1724810445
REST: Recovering from Spiritual Trauma

Advertise on podcast: REST: Recovering from Spiritual Trauma

Rating
★★★★☆
4.1
from
59 reviews
This podcast has
35 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2024/01/08
Latest episode
2026/10/12
Average duration
38 min.
Release period
37 days

Description

Spiritual Trauma has been defined as occurring when a person's religious experience is stressful, degrading, dangerous, abusive, or damaging.  I am a mother joined by my adult daughter as we discuss our family’s story of recovering from spiritual trauma. In each episode of REST we will share our experience of 17 years in a church community with a high-control culture within the denomination of the OPC (Orthodox Presbyterian Church). Thankfully we are now on a journey toward true soul rest. We welcome your feedback and stories.  You can reach us at [email protected]

Unlock REST: Recovering from Spiritual Trauma podcast Email contact info,
Listeners & Audience details

Email contact information

Direct podcast contact details

Listeners

Audience numbers & engagement insights

Audience details

Podcast Insights

Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from REST: Recovering from Spiritual Trauma podcast


Christian Modesty: It’s Not About Covering Up
2026/10/12
Send us Fan Mail I'm going solo again on this episode to discuss a topic that my daughter and I couldn't believe that we haven't addressed here yet. She will be joining me along with a special guest on the next episode which will be a follow-up to this one. The three of us will be discussing the concept of Christian modesty. In this prequel I explore the history of modesty as well as some of the Biblical passages around it.  Intro to Marg Mowczko Marg Mowczko blog on women in 1 Timothy 2 Marg Mowczko blog on 1 Timothy 2:9 Bare Marriage Website Bare Marriage YouTube Starter Pack on Why Complementarianism Doesn't Work Bare Marriage YouTube Starter Pack on Healthy Sex My Mastectomy Story We welcome all feedback. You can reach us at [email protected]
When Christians Choose Suicide: Carol’s Story
2026/09/14
Send us Fan Mail In this episode I tell the story of Carol, a pastor’s wife in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Her suicide in 2007 led her son to publish a book of her letters that he found after her death. He also elaborates on the letters and the possible reasons that his mother made her ultimate tragic choice.  Carol’s Letters: The Story of my Mother’s Suicide If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. There IS help.  American Foundation for Suicide Prevention International Association for Suicide Prevention  RE.S.T Episode: How God Sees Women | The End of Patriarchy Spotify Podcasts RE.S.T Episode: How God Sees Women | The End of Patriarchy Apple Podcasts Safe to Hope podcast: Bible Truth About Women We welcome all feedback. You can reach us at [email protected]
Guest Interview | Dr. Ann Maree Goudzwaard on domestic & spiritual abuse
2026/07/12
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Ann Maree Goudzwaard joins me today to share her story of spiritual abuse as well as her work as an advocate for women in abusive situations. She is the founder and Executive Director of Help[H]er, a nonprofit ministry that produces rich resources, offers comprehensive training, and provides specialized care for women in crisis in Christian organizations. She works to ensure that women receive compassionate, informed, and scripturally sound care. She holds a Doctor of Ministry with a counseling emphasis and is trained in domestic abuse (CTPM:Called to Peace Ministries) and trauma care (GTRI: Global Trauma Recovery Institute). She is also an author and teacher, and has served as an expert advisor to the PCA’s (Presbyterian Church in America) Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault (DASA) Ad Interim Study Committee.  Help[H]er Ministry website Help[H]er Substack Help[H]er Instagram Help[H]er Facebook Safe to Hope Apple podcast Safe to Hope Spotify podcast Called to Peace Ministry for those affected by domestic abuse Global Trauma Recovery Institute How to leave your church when it resists DASA Committee Report Advocacy from the PCA Pew: resources for members The Faithful Project: YouTube We welcome all feedback. You can reach us at [email protected]
Guest Interview: Stephanie Chernyavskiy & Abuse in the OPC | Part 3
2026/06/20
Send us Fan Mail In this episode I continue my conversation with Stephanie Chernyavskiy, a woman who grew up in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and suffered under its abuses. She has also told her story on this podcast which would be a good preview to our interview. Here are all the links we discuss in the interview: Full report of her case by the Presbytery of Southeast, OPC Stephanie's Statement to the Presbytery of the Southeast, September 2025 Stephanie's Supporting Witnesses list Stephanie's Dad's email to her fiance Admission of OPC heresy that they are able to absolve of guilt OPC admitting a Catholic cannot have true faith Letter from OPC falsely stating Stephanie and fiance cohabitating Letter from the OPC stating that they will not allow Stephanie to leave the denomination per her request to be removed from membership Are you in the OPC, and need help? Contact: Presbyterian Advocacy Coalition. As always, we welcome all feedback. You can reach us at [email protected]
Guest Interview: Stephanie Chernyavskiy & Abuse in the OPC | Part 2
2026/06/17
Send us Fan Mail In this episode I continue my conversation with Stephanie Chernyavskiy, a woman who grew up in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and suffered under its abuses. She has also told her story on this podcast which would be a good preview to our interview. This was initially recorded in December 2025 but due to counsel she was advised not to publish until after the OPC General Assembly which was held June 5-7, 2026. She was hopeful her case would be brought before the denomination’s highest court, but it was denied a hearing.  Here are all the links we discuss in the interview: Full report of her case by the Presbytery of the Southeast, OPC Stephanie's Statement to the Presbytery of the Southeast, September 2025 Stephanie's Supporting Witnesses list Stephanie's Dad's email to her fiance Admission of OPC heresy that they are able to absolve of guilt OPC admitting a Catholic cannot have true faith Letter from OPC falsely stating Stephanie and fiance cohabitating Letter from the OPC stating that they will not allow Stephanie to leave the denomination per her request to be removed from membership The DASA report  NAPARC Congregation Finder Are you in the OPC, and need help? Contact: Presbyterian Advocacy Coalition. As always, we welcome all feedback. You can reach us at [email protected]
Guest Interview : Stephanie Chernyavskiy & Abuse in the OPC | Part 1
2026/06/13
Send us Fan Mail In this episode I interview Stephanie Chernyavskiy, a woman who grew up in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and suffered under its abuses. She has also told her story on this podcast which would be a good preview to our interview. This was initially recorded in December 2025 but due to counsel she was advised not to publish until after the OPC General Assembly which was held June 5-7, 2026. She was hopeful her case would be brought before the denomination’s highest court, but it was denied a hearing.  Here are all the links we discuss in the interview: Full report of her case by the Presbytery of the Southeast, OPC Stephanie's Statement to the Presbytery of the Southeast, September 2025 Stephanie's Supporting Witnesses list Stephanie's Dad's email to her fiance Admission of OPC heresy that they are able to absolve of guilt OPC admitting a Catholic cannot have true faith Letter from OPC falsely stating Stephanie and fiance cohabitating Letter from the OPC stating that they will not allow Stephanie to leave the denomination per her request to be removed from membership Are you in the OPC, and need help? Contact: Presbyterian Advocacy Coalition. As always, we welcome all feedback. You can reach us at [email protected]
Tithing: Our Family's Story of Regret
2026/03/18
Send us Fan Mail She’s back! My daughter joins me again in this episode and we unpack our family’s story of regret around tithing. She gives us the perspective of a child growing up in a high control church culture, a perspective rarely if ever heard or heeded.  We welcome all feedback. You can reach us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
Should Christians TITHE?
2026/03/02
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the history of Christian tithing is fully explored and its Biblical claims examined.  Statistics quoted in the episode come from The Religion Business, a 7-part investigative docuseries that exposes a growing problem in the nonprofit and religious sector—lack of transparency and oversight. Through investigative reporting and real-world cases, it reveals how well-meaning intentions can mask financial mismanagement, ethical lapses, and broken trust with donors and communities. The Religion Business website The Religion Business Instagram The Religion Business YouTube We welcome all feedback. You can reach us at [email protected]
Guest Interview | Mike Adams on Sundays and Sabbaths
2026/02/09
Send us Fan Mail I’m back today with Mike Adams of the UnSunday Show. A former pastor, he left organized religion once he discovered just how free he really is in Jesus under the New Covenant. He now seeks to “unsunday” the modern church by sharing his story on his UnSunday Show podcast and YouTube channel. If you’ve ever wondered just what Christians should -and should not- be doing with Sunday or a Sabbath Day, you’ve come to the right place.  The UnSunday Show website The UnSunday Show Instagram The UnSunday show TikTok The UnSunday Show YouTube Channel Reach us at: [email protected]
Guest Interview | Theresa Garcia Robertson on abuse in the OPC
2026/01/26
Send us Fan Mail Our guest for this episode is Theresa Garcia Robertson, one of 5 girls - now women- who were abused by a pastor or elder in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) and specifically the Presbytery of the Southeast (PSE). Her story first broke on the Sons of Patriarchy podcast which you can listen to here: Sons of Patriarchy episode Apple Podcasts Sons of Patriarchy episode Spotify podcasts Caroline Garcia Osborne's (Theresa's younger sister and main victim of Boyd Miller) episode on Sons of Patriarchy Noelle Well's report on the Presbytery of the Southeast's meeting about the case Google drive docs of all the case files pertaining to Boyd Miller & Covenant OPC Are you in the OPC, and need help? Contact: Presbyterian Advocacy Coalition We welcome all feedback. You can reach us at: [email protected]
Guest Interview | Brian Lee of Broken to Beloved
2026/01/18
Send us Fan Mail Our guest for this episode is Brian Lee: pastor, coach, and speaker as well as a survivor of spiritual abuse and religious trauma.  He has spent his time since leaving vocational ministry in 2021 working to provide recovery and resources for fellow victims and survivors via the creation of an online healing platform called Broken to Beloved. He hosts a multi-day virtual Annual Summit there to help survivors find paths through their healing journey, as well as ongoing cohorts of healing, a podcast, and online book club.  Broken to Beloved website B2B Apple podcast  B2B Spotify podcast B2B Instagram We welcome all feedback. You can reach us at [email protected]
Guest Interview | Poet & Author Brittany Hart
2026/01/05
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season 3! In this kickoff episode I welcome poet Brittany Hart as she shares excerpts from her new book, Surviving Wonderland: A Journey Beyond Control.   She is an author and poet who writes at the intersection of spiritual trauma, recovery, and the slow rebuilding of a liberated self. Her debut collection, Surviving Wonderland: A Journey Beyond Control, transforms her lived experience in a high-control religious group into art that speaks to anyone reclaiming their voice after harm. She now supports fellow survivors through creative writing, online guides, and spaces of gentle, grounded healing.  Her journey has been as chaotic as Alice's fall down the rabbit hole. Brittany follows the White Rabbit of the IHOPKC movement into a spiritually traumatic world, making herself small in order to fit their prescribed formulas.  You can follow her work here: Instagram Substack Be sure to follow the NEW RE.S.T. Facebook page here as well as Instagram. As always, we welcome all feedback. Reach out to us at [email protected]
Guest Interview | Mike and Susan Adams : Part 2
2025/06/18
Send us Fan Mail In this episode I continue my conversation with the husband and wife grace team, Mike and Susan Adams, hosts of the podcasts The UnSunday Show and The Grace Café. In the last episode, they each shared their stories of how they met Jesus and why they started their podcasts. In this episode we focus our conversation on the covenants found in the Bible.  We will be discussing the way certain churches have created a whole belief system called covenant theology. This system is an unbiblical way that they control believers by convincing them that they are bound to keep part of the Old Covenant law. You can find all of Mike and Susan's resources here:  Grace Cafe Podcast website The UnSunday Show website The UnSunday Show Instagram The UnSunday show TikTok The UnSunday Show YouTube Channel The Grace Cafe YouTube Channel Reach us at: [email protected]
Guest Interview | Mike and Susan Adams: Part 1
2025/06/02
Send us Fan Mail I’m thrilled to welcome guests Mike and Susan Adams, who self- identify as the husband and wife grace team. They are the creators and hosts of 2 podcasts: The UnSunday Show, which asks honest questions about the origin and validity of institutional church rules, traditions, and practices. They engage in conversations around the freedom we’ve been given apart from empty religious obligation. The other podcast is called The Grace Cafe, where they both share more about their own journey toward the full freedom that is ours in Christ under His new covenant of grace.  Grace Cafe Podcast website The UnSunday Show website The UnSunday Show Instagram The UnSunday show TikTok The UnSunday Show YouTube Channel The Grace Cafe YouTube Channel Reach us at: [email protected]
Mother/Daughter discussion of the Andrew Bauman interview
2025/05/22
Send us Fan Mail In this episode I’m joined again by my daughter as we discuss the interview I recently posted in S2E4 with Dr. Andrew Bauman, author of Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities. You can find all of Dr.Bauman’s resources here: Andrew's website Follow him on Facebook and here on Instagram Buy the Safe Church book here Other abuse support: Outreach Inc- a resource to support spiritual abuse survivors OPC Presbyterian Advocacy Coalition Presbyterian Pew (PCA abuse support) The RE.S.T. podcast email To all our local listeners in the Charlotte, NC area: My husband and I are considering opening our home for weekly informal drop-ins. These would be spaces where we can continue the conversation around the issues in the podcast. If you would be interested, please send me an email ( above) and I will send you the details.

Podcast reviews

Read REST: Recovering from Spiritual Trauma podcast reviews


4.1 out of 5
59 reviews
★★★★★
Ditlo 2026/05/02
Spiritual Trauma is Real
This episode talking about spiritual trauma really hit home for me and my wife. Still recovering and hoping to see our faintly healed from these evil...
★★★★★
June10:24Z 2025/08/12
It's an uphill struggle
Anytime you are a little one trying to expose the abuse and help others the big group attacks. They hold you to a higher account not because they seek...
★☆☆☆☆
YHWHReigns1517 2025/05/12
What abuse?
This podcast is a waste of time. I keep waiting to hear about the abuse, but all this podcast amounts to is an extended advertisement for the church....
★★★★★
Strive4Truth 2025/04/29
Insights on the conscience!
Really enjoyed the episodes from March 2024, including the discussion in “Is it all in my head?” about the importance of the human conscience. How rar...
★★★★★
Carsonmeem 2025/03/30
Validating and Enlightening
So much of your content resonates with me. I respect the courage it takes to produce and broadcast your vulnerable moments, presented logically and cl...
★★★★★
UnSunday.Mike 2025/02/21
A Much-Needed Podcast
This podcast is much needed in exposing the abuse that can often be a byproduct of the broken system we call church, with its top-down authority struc...
★★★★★
mrslrx 2024/08/07
Thankful
So thankful for the brave and strong voices calling attention to the very real abuse happening in high control church communities.
★★★★★
Sola Sister 2024/05/17
😭Listening with tears…
….and hearing my own story of church abuse❤️‍🩹 Thank you for giving listeners the words and a framework to begin to articulate their own experiences.
★★★★★
Tar Heel 91 2024/01/26
Thankful
Hearing your story is both beautiful and difficult. It is difficult to hear how a church can create such harm in our lives. However, to hear the way...
★★★★★
The Livster ✌️💚🐢 2024/01/10
Thankful
Grateful for your vulnerability and courage. Thank you for being open and transparent in love.
check all reviews on apple podcasts

Podcast sponsorship advertising

Start advertising on REST: Recovering from Spiritual Trauma relevant audience podcasts


What do you want to promote?