Reclamation: A beEmboldened Initiative

In this week's episode, Dulce and Derek of "The Honest Messy Life" join us for the first in a two-part series to share their personal stories. In Part 1, they open up about their lives within the cult and the painful impact on relationships, from family to close friends. Don’t miss this beautiful couple’s vulnerability and transparency–we think you’ll relate. ---------------- Support...

Tracy Brown is a Somatic Nutrition Therapist, a registered Licensed Dietitian, and an Attuned Eating Coach. Today she is joining us to talk about the relationship between trauma and food: How does the first influence the second? What about within spiritual abuse? Naomi lived this struggle herself, and she knows she wasn’t the only one. In this conversation, Tracy will give us key information to un...

In this episode, Joshua Stringer, one of bE’s mentors, shares his history with spiritual abuse. He vulnerably talks about his challenges in the aftermath and how it has shaped his life in many ways, including in his role as a bE mentor. Listen in and hear where your stories overlap! ---------------- Support this work by visiting  https://www.beemboldened.com/donate to make a tax-deductible do...

In this episode, Naomi and Anna, a bE mentor, discuss beEmboldened’s mentoring services and the nuances of the religious abuse context. Whether you are a professional in the field or a person who has experienced spiritual abuse, you don't want to miss this conversation! ---------------- Support this work by visiting  https://www.beemboldened.com/donate to make a tax-deductible donation (forme...

Religious abuse and twisted-up doctrine go hand-in-hand. This leaves us confused, discouraged, and sometimes angry. It also leaves us vulnerable to re-victimization. In this episode, Rebecca Davis, author of the "Untwisting Scriptures" book series, joins us to provide helpful tools and insights on the road to biblically sound doctrine. ---------------- Support this work by visiting  https://w...

After suffering spiritual abuse, being part of a community–whether religious or not–can cause a lot of anxiety and confusion. I mean…it didn’t go well the last time, right? Is it really necessary and beneficial to be part of a community? What does it even mean for a community to be healthy? In this episode, Naomi welcomed Mary Jo Sharp, who has experienced firsthand the imperfection of the Church....

Grief is a primary emotion when healing from religious abuse. When we walk away from a damaging community, we are faced with many different forms of loss that demand our attention. They either get our attention, or they fester and come out in all sorts of less productive ways. In this episode, Naomi invited Ryan Ramsey to share about the great value of allowing ourselves to feel grief and to incor...

In this episode, Naomi talks with Holly Pivec and Doug Geivett about the New Apostolic Reformation, known as NAR. Even if NAR doesn’t sound familiar, you do not want to miss this conversation. As we get into some signs of the movement, you’re likely to realize you’ve encountered some of them already. This is a big one for victimization prevention–Please don’t miss it! ---------------- Support this...

In unhealthy religious communities, emotional health is not a topic of conversation. This concept is disregarded and ignored in the abusive religious groups we engage with here at bE. Join Roger Sharp and Naomi as they have a conversation about the importance of emotional health and spiritual maturity. You don't want to miss this meaningful conversation. ---------------- Support this work by visit...

“Spare the rod; spoil the child.” What does this mean? The topic of discipline and discipleship can be complex, especially for those who have been through religious abuse. So naturally, when discussing discipline in our children, many can find theirselves hesitant and confused about healthy and God-honoring ways to approach it. In this episode, Naomi invited Elizabeth Urbanowicz, who has great exp...

Whether you are new to Christianity, have come out of an abusive religious group, or simply haven't thought a lot about it, understanding Jesus' ordinances of baptism and communion from a biblical perspective is vital to your Christian life. In this episode with Kevin Santiago, we will unpack different aspects to understand better what these ordinances look like for healthy spirituality. ---------...

After Crystal decided to leave the team she was involved with, she couldn't pick up a Bible. This cultish group magnified suffering in unhealthy ways, and brought confusion and chaos to her life. Happily, she has come to know that God isn't confusing or chaotic. In this episode, Crystal shares her story about how her later involvement in a Church community, along with a proper understanding of the...

Harmful religious groups use God as an excuse to be abusive and support it with the Old Testament. As many of you know, Naomi has experienced this in her own life. Today, she can make a distinction between what is actually God and what is humanity, and she can go to God as the safe place He is. It has been a journey of untwisting and figuring out the truth about God’s nature, though. This is why s...

We see teaching about repentance throughout the New and Old Testament. This practice is shown as an essential aspect of conversion and continued growth. How has this important and beautiful teaching been twisted in abusive and unbiblical ways? This week, Teasi Cannon joined us to discuss what repentance actually looks like versus what it doesn’t. ---------------- Support this work by visiting&nbsp...

The doctrine of the Trinity gets brought up weekly in our conversations with people who have suffered religious trauma. A better understanding of this topic will help us get a sound and biblically-based faith, as well as help us to better understand the concerns of the groups our mentees have left. With the questions we’ve been asked in mind, Naomi invited Dr. Roger Olson to join us to talk about...

Christians are not necessarily taught how dramatically, and tragically spiritual warfare can impact their journey. Many times, they don’t have clarity on what’s truly happening or what it means to “discern.” Add in spiritual abuse, and things can get so much messier. Welcome back for the third and final part in our series with Sharon Beekmann on The Spiritual Realm and The Power of Christ. If you’...

There is a lot of misinformation about the spiritual realm, including that it doesn't really exist in ways anymore. Because of this, we have countless individuals come to us at bE who don't know how to think about different experiences they've had. Was that dream their own? Or from God? Or elsewhere? Sharon Beekmann shares her thoughts on these and other questions in part two of our spiritual warf...

When leaving abusive religious situations, many continue to be attacked in various ways. This can be a very confusing time as they usually don't know what to do. Sharon Beekmann find herself in this situation when she decided to step out of the New Age practices. In this two-part series, Sharon, who today is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and a retired Associated Facul...

Spiritual abuse often generates a deep sense of loneliness and isolation. This can be compounded by the reality that those who are suffering often encounter great misunderstanding of the issue both inside and outside the Church. In this episode, Naomi asked Anna Kitko a series of questions that can help you understand more about religious trauma and how to better engage people who have a story to...

When Michael first became a volunteer in his church, he had no previous experience or knowledge about how to teach the Bible or lead others. Nor was he taught while in this leadership position. Unfortunately, this experience is not unique to Michael, which is deeply unfortunate because it can set the stage for spiritual abuse. Listen to Michael's story about how this affected his life and many oth...

Are there translations of the Bible that should be avoided? Or is one version better than another? These may be some of the questions you have when deciding which translation to use for yourself or your family. In this episode, Naomi and Lemon share some important tools to help you answer these questions and navigate your own decisions. Don't miss this practical conversation! ---------------- Supp...

In this episode, Naomi invited Megan to have a conversation about the overlap that exists between cults and human trafficking. Megan, herself, grew up in a cult environment and was then lured and trapped into the commercial sex industry. How did this happen to her? And how does it continue to happen to others? Listen to find out. ---------------- Support this work by visiting  https://www.bee...

Amy's family was asked to leave the religious community of which they were a part, which triggered a series of events that led her to struggle with her faith. Today, Amy is a solid Christian who is part of a ministry that helps young people find the truth of who Jesus is. Don't miss this wonderful conversation of healing and redemption! ---------------- Support this work by visiting  https://...

Tithing is a subject that people are often confused about, which has unfortunately resulted in it being used as a form of control and manipulation in certain religious environments. Should we tithe or not? Is it really a commandment that Jesus affirmed? In this opportunity, we have the company of Dr. Blomberg who has shared this topic extensively and will help us clarify the issue. ---------------...

In the first episode of this two-part conversation, we discussed the major aspects of the book of Revelation. In this second episode, it's time to get into the details! Listen to Dr. David Mathewson respond to these KEY aspects that will lead us to a greater understanding of the text, and help prevent you from getting lured into a religiously abusive group.