hold onto anger and resentment that only deepens our pain. It robs us of peace and keeps old wounds open. This week, Rhonda James Woolard returns to the podcast with a powerful reflection on the miracle of forgiveness. She shares how God gave her the freedom to release bitterness, even toward her stepfather, who never once apologized for the deep harm he caused.

Rhonda's words, "I had no ill will against my step-dad," capture the kind of healing that only God can bring. This conversation invites us to consider what forgiveness makes possible in our own lives and how it can transform even the most painful stories into testimonies of grace.

Connect with Rhonda:

Website: www.yourtimetoheal.net

• A Time to Heal: 7 Steps to Healing and Forgiveness after Sexual Abuse and Assault
• A Catalyst Change: God Intervenes During Abuse/Neglect

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at [email protected]