authentic self
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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
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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
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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 -
Walking in Shadows: A Journey from Darkness to Light
The toxic faith I grew up with convinced me that looking inward was dangerous—that if I dug beneath the surface, I’d discover nothing but the rot of an irredeemably sinful heart. But what happens when someone already drowning in that internal darkness looks outward and sees nothing but more of the same? When it finally… Continue reading
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You’re Not Crazy: Psychology Finally Recognizes Religious Trauma
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson For years, those of us who walked away from toxic religion were told we just had a ‘bad church experience’—but a groundbreaking American Psychological Association article is finally validating what we’ve known Continue reading
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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
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A Liminal Space 