The Awakening Podcast

pisode 16 — Survival Is Not a Sin Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of adoption trauma, physical abuse, sexual assault, incest, pregnancy resulting from rape, religious trauma, and deconstruction . Listener discretion is strongly advised. Episode Description In Episode 16, we sit down with George , a trans man who courageously shares his story of survival, identity, and religious...

🎙️ Episode 15 — “When an Affirming Home Isn’t Enough” How the Church Still Pushes People Away This week on The Awakening Podcast , Tamara and I sit down with David , a gay man whose story challenges one of the church's greatest lies. David grew up in a loving, affirming home , supported by his family and encouraged to be fully himself. And yet, the church still did profound damage . Through shame-...

🎙️ Episode 14 — “When Healing Is Called Possession” A Story of Adoption, Trauma, Faith, and Reclaiming Identity This week on The Awakening Podcast , we sit down with Hal , who courageously shares his deeply personal and painful journey through adoption, loss, religious trauma, and self-discovery. Hal was adopted from Russia and came to the United States at just 22 months old , where he was raised...

Episode 13 — Shipped Away in the Name of God: Tabatha’s Story This week on The Awakening , we sit down with Tabatha , who shares her deeply painful and courageous story of being adopted into a strict Christian family whose love was conditional on conformity. When Tabatha’s trauma and humanity didn’t fit their idea of a “perfect Christian child,” she was sent away to a troubled teen program in Jama...

pisode 12 — Bad Theology, Bad Papers, and Bad Pastors: A Week of Christian Scandals This week on The Awakening , we’re switching things up. Instead of interviewing a guest, Heather and Tamara dive into several current scandals shaking up the Christian world. We’re talking: • A failed college paper that somehow turned into a cry of “persecution” • Women who continue to carry water for the patriarch...

Episode 11 — From Evangelical to Wiccan: Brooke’s Journey Into Freedom and Parenthood This week on The Awakening , we sit down with Brooke , a young woman whose spiritual path has taken her from evangelical Christianity to embracing Wicca. Brooke opens up about what led her to deconstruct, how she discovered a more empowering and earth-centered spiritual practice, and what parenting looks like whe...

Episode 10 — From Gospel Roots to Atheist Liberation: Kellie’s Journey This week on The Awakening , we sit down with Kellie , whose story stretches from growing up under the influence of gospel greats to finding her voice and identity outside of religion. Kellie shares her powerful journey from deeply rooted Christian culture to atheism, and how she found belonging and purpose through Black Nonbel...

Episode 9 — Losing Faith, Finding Freedom: Dan’s Story from South Africa This week on The Awakening , we sit down with Dan , a guest joining us all the way from South Africa. Dan shares his powerful journey of loss, questioning, and rebirth after his wife’s passing from cancer led him to deconstruct his faith. What began as heartbreak became the spark for deep reflection — and ultimately, liberati...

Episode 8 — From Pastor to Druid: Chris Bridges’ Journey Through Pain and Awakening This week on The Awakening , we sit down with Chris Bridges , a man whose story takes us from the pulpit to a path of profound spiritual transformation. Once a pastor and victim of spousal abuse, Chris opens up about the deep pain he endured while serving in ministry, and the courage it took to walk away from every...

Episode 7 — Faith, Politics, and Disability: A Therapist’s Story of Deconstruction In this week’s episode, we sit down with Will , a therapist who began deconstructing from Christianity after Trump’s election. Will shares how politics, faith, and personal experience collided in a way that changed everything he believed. He also opens up about living with a disability and how it shaped his understa...

Episode 6 | Surviving the IFB: Shay’s Story In this episode of The Awakening Podcast , we sit down with Shay , a survivor of the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) cult. This marks the very first time Shay has shared her story publicly, and she does so with courage, honesty, and incredible strength. Together, we talk about what it was like to grow up in a system built on fear and control, what...

Episode 5 | Escaping the Cult with Topher from True Crimes Against Wine When Topher’s family became entangled in John MacArthur’s cult, he barely escaped with his freedom intact. In this episode, he shares his journey of healing, humor, and rebuilding after religious trauma. Topher, host of True Crimes Against Wine, talks about what it means to unpack spiritual abuse, rediscover your voice, and re...

Episode 4 | Deconstructing into Celtic Christianity with Bishop John Gee In this episode of The Awakening Podcast , we sit down with Bishop John Gee , a Celtic Bishop whose journey led him from evangelical Christianity into a more expansive and inclusive expression of faith. Bishop John shares his path of deconstruction and spiritual rediscovery, offering insight into Celtic spirituality, ancient...

In this episode of The Awakening Podcast , we are honored to sit down with Mary Byler —author, advocate, and founder of The Misfit Amish . Mary shares her story of survival and resilience, as well as her passion for amplifying the voices of those who have been silenced within insular religious communities. Mary is the author of Reflections and Memories of An Amish Misfit and Jezebel’s Justice . Sh...

In this episode of The Awakening Podcast , we sit down with Abel, also known as Poetic Deconstruction , to hear his journey from fighting in the boxing ring to deconstructing faith and rebuilding life with honesty and courage. Abel shares openly about healing from harmful systems, embracing vulnerability, and finding freedom in truth. His story is raw, inspiring, and full of hope for anyone walkin...

Welcome to the very first episode of The Awakening Podcast ! Hosted by Heather (@happyheather | @happyheathersmiles) and co-host Tamara Buchanan (@feralatheistjezebel321 on TikTok | @tamarajo321 on Instagram) , this show is all about real conversations, raw stories, and reclaiming our voices after religious trauma. In this episode, we share who we are, why we started this podcast, and what listene...