Emancipate Your Mind

Have you ever wondered why you went along with certain things while you were active in your religion? Have you ever experienced something traumatic at church and felt like it was your own fault because you willingly participated? Do you find yourself holding yourself to religious promises you made when you were younger or feeling guilty for breaking those promises? This episode will peel back the methods that were used to influence many of us in high demand religions and family systems to make decisions we may not have otherwise made. Understanding the difference between consent and coercion was a big stepping stone to giving myself compassion for decisions I made when younger and freeing myself in the present to make different decisions without guilt or shame.  _____________________________________________________ WANT MORE SUPPORT HEALING AFTER RELIGIOUS TRANSITION? If you’d like to be part of an online community where we take the podcast topics and pull them apart for discussion and further learning, talk about all the religious transition things, and just enjoy each other’s company, join my free “Emancipate Yourself” Facebook group at this link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/370375144009891 Or if you want to follow me for religious and psychological insights, commentary on events in the world, links to other people doing great work related to religion, and little windows into my real life, follow me on Instagram or Reddit @EmancipatedMolly , TikTok @EmancipatedTeri , or Twitter @EmancipatedTeri.  If you have a question or want to talk about further coaching support, please email me at teri@emancipatedcoaching.com

I should have known when creating a podcast on intention vs. impact that I’d also get a chance to work on making sure my intentions and impact were in alignment. I’m still learning just like all of you.  In this, take 3, of this episode, we discuss why it’s not just our intentions that matter when it comes to creating safe spaces for those around us, but it’s how people are impacted by our actions and words. We talk about why the Golden Rule isn’t the great rule of thumb we were taught it was because it centers our experience and intent over the desires and impact felt by others. We talk about how trust in relationships can only grow when we give our most generous assumptions about the intentions of the person AND we can hold each other accountable for the impact. And last, we delve into what accountability actually sounds like. ALSO: I’m looking to collaborate with speakers, writers, and thought leaders who have diverse perspectives. I’m specifically looking for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, and disabled voices to add their perspectives and expertise on religious transition and trauma and subjects related to or adjacent to healing from religious trauma. Please feel free to send me your suggestions or connect me with your favorite speakers through social media or at my email address: teri@emancipatedcoaching.com  _____________________________________________________ WANT MORE SUPPORT HEALING AFTER RELIGIOUS TRANSITION? If you’d like to be part of an online community where we take the podcast topics and pull them apart for discussion and further learning, talk about all the religious transition things, and just enjoy each other’s company, join my free “Emancipate Yourself” Facebook group at this link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/370375144009891 Or if you want to follow me for religious and psychological insights, commentary on events in the world, links to other people doing great work related to religion, and little windows into my real life, follow me on Instagram or Reddit @EmancipatedMolly , TikTok @EmancipatedTeri , or Twitter @EmancipatedTeri.  If you have a question or want to talk about further coaching support, please email me at teri@emancipatedcoaching.com 

Grief has been on my mind this week as I prepare to attend my 17-year-old nephew’s funeral in Utah.In this episode, I dive into the complicated emotional roller coaster that is grief.  I hope to normalize the common experiences we all have when moving through loss and hopefully provide some language and understanding for the experience to make it easier to process. _____________________________________________________WANT MORE SUPPORT HEALING AFTER RELIGIOUS TRANSITION?If you’d like to be part of an online community where we take the podcast topics and pull them apart for discussion and further learning, talk about all the religious transition things, and just enjoy each other’s company, join my free “Emancipate Yourself” Facebook group at this link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/370375144009891Or if you want to follow me for religious and psychological insights, commentary on events in the world, links to other people doing great work related to religion, and little windows into my real life, follow me on Instagram or Reddit @EmancipatedMolly , TikTok @EmancipatedTeri , or Twitter @EmancipatedTeri. If you have a question or want to talk about further coaching support, please email me at teri@emancipatedcoaching.com Al

Today we’re diving into the practice of somatic experiencing as a way to help locate and release trauma in the body. MindBody Mentor, Shawna Kathleen, talks about her own experience with autoimmune disease, relationship abuse, and sexual trauma and how learning to use somatic feedback from her body allowed her to begin alchemizing the pent up trauma from her past and turning it into something that has expanded her personal and business life.  She’s a speaker, the owner of GoldMind, the host of GoldMind Podcast and a self proclaimed nerd who loves ancient culture, biohacking, nutrition and anything with animals. She’s been taking clients through somatic mind-body work for 3 years and doesn’t plan on stopping. For more information on how to follow all of Shawna’s incredible work or to work more in depth with her, find all of her information here at this link: https://linktr.ee/GoldMindDon’t forget, in the episode, Shawna offered half price somatic sessions for those who listened to the podcast and want further help with moving trauma through the body. Discount Code: SOMATIC___________________________________________________________WANT MORE SUPPORT HEALING AFTER RELIGIOUS TRANSITION?I’ve just released a brand new self-paced program called “Reclaim Your Identity”. The 5 weeks of modules take you through the process that has helped dozens of my clients begin to reconnect with themselves and begin feeling confident making decisions from their own inner wisdom. The group also comes with live coaching support on Zoom and in a private Facebook group with others also reconnecting with their authentic identities.If you’d like to be part of an online community where we take the podcast topics and pull them apart for discussion and further learning, talk about all the religious transition things, and just enjoy each other’s company, join my free “Emancipate Yourself” Facebook group at this link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/370375144009891Or if you want to follow me for religious and psychological insights, commentary on events in the world, links to other people doing great work related to religion, and little windows into my real life, follow me on Instagram or Reddit @EmancipatedMolly , TikTok @EmancipatedTeri , or Twitter @EmancipatedTeri. If you have a question or want to talk about further coaching support, please email me at teri@emancipatedcoaching.com 

Everyone numbs emotionally from time to time when we’re overwhelmed and we’re not sure how to process what we’re experiencing. Any substance or behavior can be used as a numbing mechanism if we do it to avoid feeling difficult emotions or to avoid exploring difficult thoughts. While the we gain the benefit of escape for a short time, there are also consequences when we numb. We know from Brene Brown’s research that we can’t selectively numb emotions and that when we habitually numb difficult emotions, we also mute emotions that we hope to experience; like peace, calm, happiness, contentment, pleasure, satisfaction, and joy.  In this episode, we explore the whole experience of numbing and how to begin to allow ourselves permission to become mindful of our behavior so that we can weigh the cost/benefit ratio of engaging in numbing behaviors. In this way, when we decide and plan to numb, we do it with consciousness and integrity.____________________________________________________In this episode, I mention that many of us who transition out of high demand religion experience what feels like a loss of identity. We may not know who we are, what we want, what we value or even believe anymore without the church in our lives. It can be confusing, scary, and overwhelming. If this sounds like you, I’ve just released a brand new self-paced program called “Reclaim Your Identity”. The 5 weeks of modules take you through the process that has helped dozens of my clients begin to reconnect with themselves and begin feeling confident making decisions from their own inner wisdom. The group also comes with live coaching support in a private Facebook group with others also reconnecting with their authentic identities. It’s the perfect place to allow yourself to explore who you authentically are and where you want to go from here. _____________________________________________________ WANT MORE SUPPORT HEALING AFTER RELIGIOUS TRANSITION? If you’d like to be part of an online community where we take the podcast topics and pull them apart for discussion and further learning, talk about all the religious transition things, and just enjoy each other’s company, join my free “Emancipate Yourself” Facebook group at this link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/370375144009891 Or if you want to follow me for religious and psychological insights, commentary on events in the world, links to other people doing great work related to religion, and little windows into my real life, follow me on Instagram or Reddit @EmancipatedMolly , TikTok @EmancipatedTeri , or Twitter @EmancipatedTeri.  If you have a question or want to talk about further coaching support, please email me at teri@emancipatedcoaching.com 

Over the past decade, so much research has emerged showing that mindfulness, or the practice of being completely focused on the present, is not just helpful for calming our nervous systems, helping us focus, and helping us feel more satisfied with our lives, but can also help people who are healing from trauma. When we’re able to focus on the present, instead of ruminating over the past or living in worry about the future, we’re able to anchor into a sense of safety while we observe painful emotions and thoughts without getting swept away by them and reliving the trauma. In this episode, I explore my own experiences with mindfulness along with the general experiences of my clients, in moving towards healing and feeling safe again. _____________________________________________________ Also in this episode, I announced that I am offering a FREE 4-day online course on healing perfectionism. The course is called “Empowered Imperfection” and it’ll go live this week. To receive the free course, check in on Wednesday at my website www.emancipatedcoaching.com and click on the popup for the free course. Add yourself to our newsletter and you’ll be automatically sent the course in your email. I’ve found that healing our perfectionism tendencies helps us identify and live as our authentic selves so much faster. I hope you LOVE it!_____________________________________________________ WANT MORE SUPPORT HEALING AFTER RELIGIOUS TRANSITION? If you’d like to be part of an online community where we take the podcast topics and pull them apart for discussion and further learning, talk about all the religious transition things, and just enjoy each other’s company, join my free “Emancipate Yourself” Facebook group at this link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/370375144009891 Or if you want to follow me for religious and psychological insights, commentary on events in the world, links to other people doing great work related to religion, and little windows into my real life, follow me on Instagram or Reddit @EmancipatedMolly , TikTok @EmancipatedTeri , or Twitter @EmancipatedTeri.  If you have a question or want to talk about further coaching support, please email me at teri@emancipatedcoaching.com 

There’s no doubt that those who are able to look at life’s challenges with hope and optimism enjoy a lot of proven benefits. They have less stress, better health, and live longer. They also are able to bounce back from life’s challenges with more resilience. However, sometimes our quest for positivity can actually be harmful. When it encourages us to stuff our difficult emotions and put on a happy face, we can actually cause ourselves micro trauma. Not to mention, when we stuff difficult emotions, we lose touch with our inner knowing and our ability to trust ourselves to handle difficult things. In this episode, we’ll discuss how to cultivate healthy positivity while avoiding toxic positivity messages you often hear in society and in high demand religion. TRIGGER WARNING: I do read some Bible verses in this episode to illustrate toxic positivity messages in the Bible and how they are used in Christianity._____________________________________________________ Also in this episode, I announced that I am offering a FREE 4-day online course on healing perfectionism. The course is called “Empowered Imperfection” and it’ll go live this week. To receive the free course, check in on Wednesday at my website www.emancipatedcoaching.com and click on the popup for the free course. Add yourself to our newsletter and you’ll be automatically sent the course in your email. I’ve found that healing our perfectionism tendencies helps us identify and live as our authentic selves so much faster. I hope you LOVE it! _____________________________________________________ WANT MORE SUPPORT HEALING AFTER RELIGIOUS TRANSITION? If you’d like to be part of an online community where we take the podcast topics and pull them apart for discussion and further learning, talk about all the religious transition things, and just enjoy each other’s company, join my free “Emancipate Yourself” Facebook group at this link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/370375144009891 Or if you want to follow me for religious and psychological insights, commentary on events in the world, links to other people doing great work related to religion, and little windows into my real life, follow me on Instagram or Reddit @EmancipatedMolly , TikTok @EmancipatedTeri , or Twitter @EmancipatedTeri.  If you have a question or want to talk about further coaching support, please email me at teri@emancipatedcoaching.com 

Terina Maldonado, a public speaker, life coach, and co-author of 'Fear to Freedom', discusses the healing power of storytelling. She emphasizes how sharing our narratives fosters shame resilience and creates safe spaces for others. Terina opens up about her own experiences, the importance of consent, and the need for open dialogues around sensitive topics. She also explores the transformative role of vulnerability in personal growth and highlights recent breakthroughs in emotional healing and neuroplasticity, championing the power of shared stories to inspire societal change.

Sometimes one of the most helpful tools for healing is understanding what is going on. When we know that the grief, anger, confusion, fear, loneliness, and sense of feeling displaced are all common when you’re experiencing religious trauma, it can make it easier to be patient with ourselves throughout the experience. You may also experience nightmares, dissociation, flashbacks, or other symptoms common to PTSD.   Knowing what we’re experiencing also helps us seek out help instead of heaping more shame onto our shoulders as we move towards healing our wounds. In this episode, we explore the syndrome identified by Dr. Marlene Winell in 2011 that describes the common symptoms those with religious trauma experience along with some of my own experiences with the symptoms to help you better identify your own experiences. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains mentions of religious, sexual, and physical abuse.  _____________________________________________________ WANT MORE SUPPORT HEALING AFTER RELIGIOUS TRANSITION? If you’d like to be part of an online community where we take the podcast topics and pull them apart for discussion and further learning, talk about all the religious transition things, and just enjoy each other’s company, join my free “Emancipate Yourself” Facebook group at this link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/370375144009891 Or if you want to follow me for religious and psychological insights, commentary on events in the world, links to other people doing great work related to religion, and little windows into my real life, follow me on Instagram or Reddit @EmancipatedMolly , TikTok @EmancipatedTeri , or Twitter @EmancipatedTeri.  If you have a question or want to talk about further coaching support, please email me at teri@emancipatedcoaching.com 

Have you ever just lost it for no reason and caught yourself thinking, “What in the world is going on with me?” Have you ever found yourself having a full body panic attack out of the blue? Have you ever found yourself inexplicably avoiding people you used to love hanging with, but now feel unsafe or threatening? You may be experiencing trauma triggers. In this episode, we talk about what triggers are and how they work so that you can stop feeling shame about experiencing them and start getting curious about them. The more we can understand that our triggers are simply our reptilian brain’s best efforts to keep us safe in what it perceives as a dangerous situation, the better able we are to work with them and through them. _____________________________________________________ WANT MORE SUPPORT HEALING AFTER RELIGIOUS TRANSITION? If you’d like to be part of an online community where we take the podcast topics and pull them apart for discussion and further learning, talk about all the religious transition things, and just enjoy each other’s company, join my free “Emancipate Yourself” Facebook group at this link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/370375144009891 Or if you want to follow me for religious and psychological insights, commentary on events in the world, links to other people doing great work related to religion, and little windows into my real life, follow me on Instagram or Reddit @EmancipatedMolly , TikTok @EmancipatedTeri , or Twitter @EmancipatedTeri.  If you have a question or want to talk about further coaching support, please email me at teri@emancipatedcoaching.com