Broken to Beloved Podcast

What does it mean to own yourself after years of being told your body, voice, and choices belonged to someone else? Join us for a conversation with New York Times bestselling author Tia Levings as she unpacks the concept of autonomy as both a psychological milestone and a direct act of resistance against cult control. We talk about reclaiming autonomy in our minds, hearts, and bodies, how “should”...

After spiritual abuse, how do you separate the voice of Jesus from the voices that harmed you?  In this conversation with theologian and pastor A.J. Swoboda, we explore why slowing down — not speeding up — is the key to rebuilding a durable, honest faith after spiritual harm. How do you trust truth again when it's been weaponized against you? This conversation explores how we can learn to tru...

So I’ve deconstructed. What now? In her latest book, “To Rebehold the Stars,” author and professor Tiffany Yecke Brooks guides us into a hopeful path of reconstruction. Drawing on Dante, psychology, and spiritual formation, she invites us to reimagine faith with wonder, curiosity, and courage after spiritual abuse or disillusionment. Explore how naming experiences creates categories for healing an...

In this episode, neighbor and author Shannan Martin shares her “counterweights” practice—how we move forward by carrying life’s heaviness with equal measures of rest, joy, and community. Together, we explore how to navigate the burdens we carry and the importance of community, grief, and hope. Shannan shares why we often can’t set our burdens down (and how privilege shapes who can), how grief is a...

Have you ever heard people using a word that sounds important and like something you should already know about? Misogyny can feel like one of those words, and this week, we’re talking with author and journalist Dorothy Greco about her newest book, For the Love of Women . She expands the definition of misogyny beyond “hatred of women,” explores how it permeates everyday life—including the church—wh...

We’re back for Season 4 of the podcast next week! I can’t wait to share these conversations with some of the incredible guests you just heard like Tiffany Brooks, Dorothy Greco, Shannan Martin, and lots more. A huge thank you to our listeners who make this show possible through their financial support. You can support our work by becoming a donor today. Just head to brokentobeloved.org/support or...

That's a wrap on Season 3 of the podcast! We're so grateful for each of you taking the time to listen and engage with our episodes, and I hope you've found these conversations to be helpful and hope-filled. We'll be back next year after the Annual Summit (January 26–29) with new episodes. Until then, it'll be pretty quiet around here as we prepare for the Summit. Be sure t...

Were you raised (and maybe harmed) in a Christian household that did parenting "by the book?" Maybe you were a parent who was looking for resources to parent "the right way," Regardless of intent, research and time have shown the harmful impact of Christian parenting books and the myths they perpetuated.  In this conversation, we dive into the very real and lived effects on gen...

Is there a link between the rise of megachurches, Christian Nationalism, and spiritual abuse? In this conversation with journalist and author Scott Latta, he exposes surprising findings from his research on how "successful" evangelical churches are driving much of the Christian Nationalism and abuse reported today. After interviewing survivors of spiritual abuse in America's megachu...

Do you feel broken beyond repair and just want life to be...better? In this episode with Ian Morgan Cron, we talk about the use of the 12 steps—not just for managing common addictions, but for general well-being. You'll enjoy his perspective as a priest, author, and psychotherapist, as he emphasizes the importance of finding wholeness through making amends, releasing shame, and pursuing post-...

Are you looking for practical ways to heal from spiritual trauma? In this episode with Dr. Arielle Schwartz, a licensed psychologist, you'll learn how to regulate, rebalance, and rewire your nervous system without having to relive your trauma. After spiritual abuse, it's common to feel on edge, in high alert, or entirely shut down. She explains why this happens and how to connect with ou...

Have you ever needed a hug but got a spiritual platitude instead? In this episode, we discuss spiritual bypassing—what it is, how to identify it, and what to do when we’ve experienced it. I am joined by Peridot "Peri" Gilbert-Reed, Ph. D., a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist. She has conducted extensive research on spiritual bypassing and shares her findings w...

Why does Broken to Beloved exist? And what difference does it make? Over the last 2 years since we were founded as an organization, we've worked to provide quality resources for you to move toward healing and wholeness. And through programs like our Annual Summit, Cohorts, Book Club, and this Podcast, we've seen over 60,000 of you engage with us! Thank you. Thank you for being here, for...

How do you find hope when there are a million reasons to worry? In this episode, Sara shows us ways to recognize and calm our anxieties around our bodies, churches, and politics. We talk through her latest book, Nervous Systems, which is full of spiritual practices for those seeking personal and collective peace. If you have been taught negative connotations around your anxiety, in this conversati...

What if your anxiety and depression aren't going away any time soon? Many have been taught that depression means you're broken, that sadness is a lack of faith, or that anxiety is a sign of weakness. This can feel hopeless, especially when the strongest prayers and medicine don't cure your condition. In this conversation with Justin McRoberts, we explore the concept of wholeness and...

Has it become clear how deeply you've been hurt? Spiritual abuse can be so subtle, you don't even know that it's happened...until it's too late. In this episode, I talk with Katherine about her freshly launched book, A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts, and how to find life on the other side of spiritual abuse. We talk about the systems where religious control can be found, the process...

How can you know what to expect from Broken to Beloved? Have you ever wondered how we make decisions or what guides our thought process? Have you wanted to know if you'll ever fit in or belong in this community? In this week's episode, I hope to clear all of that up for you by telling you about our seven Core Values, all gathered in one place. 📝 Get the full show notes Links & Resou...

Hey, it's Brian with a few short updates for you about this fall. We've made the difficult decision to cancel our Gathering for this year, and to steward our time, energy, and resources into our most impactful programs. If you registered, you should already have received an email about next steps. If you have not received an email, please reach out to us at info@brokentobeloved.org. Appl...

Has spiritual abuse caused you to feel like you've lost part of your identity? One of the most common things I hear from the spiritual abuse community is that they feel like they don't know who they are anymore. Without organized religion, a sense of community, and all of the structures that once held you up, it's easy to feel lost or inherently broken. However, on this episode, Hun...

Is healing from spiritual abuse actually possible? The worst part of spiritual abuse is that it attempts to destroy your personhood, sense of safety with others, and imagination of a good God. It can feel like you are broken beyond repair. However, in this episode, Rachael Clinton Chen shares that healing is not only possible, but your faith, hope, and love can stay intact in spite of immense spir...

Could spiritual abuse be more universal than we think? In this eye-opening conversation with author and speaker Chanchal Garg, she shows that it doesn't matter what faith background you find yourself in; the underlying themes of spiritual abuse are universal. Chanchal shares her story of spiritual and sexual abuse in a South Asian context and talks openly about her experience in her debut mem...

Have you ever felt like you are disobeying God or being rebellious when you think independently about your faith?  For those who have been taught black-and-white answers about Christianity, stepping into the gray can feel unnerving because it calls us beyond the shores of certainty towards something more mysterious. But we know that certainty was never the point. Ben Cremer joins us on this episod...

What are the stories your pain is telling about you? So often, we internalize ourselves as the problem when pain comes into our lives. However, in this episode, Monica DiCristina, the author of Your Pain Has a Name , helps us see that simply naming our pain can reveal our true selves hidden beneath it. She invites us into an investigative process of getting curious about what our pain is saying an...

After spiritual abuse, one of the first questions survivors ask is, "How did I end up here?" If you have found yourself asking a similar question, writing can be an incredible way to discover that answer. In this episode, I speak with Megan Febuary, the author of Brave the Page . She shares how to go back to your earlier life scenes using a trauma-informed approach to fill in the missing...

Is reading scripture hard for you? Understandably, weaponized scripture makes it hard to want to pick up the bible ever again. But if you are at a place where you want to renew your relationship with scripture, in this episode, pastor and author Zach Lambert talks us through how we can read the bible in ways that lead to healing and wholeness. Zach talks to us about his brand-new book, Better Ways...