authentic living
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LOVE VS. CONSUMPTION: I DIDN’T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
I used to think being valued meant being loved. I didn’t know someone could see my worth and still devour me whole. Here’s what I learned about the difference between love and consumption. Continue reading
abuse of power, authentic living, belonging, Boundaries, personal journey, religious abuse, religious trauma recovery, sacred healing, Self-Reflection, trauma recoveryBoundaries, codependency, conditional love, emotional abuse, emotional manipulation, gaslighting, healing-journey, healthy relationships, love vs consumption, narcissistic abuse, Nashville trauma support, peer support, religious trauma, self-worth, spiritual abuse, spiritual manipulation, survivor, toxic family, toxic relationships, trauma recovery -
The Ground Beneath My Feet
All I’d ever done was pretend—first in the family that raised me, then in the church. I didn’t even know I was pretending. Then I finally faced the truth, and people were talking about me. What followed was almost a decade of wandering. But what I’ve found in peer support groups isn’t another savior—it’s shared… Continue reading
abuse of power, adoption trauma, adult clergy sexual abuse, adverse religious experiences, ancestral wisdom, authentic living, authentic self, belonging, Church trauma therapy, clergy sexual abuse, collective healing, collective hope, community, complex trauma, connection, CPTSD, cult recovery, Deconstronstruction, developmental trauma, emotional manipulation, faith and religion, faith deconstruction, false prophets, healing and recovery, healing process, hope, mental health and wellness, religious abuse, religious deconstruction, religious freedom, Religious PTSD recovery, religious trauma recovery, Religious trauma syndrome, sacredwounds, self-discovery, Self-Reflection, spiritual abuse recovery, spiritual connection, spirituality and trauma, Toxic religion recovery, trauma recovery coaching -
When the Shell Cracks: Finding Truth Beyond Religious Performance
Truth always finds a way to surface. Our ego tries to keep everything together, but eventually the shell cracks and what’s inside starts leaking out. If we’re brave enough to look at what seeps out instead of frantically patching the holes, we might find what we’ve been searching for all along. Continue reading
authentic living, authentic self, childhood trauma, complex trauma, CPTSD, Cults, Deconstronstruction, developmental trauma, ego death, emotional courage, Emotional Intelligence, emotional manipulation, emotional regulation, faith deconstruction, Faith deconstruction help, false prophets, grief, healing and recovery, hope, light, strength within, life reflection, mental health and wellness, Personal Development, personal growth, personal journey, perspective shifts, ptsd, religious abuse, religious deconstruction, Religious PTSD recovery, Religious trauma syndrome, sacred healing, sacredwounds, self discovery, self trust, self-care, self-discovery, Self-Reflection, soul discovery, spiritual abuse, spiritual abuse recovery, spiritual journey, spirituality, subconscious patterns, Toxic religion recovery, toxic shame, trauma bond, trauma informed ministry, trauma practitioner, trauma recovery coaching, Wholeheartednessadoption trauma, authentic faith, breaking free, church hurt, Church Trauma, deconstruction, evangelical church, faith and healing, faith crisis, faith deconstruction, finding truth, healing-journey, inner critic, pastor abuse, personal growth, personal testimony, religious conditioning, religious hypocrisy, religious performance, religious shame, religious trauma, spiritual abuse, spiritual abuse recovery, spiritual authenticity, spiritual awakening, spiritual healing, spiritual journey, spiritual memoir, spiritual transformation, trauma recovery -
The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Finding Truth Beyond Collective Narratives
We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” Joan Didion wrote. But what happens when those shared stories—our collective narratives—become barriers to the very connection they promise to create? Growing up with parents whose lives were like apple carts filled to capacity, I learned early how fragile our shared stories can be. One uncomfortable truth… Continue reading
authentic living, authentic self, faith deconstruction, mental health and wellness, religious deconstruction, religious freedom, Religious PTSD recovery, religious trauma, sacred healing, self discovery, self trust, soul discovery, spiritual abuse recovery, spiritual awakening, spiritual connection, spiritual journey, spirituality, system of abuse, Toxic religion recovery, Wholeheartednessauthentic connection, authentic living, breaking cycles, childhood trauma, church hurt, collective narratives, faith deconstruction, family dysfunction, finding voice, healing-journey, honest conversations, meaningful relationships, personal story, religious abuse, religious trauma, spiritual awakening, Spiritual Growth, trauma recovery, truth telling, vulnerability -
Learning to Trust Yourself: A Journey of Self-Discovery
“Here’s what I’ve learned: self-trust isn’t something you either have or don’t have—it’s something you build through small, consistent deposits of self-advocacy.Just like a bank account, trust accumulates through repeated deposits. Every time you honor a commitment to yourself—even a tiny one—you’re making a deposit. Every time you speak up for your needs, set a… Continue reading
authentic living, authentic self, belonging, breaking cycles, mental health, Mental Wellness, self discovery, self trust, self-care, trauma recovery coaching#empowerment, authentic living, confidence building, emotional healing, Emotional Intelligence, emotional wellness, healing-journey, healthy relationships, inner strength, life coaching, mental health, Mental Wellness, mindfulness, personal boundaries, Personal Development, personal empowerment, personal growth, personal transformation, relationship boundaries, Resilience, self discovery, self trust, self-advocacy, self-awareness, self-care, self-compassion, self-respect, self-worth, setting boundaries, trauma recovery -
When Stars Fall: Finding the Light Within
“Sometimes life feels almost too heavy to bear. I find myself turning off the news or closing social media after yet another story of a bright star crashing into darkness—someone whose light had guided so many of us through our own difficult days. But why do their lights go out? Why do they sometimes choose… Continue reading
authentic living, authentic self, community, healing and recovery, mental health, relationships, religious abuse, religious deconstruction, religious freedom, Religious PTSD recovery, Religious trauma syndrome, sacred healing, soul discovery, spiritual abuse recovery, spiritual awakening, spiritual journey, trauma recovery coachingauthentic faith, authentic self, breaking free, deconstruction, faith crisis, faith deconstruction, faith transition, finding community, finding purpose, healing, healing-journey, inner guidance, inner light, inner wisdom, leaving church, life, love, mental health, personal growth, religious conditioning, religious freedom, religious harm, religious recovery, religious trauma, self discovery, spiritual abuse, spiritual awakening, spiritual healing, spiritual independence, spiritual journey, spiritual recovery, spiritual transformation, spirituality, toxic religion -
Breaking Free from Sexual Shame: A Journey of Ancestral Healing
A personal story of healing from sexual addiction, religious trauma, and generational shame through ancestral wisdom and authentic spirituality. Continue reading
addiction recovery, ancestral wisdom, ancestry, authentic, authentic living, authentic self, awareness, belonging, breaking cycles, childhood trauma, clergy sexual abuse, complex trauma, connection, CPTSD, Deconstronstruction, dna, emotional courage, faith and religion, Generational Patterns, healing and recovery, indigenous wisdom, sacred healing, sexual healing, spiritual abuse recovery, spiritual journey, spirituality and sexualityabuse cycles, addiction recovery, ancestral connection, ancestral healing, ancestral voices, ancestral wisdom, ancient wisdom, authentic faith, authentic spirituality, belonging, bloodline healing, bloodline patterns, body trauma, childhood trauma, church abuse, colonial wounds, colonization trauma, community healing, confession, connection, creator love, cycle breaking, Dave Belleau, disconnection, dna, documentary film, earth connection, emotional healing, Esk’Etemc, faith healing, family patterns, family secrets, freedom from shame, genealogy, generational healing, generational trauma, healing, healthy sexuality, heart healing, hidden pain, indigenous voices, indigenous wisdom, intergenerational trauma, light over darkness, love over shame, Maurizio Benazzo, mental health, modern disconnection, nature healing, nature wisdom, Newfoundland, pain avoidance, pastoral abuse, pornography addiction, predatory behavior, religious freedom, religious hypocrisy, religious trauma, sacred ceremony, sacred sexuality, sacred work, safety, Science and Nonduality, secrets, sexual addiction, sexual healing, sexual shame, shame, soul healing, southern culture, spiritual abuse, spiritual awakening, spiritual healing, spirituality, The Eternal Song, toxic religion, transparency, trauma, trauma recovery, true religion, truth telling, vulnerability, vulnerability healing, wound healing, Zaya Benazzo
A Liminal Space 