Mindful Minds entered my life in a time when I was at my loneliest and my most depressed.

In so many ways, this project saved my life. It gave me purpose, It gave me a reason to stick around.

I turned 25 this week, and I don’t recognize the 21 year old who sat down at her computer and googled, “how to start a podcast.”

In the last 4 years, she has grown and healed and gained so much confidence and peace and joy.

She has interviewed her heroes and learned from strangers.

I am so proud of her, and so proud of this community.

Thank you for your kindness and your support with this decision. Thank you for cheering me on and for accepting my decision to rest.

The fact that so many strangers have rallied around me and encouraged me for the last 3 years is unreal.

I am so proud of you all and how you’ve chosen to grow and heal.

I hope you know that it’s okay to rest too.

To my 67 guests: you have changed my life. You listened, you taught, and I am so honored to have continued to connect offline with so many of you. You made this podcast. Your expertise is what spearheaded this vision.

To the 48 countries, and 821 cities. To the thousands and thousands of listeners. Thank you thank you thank you. You turned a hobby into a community. 

And one last time: to end our time, unclench your jaw, take a deep breath, and remember: you can always learn, you can always grow, and you can always choose to live your life in a more mindful way.

Goodbye for now,

Fina

Please rate us 5 stars and leave us a review! You can find all things Mindful Minds here. You can buy our sticker collection here. You can also follow us on Instagram (@mindfulmindspod) or on Tik Tok where I do a lot of deconstruction content (@mindfulmindspod). Join our brand new Facebook group!!

Mindful Minds is owned and operated by Serafina. All content belongs to Serafina. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any and all questions, sponsorships, or guest requests!

Content warning: religious trauma & talk about triggers

Welcome to the LAST guest episode of Mindful Minds!! As a little thank you, I have released my religious trauma sticker collection!! You buy the stickers on Etsy here!

This week we have a super special guest. I am so excited to welcome Dr. Laura Anderson (she/her) to the podcast!! Dr. Laura’s work has been so impactful in my personal deconstruction journey, and it was such an honor to have her on the show. 

Dr. Laura Anderson (PhD, Saybrook University; LMFT) is a therapist, trauma resolution and recovery coach, writer, educator, and creator who specializes in complex trauma with a focus on domestic violence, sexualized violence, and religious trauma. Laura has a private practice in Nashville, Tennessee, and is the founder and director of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, an online coaching company where she and the other practitioners work with clients who have experienced high demand/high control religions, adverse religious experiences, cults, and religious trauma. 

In 2019, Laura cofounded the Religious Trauma Institute with the goal of providing trauma-informed resources, consultation, and training to clinicians and other helping professionals who work with religious trauma survivors. 

You can find Dr. Laura on social media at @drlauraeanderson , @traumaresolutionandrecovery , and @religioustraumainstitute . You can also visit her website. Dr Laura’s new book, “When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High Control Religion” is out now!

Products & Services we LOVE:

- Skouts Honor: We are HUGE fans of Skouts Honor. Their probiotic products saved our pup from SO much itchiness. If you use code MINDFULMINDS at checkout, you can get 20% off of a purchase of $50 or more! Keep those pups happy & itch free.

- Buzzsprout: I started my show with NO podcast experience and Buzzsprout made it so easy. If you are looking to start a podcast, or find a new host, try Buzzsprout! Listeners will receive a $20 credit by using our link and you’ll be supporting the show. 

Please rate us 5 stars and leave us a review! You can find all things Mindful Minds here. You can buy our sticker collection here. You can also follow us on Instagram (@mindfulmindspod) or on Tik Tok where I do a lot of deconstruction content (@mindfulmindspod). Join our brand new Facebook group!!

Mindful Minds is owned and operated by Serafina. All content belongs to Serafina. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any and all questions, sponsorships, or guest requests!

Trigger warning: homophobia/transphobia, ableism, racism, the death of a young child & healing culture trauma, suicide, religious trauma, self harm (and scarring) and depression, and exorcisms/demonic expression

This week we have the lovely Kelley, Kelly Anne, & Emma (she/her) of @womanbeingpodcast on to talk about coping with the harm done while a part of fundamentalist evangelicalism. For many, including myself, it is a hard pill to swallow to come to terms with how you caused direct and indirect harm while in religion. It is easy to get defensive and can be really tricky to talk about. In this episode, we unpack the events that impacted us and were a catalyst to start deconstructing, how to take accountability, and how we've learned to sit in the nuance. 

Woman Being is a community of people who host conversations in order gain perspective and see the humanity in others. This project was birthed out of a close group of friends getting lost in conversation so enriching that we decided to extend the invitation in the form of a podcast. They hope that as they explore this big, messy world and dive into the gray that you’ll find some gold in the midst of it too. 

You can find Woman Being on social media @womanbeingpodcast , on all streaming platforms, and online here.

Products & Services we LOVE:

- Skouts Honor: We are HUGE fans of Skouts Honor. Their probiotic products saved our pup from SO much itchiness. If you use code MINDFULMINDS at checkout, you can get 20% off of a purchase of $50 or more! Keep those pups happy & itch free.

- Buzzsprout: I started my show with NO podcast experience and Buzzsprout made it so easy. If you are looking to start a podcast, or find a new host, try Buzzsprout! Listeners will receive a $20 credit by using our link and you’ll be supporting the show. 

Please rate us 5 stars and leave us a review! You can find all things Mindful Minds here. You can buy our sticker collection here. You can also follow us on Instagram (@mindfulmindspod) or on Tik Tok where I do a lot of deconstruction content (@mindfulmindspod). Join our brand new Facebook group!!

Mindful Minds is owned and operated by Serafina. All content belongs to Serafina. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any and all questions, sponsorships, or guest requests!

Apologies for some of the weird audio in this episode! We had a few technical difficulties while recording :-( 

This week we have Kirah (she/her) of @thestrology on to talk about all things astrology! For a lot of people who grew up in religion, astrology was OFF limits. In this episode, we discuss the roots and realities of astrology, along with how to use it to heal. 

Kirah is a professional astrologer and astrology teacher and consultant whose practice is rooted in the Hellenistic tradition. As a queer Black astrologer, Kirah is passionate about intersectionality and accessibility for those who want to learn astrology. 

If you want to follow Kirah or work with her, you can find her online @thestrology and at thestrology.com as well as her podcast, Cosmic Guidance For All! You can also check out her private group, @joveshouse.


Products & Services we LOVE:

- Skouts Honor: We are HUGE fans of Skouts Honor. Their probiotic products saved our pup from SO much itchiness. If you use code MINDFULMINDS at checkout, you can get 20% off of a purchase of $50 or more! Keep those pups happy & itch free.

- Buzzsprout: I started my show with NO podcast experience and Buzzsprout made it so easy. If you are looking to start a podcast, or find a new host, try Buzzsprout! Listeners will receive a $20 credit by using our link and you’ll be supporting the show. 

Please rate us 5 stars and leave us a review! You can find all things Mindful Minds here. You can buy our sticker collection here. You can also follow us on Instagram (@mindfulmindspod) or on Tik Tok where I do a lot of deconstruction content (@mindfulmindspod). Join our brand new Facebook group!!

Mindful Minds is owned and operated by Serafina. All content belongs to Serafina. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any and all questions, sponsorships, or guest requests!

BUCKLE UP B*TCHES!!! 

In this episode, we breakdown the 2016 Pure Flix film, "I'm Not Ashamed." This movie covers the story of Rachel Joy Scott and the 1999 Columbine Shooting: with lots of Christian propaganda and historical inaccuracy mixed in.

Come along with me as I cringe and critique this monstrosity of a movie.

Quick trigger warning for folks: talk about school shootings & gun violence, SA, su*cide, depression, addiction, ableism, purity culture, and overall patriarchal Christian misinformation.

Also also - if you haven't listened to ep 79, please listen for a MAJOR update on Mindful Mind's future.

xoxo Fina 

Please rate us 5 stars and leave us a review! You can find all things Mindful Minds here. You can buy our sticker collection here. You can also follow us on Instagram (@mindfulmindspod) or on Tik Tok where I do a lot of deconstruction content (@mindfulmindspod). Join our brand new Facebook group!!

Mindful Minds is owned and operated by Serafina. All content belongs to Serafina. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any and all questions, sponsorships, or guest requests!

Please listen to the beginning of this episode for a major update. I cannot thank you all enough for the last 3 years. You have changed my life. Thank you.

 
 Trigger warning: homophobia, transphobia, self-hatred, discrimination, hate crimes, mental health distress, addiction, suicide, counseling abuse, emotional abuse, sexual assault & investigations, brief talk about school shootings via Columbine, graphic description of suicide (time stamp: 1:02:00-1:07:00). 

This week we have the incredible Erin Green (She/They) of REAP (Religious Exemption Accountability Project) on the podcast to talk about homophobia and discrimination at Christian Colleges. 

Erin (She/They) is the Campus and Alumni Organizer for REAP. They are an affirming biblical scholar and LGBTQIA+ activist. Erin has a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Azusa Pacific University and an M.Div. from San Francisco Theological Seminary. 

If you listened to episode 24, we talk quite a bit about REAP. REAP fights for the safety, bodily autonomy, justice, and human rights of LGBTQIA+ and other communities marginalized at many predominantly white, taxpayer-funded religious schools and colleges. Using campus organizing, storytelling through podcasting, documentary film, and speaking and preaching on campuses throughout the country, REAP empowers students, faculty, staff and alumni at these institutions to advocate for human rights, while shining a light on the dangers and abuses of a major educational pipeline of white Christian Supremacy.

If you want to follow REAP and learn more about what they’re doing and how to support it, you can visit them online here and follow them @REAP_lgbtq . You can also reach out to REAP if you are a queer student who is facing discrimination or hatred in a religious school. REAP is also releasing a podcast called, “On God’s Campus,” soon so keep an eye open for that! Lastly, if you want to follow or connect with Erin directly, you can follow them at @_runningerins_ .
 
 
 Products & Services we LOVE:

- Skouts Honor: We are HUGE fans of Skouts Honor. Their probiotic products saved our pup from SO much itchiness. If you use code MINDFULMINDS at checkout, you can get 20% off of a purchase of $50 or more! Keep those pups happy & itch free.

- Buzzsprout: I started my show with NO podcast experience and Buzzsprout made it so easy. If you are looking to start a podcast, or find a new host, try Buzzsprout! Listeners will receive a $20 credit by using our link and you’ll be supporting the show. 

Please rate us 5 stars and leave us a review! You can find all things Mindful Minds here. You can buy our sticker collection here. You can also follow us on Instagram (@mindfulmindspod) or on Tik Tok where I do a lot of deconstruction content (@mindfulmindspod). Join our brand new Facebook group!!

Mindful Minds is owned and operated by Serafina. All content belongs to Serafina. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any and all questions, sponsorships, or guest requests!

COMMUNITY UPDATE: Please listen to the first 10 mins of the episode. I share plans for the future of the podcast and we talk a bit about what's going on in the world.

Mindful Minds will still be on a break until Jan 2024.

Content warning: talk about abortion

This week we have Ariana (she/her) on to talk about abortion rights and voting! Today is Election Day, and although we have been on a pause, I felt that it was important to share this episode today. Ariana worked for Vote Pro Choice at the time of recording, but is now working for a Texas abortion fund! We are so grateful to her for coming on and we are cheering her on at her new position!

Vote Pro Choice (@voteprochoice) mobilizes the nation’s prochoice majority to elect prochoice champions who protect and expand reproductive freedom at every level of government. Their digital-first tools have engaged over 50 million prochoice voters and helped elect hundreds of prochoice champion candidates.

You can support them and their work by donating here. You can also view their resources, including their voter guide, at their website.

Lastly, if you haven't yet, PLEASE register to vote. Today is Election Day, and your local elections MATTER. To register, click here. 

Products & Services we LOVE:

- Skouts Honor: We are HUGE fans of Skouts Honor. Their probiotic products saved our pup from SO much itchiness. If you use code MINDFULMINDS at checkout, you can get 20% off of a purchase of $50 or more! Keep those pups happy & itch free.

- Buzzsprout: I started my show with NO podcast experience and Buzzsprout made it so easy. If you are looking to start a podcast, or find a new host, try Buzzsprout! Listeners will receive a $20 credit by using our link and you’ll be supporting the show. 

Please rate us 5 stars and leave us a review! You can find all things Mindful Minds here. You can buy our sticker collection here. You can also follow us on Instagram (@mindfulmindspod) or on Tik Tok where I do a lot of deconstruction content (@mindfulmindspod). Join our brand new Facebook group!!

Mindful Minds is owned and operated by Serafina. All content belongs to Serafina. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any and all questions, sponsorships, or guest requests!

COMMUNITY UPDATE  - I have rebranded my Tik Tok from @fina__bina to @mindfulmindspod !! If you are looking for our page on Tik Tok, that's where to find all of our deconstruction videos and content.


Content warning: We talk about blood, surgery, and medical procedures in this episode!

This week we have Isabella (she/her) of @letstalkperiodau to talk about all things menstrual care & chronic illness! This is unlike any other episode we have done, but I felt like it was a really important topic to touch on.  

For many of us who grew up in religious environments, we didn’t learn about our bodies or how to know if something is wrong. In this episode, we talk a lot about PCOS and Endo, and how to treat these conditions, how to recognize them, and how to push against the cultural taboos. I learned SO much in this episode, and to be honest, was quite surprised by how much I didn’t know. 

Isabella’s IG account, @letstalkperiodau, is a great educational resource, especially for ex-religious folks. She also has her amazing podcast, Let’s Talk, Period, which is available on all streaming platforms! If you are looking for more education resources, you can also find her blog here, her website here, her mentoring information here, and her Tik Tok here!


Products & Services we LOVE:

- Skouts Honor: We are HUGE fans of Skouts Honor. Their probiotic products saved our pup from SO much itchiness. If you use code MINDFULMINDS at checkout, you can get 20% off of a purchase of $50 or more! Keep those pups happy & itch free.

- Buzzsprout: I started my show with NO podcast experience and Buzzsprout made it so easy. If you are looking to start a podcast, or find a new host, try Buzzsprout! Listeners will receive a $20 credit by using our link and you’ll be supporting the show. 

Please rate us 5 stars and leave us a review! You can find all things Mindful Minds here. You can buy our sticker collection here. You can also follow us on Instagram (@mindfulmindspod) or on Tik Tok where I do a lot of deconstruction content (@mindfulmindspod). Join our brand new Facebook group!!

Mindful Minds is owned and operated by Serafina. All content belongs to Serafina. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any and all questions, sponsorships, or guest requests!

TW: SA, purity culture, misogyny, sexual shame, mass shooting (time stamp: 24:00-27:40), high control religious abuse, queerphobia & homophobia

This week we have Blair (she/her) of @talkpuritytome on the podcast! Blair has been breaking barriers in the purity culture space for a while now, and was a major pillar of my own deconstruction. 

In this episode, we are talking about YOUR purity culture experiences! A while back, I asked my IG audience to finish this statement: “Purity culture made me ______.” So this week, we are sifting through your experiences and breaking down the harm that purity culture has done. 

Blair’s account (@talkpuritytome) is an amazing educational resource for folks deconstructing purity culture. You can also find Blair on Tik Tok and Twitter as well as IG! 

Products & Services we LOVE:

- Skouts Honor: We are HUGE fans of Skouts Honor. Their probiotic products saved our pup from SO much itchiness. If you use code MINDFULMINDS at checkout, you can get 20% off of a purchase of $50 or more! Keep those pups happy & itch free.

- Buzzsprout: I started my show with NO podcast experience and Buzzsprout made it so easy. If you are looking to start a podcast, or find a new host, try Buzzsprout! Listeners will receive a $20 credit by using our link and you’ll be supporting the show. 

Please rate us 5 stars and leave us a review! You can find all things Mindful Minds here. You can buy our sticker collection here. You can also follow us on Instagram (@mindfulmindspod) or on Tik Tok where I do a lot of deconstruction content (@mindfulmindspod). Join our brand new Facebook group!!

Mindful Minds is owned and operated by Serafina. All content belongs to Serafina. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any and all questions, sponsorships, or guest requests!

Content Warning: brief mention of SA, religious trauma, purity culture, & a school shooting

This week we have the hilarious Jey (they/them) and Clint (he/him) of @howgaythouart to talk all things church camp. We cover everything from cry nights and emotional manipulation to Michael W Smith and Christian comedians. 

If you want to support Jey & Clint, and check out what they’re doing over at How Gay Thou Art, you can follow them @howgaythouart. How Gay Thou Art is a comedy podcast about growing up queer, Christian, and hella confused! The podcast is available on all streaming platforms and you can find more info at howgaythouart.com .


Products & Services we LOVE:

- Skouts Honor: We are HUGE fans of Skouts Honor. Their probiotic products saved our pup from SO much itchiness. If you use code MINDFULMINDS at checkout, you can get 20% off of a purchase of $50 or more! Keep those pups happy & itch free.

- Buzzsprout: I started my show with NO podcast experience and Buzzsprout made it so easy. If you are looking to start a podcast, or find a new host, try Buzzsprout! Listeners will receive a $20 credit by using our link and you’ll be supporting the show. 

Please rate us 5 stars and leave us a review! You can find all things Mindful Minds here. You can buy our sticker collection here. You can also follow us on Instagram (@mindfulmindspod) or on Tik Tok where I do a lot of deconstruction content (@mindfulmindspod). Join our brand new Facebook group!!

Mindful Minds is owned and operated by Serafina. All content belongs to Serafina. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any and all questions, sponsorships, or guest requests!