In this fun and insightful episode, I’m talking with Danea Males, a local photographer and photography teacher who spent the first 20 years of her life in the Assemblies of God congregation.

Danea has since left the faith and done quite a bit of research on the history of the church, its ties to Pentecostalism, and … potentially even to the Carnival circuit.

More from Danea:
Visit Danea's Website
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It's hard enough leaving a high-control religion, but leaving when you're part of the well-known founding family comes with its own set of unique challenges.

In this episode, Lyn Smith Gregory (grand-niece of Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church) shares the powerful story of her leaving the Mormon faith and rebuilding her life.

Visit Lyn’s Website
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It’s been a month since the last episode, but Amber is back with some big news, updates, and post-faithful thoughts on life lately.

• Support the Podcast
• Purchase Some Merch
• Visit the Now I See Website
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The title “Primitive Baptist” alone tells a story about the life today’s guest once lived. The ideals, beliefs about women and children, and inclination to lean on violence as a form of control are almost too backward to deserve the title.

In this episode, Maddy Usry shares her experience in this denomination, but more specifically about how it looked within her childhood home. Together, we also discuss the impact of domestic violence on women in extreme religious situations and how Maddy made the bold choice to make a new life for herself.

• Follow the “Raising Children Unfundamentalist” Facebook Group
• Listen to the “You Have Permission” Podcast
• Read “Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be”
• Read “What My Bones Know:A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma”
• Read “What Happened to You: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing”

• Support the Podcast
• Purchase Some Merch
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There are a myriad of reasons that people leave their faith, and most of the time (at least on this show) it’s pretty traumatic. But not everyone leaves after heartbreak or abuse. Sometimes, it just makes sense to someone to walk away.

Our guest for this episode, Sarah Henn Hayward,  made just such a decision. Sarah is the author of Giving Up God: Resurrecting a Spirituality of Love and Wonder. Together, we discuss her decision to leave, how it has impacted her family relationships, how she navigates an interfaith marriage, and whether or not she would do it all again.

• Order a Copy of Giving Up God
• Follow Sarah on Instagram
• Visit Sarah’s Website

• Support the Podcast
• Purchase Some Merch
• Visit the Now I See Website
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Now I See is back for Season 2!
Today, I'm talking with Julia Postema and Jeremiah Gibson. They are the co-hosts of the podcast Sexvangelicals: The Sex Education the Church Didn't Want You to Have. They are both Boston-based licensed psychotherapists and certified sex therapists who work with clients in Massachusetts. They currently live in Utrecht, The Netherlands. They specialize in helping couples with negative religious backgrounds discover sexuality that works for their partnership.

Tune in for a thoughtful conversation about their experiences as former faithfuls turned sex therapists working with people who are discovering (or rediscovering) their sexuality after painful religious experiences.

More About Julia + Jeremiah: 

• Follow them on Instagram + Threads
• Visit their website
• Follow them on Substack

• Support the Podcast
• Purchase Some Merch
• Visit the Now I See Website
• Follow Now I See on Instagram

It's not goodbye, just goodbye for now! Join me as I share exciting news, answer a few listener questions, and reflect on all the goodness this season has brought. 

See you again on March 31, 2024! Happy New Year! 

*Listen to the Now I See "Former Faithful Jams" Playlist*

Links: 

• Support the Podcast
• Purchase Some Merch
• Visit the Now I See Website
• Follow Now I See on Instagram

Mega-churches have been a hot topic in the past several years. Reports of deception, greed, and abuse of every kind have been coming to light, and it’s easy to see why people are so enthralled.

In this episode, we’re going behind the scenes of a megachurch with former worship leader, Sage Salazar, as they share their transformative journey from a starry-eyed believer to a liberated skeptic. Their experiences with a culture of extreme control, church "Hollywood" glam, and heartbreaking abuse are eye-opening.

• Listen to Worst Nightmare on Spotify

• Support the Podcast
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• Visit the Now I See Website
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Perfectionism and over-control, while not exclusive to those of us who left high-control religion, is something many of us who have left battle regularly. Today’s guest is particularly skilled at working with and through these issues.

I’m talking with therapist Emilea Richardson, owner of Sparrow Soulwork. Together, we have a fun and thoughtful conversation about the impact that overcontrol can have on relationships and how she uses Radically Open DBT in her therapy practice to help her clients (and herself) heal.

This episode is personal for me, and I have made the tough decision to leave in several mistakes and not spend extra time correcting them like I usually would. I hate and love this at the same time, but as Emilea says in our conversation, “mistakes happen, and this can be a model for how that’s ok.”

• Visit Emilea’s Website
• Follow Emilea on Instagram

• Support the Podcast
• Purchase Some Merch
• Visit the Now I See Website
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When you think of women’s stories in the Bible, what do you think of? Is it empowering,? Or do you think of shame and blame? For many of us, it was the latter, and today’s guest is working to change that.

Ronna Detrick is a Spiritual Director and author of the Book Rewriting Eve: Rescuing Women’s Stories from the Bible and Claiming Them As Our Own. Together, we have a thoughtful conversation about her beautiful retelling of stories that have been often subjected to a negative patriarchal lens.

• Visit Ronna’s Website
• Order Rewriting Eve
• Subscribe to Ronna’s Writing
• Follow Ronna on Facebook
• Follow Ronna on Instagram

• Support the Podcast
• Purchase Some Merch
• Visit the Now I See Website
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