Karrah Youngblood - Exposing A Predator: Wildfire

TW: Violence and sexual assault

Karrah Youngblood is a professional artist, single mom, and unexpected memoirist from Oklahoma. She never planned to be an activist, but standing up to the man who hurt her — and so many others — turned into a fight she couldn’t walk away from.

Karrah is now telling her story: The story of what happens when one woman refuses to stay silent, despite every reason to. Wildfire, A Memoir, is about how Karrah Youngblood stood up to one of the most documented predators in modern history – and to the systemic injustice that protected him at every turn. 

In Karrah’s own words: 

“My art has been featured by NPR, TMZ, and Comic-Con, but Wildfire is the creation I’m most proud of. Telling my story seemed like the obvious thing to do since a serial predator tried so hard to stop it. Writing and Publishing Wildfire feels like the closest form of Justice I will ever receive. I wrote it to reclaim my voice — and to help others find theirs.”

 FIND KARRAH:

spreadthewildfire.com

pumpkinbrains.com (Karrah’s art)

facebook.com/karrah 

Tiktok.com/@pumpkinbrains

 FIND JANICE SELBIE:

Janice Selbie's Best-selling book, Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook, is now available in the USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP78TZZF and CANADA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZFRecordings are now available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific/8 Eastern and Thursdays at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@divorcingreligion

BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divorcingreligion/

 Subscribe to the audio-only version of the Divorcing Religion Podcast here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician. 

The views expressed by guests are not necessarily held by the host.

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Pamela Nickel Williams - Scientology: When Lies Are True

DIVORCED: Scientology

TW: Incest 

Pamela Nickel Williams was born into Scientology. Her parents were early Scientologists who worked closely with L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology’s founder, at the first Church of Scientology in the late 1950s. Pamela and her parents were practicing members of the church until the late 1970s. After years of burying her childhood memories, Pamela began writing and documenting her experiences, seeking to acknowledge the abuse she suffered, and to try and understand the dysfunction that existed within her family due to Scientology’s beliefs and practices.

 Her memoir, Clearly Lies Are True, is a powerful and compelling first-hand narrative account of her experiences as a child during the early inception of Scientology. As both a cult survivor, and a survivor of sexual abuse, her book chronicles her parents’ search for “Total Freedom,” her sexual abuse at the hands of her father, and her mother's psychosis, which was brought about by Scientology.

FIND PAMELA, HER SOCIALS, AND HER BOOK 

https://linktr.ee/clearlyliesaretrue *A portion of the proceeds from the sale of her book will be donated to the

Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides resources, support, and advocacy to those who leave Scientology and the Sea Org.

FIND JANICE SELBIE

Janice Selbie's Best-selling book, Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook, is now available in the USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP78TZZF and CANADA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZFRecordings are now available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket: 

https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific/8 Eastern and Thursdays at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@divorcingreligion

BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divorcingreligion/

 Subscribe to the audio-only version of the Divorcing Religion Podcast here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

 The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician. The views expressed by guests are not necessarily held by the host.

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Allie Monday - Erotic Photographer & Worshiper of Women

DIVORCED: Fundamentalism

TW: Eating disorder mentioned briefly

 My guest today was one of our sponsors for Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture 2025. Allie Monday is an erotic photographer and the creator of Ladygroove, a body-led portrait experience rooted in healing, sensuality, and self-acceptance. Her work invites women to shed shame and come home to their erotic aliveness. With over a decade behind the lens & 500+ women photographed, she blends artful witnessing with deep playful presence to create images that feel like sacred artifacts.

Today, Allie shares her evolution from growing up in a Southern Baptist-type tradition and being an abstinence-only teacher to working in the field of erotic photography and empowering women to love themselves and fully experience pleasure. Allie's work has recently been published in the book HER BODY: A Riotous Celebration of the Female Form, and it's available through her website.

 FIND ALLIE: 

website: www.iamladygroove.com

IG: instagram.com/ladygroove

FIND JANICE:

Janice Selbie's Best-selling book Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available in the USA:

Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

 and CANADA 

Amazon
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

Recordings are available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket now: 

https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/ 

Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific and Thursdays at 6pm Eastern (starting April 17). Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services 

Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:

Threads: [email protected]

BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

 The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular mental health clinician.

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Cynane Shay - Tinfoil Hats and Lizard People PART TWO

DIVORCED: Christianity

TW: Antisemitism, violence, and satanism are all mentioned in this episode.

Today, nuclear engineer and writer Cynane Shay joins me for Part 2 of our conversation, "Tinfoil Hats and Lizard People." Our discussion today is based on research Cynane has conducted over the past few years to gain an understanding of where and how QAnon beliefs and antisemitic conspiracy theories originated. This research has taken Cynane several hundred years into the past, so buckle up for our deep dive! 

FIND CYNANE: More information, EXvangelical reading recommendations, and social media links are found on her website: www.TakingOffTheTinfoilHat.com

FIND JANICE:

Janice Selbie's Best-selling book Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available in the USA:

Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

 and CANADA 

Amazon
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

Recordings are available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket now: 

https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/ 

Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific and Thursdays at 6pm Eastern (starting April 17). Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services 

Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:

Threads: [email protected]

BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

 The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular mental health clinician.

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Cynane Shay - Tinfoil Hats & Lizard People PART ONE
DIVORCED: Christianity

Cynane Shay is a nuclear engineer living in South Carolina. Her childhood in White Christian Nationalism normalized conspiracy theories like Obama Birtherism and the Biblical apocalypse; but 2020, with COVID and Qanon, finally made her realize something was deeply wrong.

Now Cynane is writing a book, “Taking Off the Tinfoil Hat: How Lizard People and Space Lasers Dismantled my Christian Worldview,” to process the deconstruction of her fundamentalist evangelical faith and her propagandistic patriotism. 
Losing loved ones to the pandemic was a tragedy, but losing loved ones to the rabbit hole was its own tragedy that left too many of us with unresolved trauma and unanswered questions. So from Flat Earth to the IBLP cult to Jewish space lasers, Cynane pulled the thread, cracked her faith, and found the inseparable link between cults, conspiracy theories, and American White Christian Nationalism. 

FIND CYNANE: More information, EXvangelical reading recommendations, and social media links are found on her website: www.TakingOffTheTinfoilHat.com

FIND JANICE:

Janice Selbie's Best-selling book Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available in the USA:

Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

 and CANADA 

Amazon
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

Recordings are available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket now: 

https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/ 

Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific and Thursdays at 6pm Eastern (starting April 17). Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services 

Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:

Threads: [email protected]

BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

 The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular mental health clinician.

Support the show

Alyona Smoky - A Beautiful Liberation

CW: War in Ukraine

Alyona Smoky was born and raised in Ukraine, where her mother joined a high-control, conservative evangelical church when Alyona was young. As a result of family stressors, Alyona shouldered much of the emotional burden in her family as a child, and she grew up very quickly in a chaotic and emotionally intense environment.

When she was 16, Alyona moved to the U.S. with her family due to political unrest in Ukraine. She found coming to the U.S. disorienting, having left behind community and structure while carrying internalized religious control with her. Alyona felt stuck between two worlds — Ukrainian and American — and didn’t feel truly at home in either.

In this episode, Alyona shares her fascinating story of immigration and her liberation from high-demand religion and purity culture. Don't miss her journey of becoming a coach, writer, and photographer, as she helps others recover from high-control systems, including religion, cults, and ideology-heavy environments. Alyona also hosts the Showing Up Sustainably Podcast.

FIND ALYONA:

 Alyona's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/alyonasmoky?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=9c4ed103-f24b-4f70-8139-c914dbec5e59

FIND JANICE:

Janice Selbie's Best-selling book Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available in the USA:

Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

 and CANADA 

Amazon
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

Recordings are available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket now: 

https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/ 

Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific and Thursdays at 6pm Eastern (starting April 17). Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services 

Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:

Threads: [email protected]

BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

 The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular mental health clinician.

Support the show

Michelle Moffitt - From Abuse to Freedom

CW: Sexual Assault

Michelle Moffitt Rogers is a licensed therapist, Enneagram expert, and author. In this episode, Michelle shares her story and explores the psychological impact of spiritual abuse, the complexities of leaving both faith and a toxic marriage to a pastor, and what healing looks like on the other side. 

You won't want to miss her raw, honest exposé about the dangers of being a pastor's wife when the pastor isn't safe.

Her book is called Cracked Open: A Journey to a Resilient and Independent Mindset.

FIND MICHELLE:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/michellemoffittcoach
Instagram: instagram.com/michellemoffittcoach

Book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/5uhrmnb

Indie Books: bookshop.org/p/books/cracked-open-a-journey-to-a-resilient-and-independent-mindset/8fdfa2c36aade660?ean=9798889262671&next=t

Website: https://fiveoakscounseling.com/

FIND JANICE:

Janice Selbie's Best-selling book Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available in the USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP78TZZF

And Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook - Kindle edition by Selbie, Janice. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
amazon.com/dp/B0DP78TZZF
and CANADA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

Recordings are available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket now: 

https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific and Thursdays at 6pm Eastern (starting April 17). Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:

Threads: [email protected]

BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

TikTok: @janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

Support the show

Steve Ghikadis - Humanism from the Heart

Steve Ghikadis is a Humanist Officiant who conducts secular marriages, memorials, and many more meaningful life-affirming celebrations. Raised as a freethinker, Steve has been married to a Christian for over a decade. He and his wife, Cindy, believe in the importance of bridging the gap between believers and non-believers. Their two young children are being raised in an interfaith household and are free to choose their own path. 

Steve's family dynamic inspired him to write Humanism from the Heart: Building Bridges Beyond Belief, a book that emphasizes the importance of working together to celebrate the diversity of worldviews. Steve serves as an Ambassador for Humanist Canada, Recovering from Religion, and Sunday Assembly. In 2024, he was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for significant contributions to his community in Windsor/Essex, Ontario, Canada. 

In this episode, I ask Steve some challenging questions about raising kids with a Believer, whether religious people can be humanists, and more.

FIND STEVE:

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/share/16XVw44tkk/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/steve.ghikadis?igsh=MXN5MHlleGM0YWQ4MQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Book: 

Amazon-Canada: https://a.co/d/c63RA3s

USA: https://a.co/d/5gpaUEp

Europe: https://amzn.eu/d/

FIND JANICE:

Janice Selbie's Best-selling book Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available in the USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP78TZZF

And Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook - Kindle edition by Selbie, Janice. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
amazon.com/dp/B0DP78TZZF
and CANADA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

Recordings are available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket now: 

https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific and Thursdays at 6pm Eastern (starting April 17). Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:

Threads: [email protected]

BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

TikTok: @janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

Support the show

Forest Benedict, LMFT - Porn Is Not the Problem

Divorced: Evangelical Christianity
CW: Frank discussion of porn, sex, and self-pleasure

Forest Benedict is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California and Washington states who specializes in religious trauma and sexual shame. 
 
Forest began his career as a Christian who was passionate about helping others recover from sex and porn addiction—believing at the time that he was in recovery himself. He became a leading voice in the “anti-pornography movement,” and served as the Clinical Director of a sex addiction treatment program and trained pastors and therapists in a sex addiction certification program. 
 
Since deconverting from Christianity, Forest has dramatically shifted his focus to helping those wounded by religious systems reclaim their sexuality and authentic sense of self. Today, he offers online therapy through his private practice and also works online with Storm Haven Counseling & Wellness in Temecula, California. Forest is active on social media and regularly shares insights through his blog.

FIND FOREST: 
Website: ForestBenedict.com
 Instagram: @ForestBenedictLMFT
FIND JANICE:
Janice Selbie's Best-selling book Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available in the USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP78TZZF and CANADA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

Recordings are available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket now: https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/

Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific and Thursdays at 6pm Eastern (starting April 17). Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services
Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:
Threads: [email protected]
BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician.

Support the show

Pavna K. Sodhi, EdD - Exploring the Intersections of Punjabi-Sikh Cultural/Religious Identity - Part 1

As a humanist and mental health clinician, I'm interested in learning about other cultures and belief systems. To that end, Dr. Pavna K. Sodhi graciously agreed to join me on the Divorcing Religion Podcast to share her knowledge about Punjabi-Sikh teachings, values, practices, and experiences. This episode is Part One of our conversation.

ABOUT Dr. SODHI:

Pavna K. Sodhi (she/her), EdD, is a registered psychotherapist, author, speaker, and adjunct professor residing in Ontario, Canada. With over 25 years of psychotherapeutic and research experience, Dr. Sodhi has interacted with a multitude of populations in various clinical, academic, and supervisory spaces. Her professional background and personal narrative offer a unique research perspective regarding culturally responsive trauma-informed work, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) communities, and immigrant mental health. Her research has been featured in national and international scholarly journals and books. She credits her Punjabi-Sikh upbringing and lived experience for her continued interest in these timely topics. As a productive ally, she takes pride in decentring systemic racism, breaking barriers, and encouraging others to be culturally responsive. Her latest book titled, Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy for BIPOC Communities: Decolonizing Mental Health (Routledge) was launched in June 2024.

FIND Dr. SODHI:

Access the book -

https://www.routledge.com/authors/i16038-pavna-k-sodhi?srsltid=AfmBOooC1Epb96bBMPCvsQdMiOVHHzOWpPku2b-7pVApOLqDfePmEIij

Website: https://www.pavnaksodhi.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunotherapy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavna-k-sodhi-she-her-67b81615/

Janice Selbie's Best-selling book Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available in the USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP78TZZF and CANADA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF

Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific and Thursdays at 6pm Eastern (starting April 17). Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support: 

https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services

Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:

Threads: [email protected]

BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/

Subscribe to the audio-only version here: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast

The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need hel

Support the show