Healed-ish

*CW* sexual clergy abuse, spiritual abuse, and grooming Sarah joined Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry searching for healing and closeness to God, eventually interning for a leader who spiritually adopted her into his family. What was framed as care and spiritual fatherhood created a deep imbalance of trust and authority that later shifted in ways Sarah did not experience as consensual or mut...

Abigail grew up in the Church of God, spending multiple days a week at services, youth events, and church gatherings. Many of her memories from that time are genuinely sweet and full of community and belonging, even though there were also moments that were not so simple. As a teenager, she began writing love letters to her future husband, hoping that one day she could give them to him as a meaning...

CW: This episode contains discussion of childhood abuse, cult involvement, exploitation of minors, and human trafficking. Kim Kelley was raised inside one of the most infamous high-control cults of the 20th century, formerly known as the Children of God and later rebranded as The Family International. Raised largely by the community rather than her mother, who was a high-ranking leader, Kim grew u...

CW: This episode contains discussion of childhood abuse, cult involvement, exploitation of minors, and human trafficking. Kim Kelley was raised inside one of the most infamous high-control cults of the 20th century, formerly known as the Children of God and later rebranded as The Family International. Raised largely by the community rather than her mother, who was a high-ranking leader, Kim grew u...

* CW* Eating disorder recovery, OCD, intrusive thoughts In this episode of  Healed-ish , I sit down with Rihanna, who attended Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry with me back in 2012. Raised in a conservative Christian home and shaped by purity culture, Rihanna eventually found her way to Bethel, where she had meaningful spiritual experiences but also quietly relapsed into an eating disorder w...

Danielle grew up in a non-denominational church and, like many teenagers, found community and belonging through her local youth group. It was there that she met James, the youth director who would slowly become one of the most important people in her life. What began as mentorship and friendship quietly shifted into something far more complicated. Over the years, James groomed Danielle through one...

In this episode, I’m joined by Beth Granger, author of Born and Razed , who shares her story of being taken from her parents at just four years old and placed into what was presented as a Christian boarding school, but functioned as a deeply controlling and abusive cult. Beth describes being put on a diet at the age of five, subjected to “light sessions” designed to psychologically tear children d...

Becca was raised in the Mormon church, where nearly every part of her childhood revolved around faith, obedience, and preparation for marriage. From constant church commitments and Mormon Treks to attending BYU, her life followed a path that was considered righteous and ideal, but rarely questioned. In this episode, Becca opens up about Mormon doctrine, purity culture, and the invasive ways contro...

In this episode, I sit down with Amy Duggar to talk about faith, family, and what it means to disrupt dysfunctional patterns. Amy shares her experience growing up adjacent to fame on 19 Kids & Counting, the red flags she noticed early on, and what it was like holding truth while surrounded by silence. We also talk about her book, Holy Disrupter, and why she believes disruption can be sacred wh...

Part 2 of 2 Emily didn’t grow up religious, but after a traumatic assault, she was searching for something to make her feel whole again. That search led her into Campus Crusade for Christ, years of overseas missions, and a deep commitment to faith and service. Over time, she began to notice troubling patterns, including witnessing a child with cerebral palsy accused of seeking out witchcraft and p...

Part 1 of 2 Emily didn’t grow up religious, but after a traumatic assault, she was searching for something to make her feel whole again. That search led her into Campus Crusade for Christ, years of overseas missions, and a deep commitment to faith and service. Over time, she began to notice troubling patterns, including witnessing a child with cerebral palsy accused of seeking out witchcraft and p...

In this episode of  Healed-ish , Cherie talks about growing up in an ultra-strict Christian home where she was homeschooled with curriculum that rewrote history, promoted strict creationism, and even framed Barack Obama as the anti-Christ. From childhood, Cherie was taught that her primary purpose was to become a wife and mother within the ideals of complementarianism. At her Christian college, me...

Joshua Harris, author of the bestselling and culture-defining book I Kissed Dating Goodbye , joins Healed-ish for a conversation I’m sure neither of us saw coming. In this episode, we talk about his upbringing, what led him to embrace purity culture as a teenager, writing his book at just 21 years old, and watching it explode across evangelical spaces in ways he never imagined. Josh opens up about...

Toni grew up Southern Baptist in a rule-heavy home marked by emotional and physical abuse. After ministry school and getting married, she and her husband joined the World Race - 11 countries in 11 months, raising nearly $31,000 to serve overseas. But what was marketed as a life changing missions journey quickly revealed a darker side. In this episode, Toni shares how leadership pressured her to mi...

Toni grew up Southern Baptist in a rule-heavy home marked by emotional and physical abuse. After ministry school and getting married, she and her husband joined the World Race - 11 countries in 11 months, raising nearly $31,000 to serve overseas. But what was marketed as a life changing missions journey quickly revealed a darker side. In this episode, Toni shares how leadership pressured her to mi...

Krystina grew up Southern Baptist, in a world where women stayed silent on stage and drums were considered sinful. Later, in a charismatic church, she received unsettling prophetic words that painted her future as “anointed, but lonely.” She pursued worship ministry at Liberty University, only to face racism, tokenization, and microaggressions from the very people who claimed to love her. Behind t...

Part 2 of 2 From praying to cast out demons to trying to resurrect her guinea pig, Anna Stone was all in on her charismatic faith. She believed she’d one day be a missionary in Mozambique and dedicated her entire life to spreading the gospel. But at seventeen, an inappropriate encounter and the fallout that followed began to reveal the darker side of the church. Later, her curiosity about Mormonis...

Part 1 of 2 From praying to cast out demons to trying to resurrect her guinea pig, Anna Stone was all in on her charismatic faith. She believed she’d one day be a missionary in Mozambique and dedicated her entire life to spreading the gospel. But at seventeen, an inappropriate encounter and the fallout that followed began to reveal the darker side of the church. Later, her curiosity about Mormonis...

Were we lied to about hell? This week, I am joined by Brian Recker, a pastor's kid, former minister, and author of Hell Bent . Brian asked the question most of us were taught to fear: Is the hell we grew up with actually biblical? Brian shares how studying Scripture and church history unraveled fear-based theology and led him into a deeper and more loving experience of God. We talk about the harm...

Maddie Zahm grew up in a Christian home where she took her purity seriously and poured her heart into worship leading. Years later, after auditioning for American Idol , she began writing the kind of songs that reach straight into the stories of those deconstructing their faith and identity. Her song “You Might Not Like Her” became an anthem for anyone learning to love themselves after leaving sha...

Monte was raised in rural Wyoming to believe she might have to die for her faith. Growing up under alt-right Christian nationalism, her family prepared for war, built a bunker, and warned her that Democrats would come to kill them. She was taught to shoot at a young age and to see obedience as holiness. Seen as her father’s “chosen one,” she was encouraged to get an education so she could “change...

Part 2 of 2 Victoria joined Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry at a pivotal time in her life, hoping to grow in her faith and purpose. During her time there, she began an internship with Nick and Jess, a couple who led a group of students through life coaching and emotional healing practices. What started as mentorship quickly shifted into something harmful, as Victoria found herself leading u...

Part 1 of 2 Victoria joined Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry at a pivotal time in her life, hoping to grow in her faith and purpose. During her time there, she began an internship with Nick and Jess, a couple who led a group of students through life coaching and emotional healing practices. What started as mentorship quickly shifted into something harmful, as Victoria found herself leading u...

Azriél Crews, actor, writer, and daughter of Terry Crews , grew up in front of the cameras on her family’s reality show The Family Crews . As a teenager, she signed a purity pledge on national TV, turning her private coming-of-age into a public spectacle. In this episode, Azriél opens up about navigating faith, fame, and identity in the spotlight. She shares how college gave her the space to embra...

I’ve known Jade since middle school, and I’ve watched her story unfold over the years. After college, she married her wife in what seemed like a dream come true. They even won a free elopement in a contest, creating memories that felt magical in so many ways. But after seven years together, everything unraveled in a matter of days. A series of accusations and bizarre circumstances ended the marria...