Episodes

  • Setting Boundaries in Toxic Church Culture: How to Protect Your Peace

    Setting Boundaries in Toxic Church Culture: How to Protect Your Peace
    Jun 18 2026

    In this powerful episode of the Finding God Podcast, host Keana W. Mitchell explores the emotional and spiritual impact of toxic church culture and how setting boundaries can be a sacred act of healing. Building on last week’s episode about fear-based theology and its effects on mental health, Keana dives into how exclusion, racism, spiritual abuse, and prosperity gospel distort the image of God and damage our relationship with the Divine.

    Through Scripture, psychological insight, and trauma-informed reflection, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and practical tools for reclaiming your spiritual autonomy. Whether you’ve experienced religious trauma or are simply seeking a more authentic connection with God, this episode affirms that you are worthy of love, safety, and spiritual clarity.

    📖 Topics Covered:

    • What church culture is and how it becomes toxic
    • The emotional and psychological toll of exclusion, racism, and spiritual abuse
    • How toxic theology distorts our view of God
    • What Scripture says about the true purpose of the church
    • The importance of knowing God for yourself
    • How to set boundaries that protect your peace and reflect your values

    🧠 Key Scriptures:

    • Acts 2:42–47 – The early church as a place of unity and generosity
    • Galatians 3:28 – Spiritual equality in Christ
    • Micah 6:8 – God’s call to justice, mercy, and humility
    • Jeremiah 29:13 – Seeking God with your whole heart
    • John 15:5 – Abiding in God as the source of life
    • John 4:23 – Worshiping in spirit and truth

    🛡️ Healing Takeaways:

    • Boundaries are sacred and spiritually necessary
    • You are allowed to walk away from harmful church environments
    • God is not confined to a building God is with you in your healing
    • You can seek and find God for yourself, outside of toxic systems

    🎶 Featured Song:

    “The Answer” by Uniquely Chosen A soul-stirring anthem for anyone searching for clarity, healing, and truth. This song reminds us that God is the answer and that stepping away from toxic church culture can be the first step toward spiritual restoration.

    💬 Call to Action:

    If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s healing from religious trauma or questioning their spiritual path. Follow, rate, and review the podcast to help others find this safe and sacred space.

    📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast

    🌐 Website

    https://keanawmitchell.com



    📘 Facebook Page

    Finding God

    https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod

    👥 Facebook Group

    Finding God Community

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod

    📸 Instagram

    Keana W. Mitchell

    https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2

    🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle

    https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b


    📧 Email

    paperanthementertainment@gmail.com

    🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen

    🤝 Join the Faith After Abuse Community

    If you’re healing from religious trauma or spiritual abuse, you’re invited to join the Faith After Abuse free Skool community, a safe, supportive space to rediscover God’s love without fear or pressure.

    https://www.skool.com/finding-faith-after-abuse-2572


    New Music Coming Soon!!!



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    19 mins
  • When Praying Feels Hard: How to Pray when you're Hurt, Angry, or Numb

    When Praying Feels Hard: How to Pray when you're Hurt, Angry, or Numb
    Jun 11 2026
    FINDING GOD PODCAST — SHOW NOTESEpisode: When Prayer Feels Hard — How to Pray When You’re Hurt, Angry, or NumbEpisode Summary

    In this deeply honest episode of the Finding God Podcast, Keana speaks to the believer who wants to pray but feels stuck — the one who is hurting, angry, numb, or spiritually exhausted. Prayer can feel impossible in seasons of pain, but Scripture shows us that God meets us gently in those moments. This episode explores why prayer becomes difficult, how trauma and emotional overwhelm affect our ability to connect with God, and how to approach prayer with honesty instead of pressure.

    ✨ Recap of Last Week’s Episode

    Keana revisits last week’s conversation, What God’s Voice Sounds Like When You’re Healing, reminding listeners that God’s voice is gentle, patient, and compassionate. Healing helps us separate God’s voice from fear, shame, or past wounds — a foundation that prepares us for today’s discussion on praying through pain.

    ✨ What We Cover in This Episode1. Why Prayer Feels Hard in Painful Seasons
    • How emotional overwhelm and survival mode affect prayer
    • Why numbness is a protective response, not spiritual failure
    • How anger toward God creates shame and avoidance
    • Insights from psychologists like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Diane Langberg, and Dr. Julie Gottman
    2. Biblical Examples of People Who Struggled to Pray
    • David’s honest laments (Psalms 13, 22, 42)
    • Hannah’s wordless prayer in bitterness of soul
    • Elijah’s exhaustion and despair in 1 Kings 19
    • Job’s raw questions and emotional honesty
    • Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane
    3. What to Do When You Can’t Pray
    • Praying honestly instead of perfectly
    • Using breath, silence, and stillness as prayer
    • Borrowing prayers from Scripture, worship, or written prayers
    • Praying small, simple, one‑sentence prayers
    • Allowing God to come to you instead of striving
    4. Bible Verses for Hard Seasons
    • Psalm 34:18
    • Romans 8:26
    • Psalm 13
    • Psalm 42:5
    • Matthew 11:28
    • 1 Peter 5:7
    5. Practical Ways to Reconnect With God
    • Creating a safe prayer space
    • Using grounding techniques before prayer
    • Journaling your prayers
    • Praying through music or Scripture
    • Giving yourself permission to slow down
    ✨ Key Takeaway

    God is not disappointed in your struggle. Prayer is not a performance — it’s presence. God meets you in your numbness, your silence, your anger, and your tears. You are not failing spiritually. You are healing, and God is near.

    📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast

    🌐 Website

    https://emoryrose.bandzoogle.com


    📘 Facebook Page

    Finding God

    https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod

    👥 Facebook Group

    Finding God Community

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod

    📸 Instagram

    Keana W. Mitchell

    https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2

    🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle

    https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b


    📧 Email

    paperanthementertainment@gmail.com

    🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen

    🤝 Join the Faith After Abuse Community

    If you’re healing from religious trauma or spiritual abuse, you’re invited to join the Faith After Abuse free Skool community, a safe, supportive space to rediscover God’s love without fear or pressure.

    https://www.skool.com/finding-faith-after-abuse-2572


    New Music Coming Soon!!!



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    23 mins
  • What God's Voice Sounds Like When You are Healing

    What God's Voice Sounds Like When You are Healing
    Jun 4 2026

    In this week’s episode, Keana explores a question many believers wrestle with but rarely say out loud: What does God’s voice actually sound like when you’re healing?

    When you’ve walked through trauma, heartbreak, or long seasons of survival mode, your ability to hear God can feel distorted. Not because God has changed — but because your nervous system, your trust, and your internal world are shifting.

    This episode gently unpacks how healing transforms the way you perceive God’s voice, how to distinguish His voice from fear or shame, and how to recognize the tender, patient, protective tone God uses with His wounded children.

    If you’re in a season of rebuilding your faith, reconnecting with God, or learning to trust His voice again, this episode will meet you right where you are.

    🔄 Recap From Last Week’s Episode

    Last week, we talked about rebuilding your relationship with God after trauma. Keana explored:

    • How trauma affects your spiritual perception
    • Why God can feel distant or unsafe after painful experiences
    • Insights from trauma experts like Dr. Diane Langberg and Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
    • Biblical examples of people who reconnected with God after deep pain
    • The truth that God meets you where you are, not where you think you “should” be

    This foundation sets the stage for today’s conversation about hearing God’s voice in a healing season.

    🧠 Why Healing Changes How You Hear God

    Keana explains how trauma impacts the nervous system and why healing opens space for you to hear God with more clarity, gentleness, and safety.

    Healing quiets fear, softens shame, and helps you separate God’s voice from the voices of your past.

    ❌ What God’s Voice Does Not Sound Like

    During healing, God’s voice does not sound like:

    • Condemnation
    • Pressure
    • Panic
    • Shame
    • Harshness

    These tones often come from trauma, fear, or old religious messages — not from God.

    💜 What God’s Voice Does Sound Like When You’re Healing

    God’s voice in a healing season is:

    • Gentle
    • Patient
    • Affirming
    • Clarifying
    • Protective
    • Consistent

    It sounds like rest, reassurance, and unconditional love.

    👂 How to Discern God’s Voice While Healing

    Keana shares practical tools to help listeners recognize God’s voice, including:

    • Checking the fruit
    • Checking the tone
    • Checking alignment with Scripture
    • Paying attention to the body’s response
    • Noticing patterns of peace vs. fear
    📖 Biblical Examples of God Speaking to the Wounded

    This episode highlights stories of Hagar, Elijah, David, the woman at the well, and Thomas — showing how God speaks gently and personally to those who are hurting.

    🌱 Practical Ways to Hear God More Clearly

    Listeners learn trauma‑informed spiritual practices such as breath prayer, grounding, journaling, and focusing on Scriptures that reveal God’s gentleness.

    💬 Final Encouragement

    God’s voice has never stopped speaking. Healing simply helps you hear Him more clearly.

    You are not too broken, too slow, or too wounded for God to speak to you.

    His voice is steady, loving, and patient — and He walks with you at your pace.


    📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast

    🌐 Website

    https://emoryrose.bandzoogle.com


    📘 Facebook Page

    Finding God

    https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod

    👥 Facebook Group

    Finding God Community

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod

    📸 Instagram

    Keana W. Mitchell

    https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2

    🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle

    https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b


    📧 Email

    paperanthementertainment@gmail.com

    🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen

    New Music Coming Soon!!!



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    19 mins
  • Why Religion Can't Save You but God's Love Can

    Why Religion Can't Save You but God's Love Can
    May 28 2026
    💛 Episode Summary In this powerful and deeply healing episode of the Finding God Podcast, we explore one of the most misunderstood truths in Christianity: religion cannot save you but God’s love absolutely can. Many of us grew up believing that God’s acceptance was tied to our performance, our behavior, or our ability to follow religious rules. But Scripture, psychology, and the life of Jesus all reveal a different story. Today, we break down the difference between religion and relationship, and we look at why God’s unconditional love is the only thing that truly transforms, heals, and saves. 🔄 Last Week’s Episode Recap Last week, we talked about why God’s love is not performance‑based. We explored how: God loved us before we changed His love is not tied to our behavior Fear and shame are not tools God uses Jesus consistently loved people into transformation This week builds directly on that foundation. ✨ What We Explore in This Episode 💔 Why People Confuse Religion With God’s Love We unpack the reasons so many believers mix up rules with relationship, including: Childhood conditioning Fear‑based church cultures The desire for structure and predictability Misrepresentation of God by religious systems The human tendency to earn approval You’ll learn why this confusion is common and how to break free from it. 💛 The Difference Between Religion and God’s Love We take a deep dive into the contrast between: Religion: rules, pressure, performance, fear God’s Love: relationship, grace, identity, transformation You’ll hear how religion focuses on the outside, but God’s love transforms from the inside out. ⛓️ Why Religion Can’t Save You We explore why religion falls short: It modifies behavior but doesn’t heal the heart It creates fear instead of freedom It produces shame instead of restoration It cannot heal trauma or change identity Scripture clearly teaches that salvation is a gift, not a reward 💖 Why God’s Love Can Save You (Side‑by‑Side Comparison) This section breaks down the truth: Religion says “earn it” / God says “I came to you first” Religion says “try harder” / God says “rest in Me” Religion says “your mistakes define you” /God says “My grace covers you” Religion says “change first” /God says “you are changed because you are loved” This comparison brings clarity and freedom. 📖 Biblical Examples We look at people in Scripture who relied on religion and those who discovered God’s love: People who trusted religion: The Pharisees Saul before becoming Paul The Rich Young Ruler People transformed by God’s love: The Woman at the Well The Prodigal Son The Thief on the Cross These stories reveal that religion never saved anyone but God’s love always did. 🧠 Psychology + Faith: Why Love Heals We connect Scripture with modern psychology, referencing leading experts like: Dr. Bessel van der Kolk Dr. Gabor Maté Dr. Sue Johnson Dr. Kristin Neff Their research confirms what the Bible has always taught: Love, not fear, is what heals the human heart. 🧘🏽‍♀️ Healing Exercises You’ll learn practical ways to shift from religious pressure to God’s love: Daily love reminders Rewriting harmful beliefs Stillness practices Scripture meditation Releasing the “spiritual scorecard” These tools help retrain your heart to trust God’s love. 🤝 Join the Faith After Abuse Community If you’re healing from religious trauma or spiritual abuse, you’re invited to join the Faith After Abuse free Skool community a safe, supportive space to rediscover God’s love without fear or pressure. https://www.skool.com/finding-faith-after-abuse-2572💬 Final Thoughts Religion can give you structure, but it cannot save you. Only God’s love can heal, restore, and transform your life. Thank you for listening to this week’s episode of the Finding God Podcast. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear the truth about God’s love. 📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 🌐 Website https://emoryrose.bandzoogle.com📘 Facebook Page Finding God https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 👥 Facebook Group Finding God Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 📸 Instagram Keana W. Mitchell https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 📧 Email paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen New Music Coming Soon!!!
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    45 mins
  • Why God Doesn't Want to Punish You

    Why God Doesn't Want to Punish You
    May 21 2026

    This week on Finding God, we’re dismantling the fear-based belief that God is watching and waiting to punish us. If you’ve ever carried the weight of shame, guilt, or spiritual anxiety, this episode is for you. Keana W. Mitchell offers a trauma-informed, biblically grounded conversation about the true nature of God’s love one rooted in grace, not retribution.

    We’ll explore how distorted theology can shape our emotional lives, and how healing begins when we embrace the truth: God is not against you. He’s for you. Always.

    💡 In This Episode:

    • Why fear-based theology keeps us spiritually stuck
    • How trauma can distort our view of God’s character
    • Scriptural truths that reveal God’s grace and gentleness
    • A guided reflection on spiritual safety and emotional healing
    • Affirmations to help you walk in freedom and divine love

    📥 Free Resource

    Download this week’s free PDF: Healing Exercises – Releasing Fear, Embracing Grace

    This companion guide includes journaling prompts, affirmations, and a prayer meditation to help you process the episode and deepen your healing journey.

    👉 Link to PDF: Why God isn't wanting to punish you

    🎶 This Week’s Featured Song:

    “Devotion” by Unique-ly Chosen

    This week’s episode is paired with a powerful new track from the Finding God Podcast music collective, Unique-ly Chosen.

    Watch the official music video now https://youtu.be/5-I8EfhMCE8

    Let the music minister to your spirit as you reflect on God’s grace and your worth.

    🔔 Subscribe & Share

    If this episode speaks to your heart, share it with someone who needs a reminder that they are not beyond grace. Subscribe for weekly episodes that center healing, faith, and emotional clarity.

    Click the link below to subscribe to the Finding God Podcast on Spotify!!!


    https://open.spotify.com/show/022Zht5DjU1i3k7BAeHaTW?si=8c728b93da5d43c2


    📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast

    🌐 Website

    https://emoryrose.bandzoogle.com


    📘 Facebook Page

    Finding God

    https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod

    👥 Facebook Group

    Finding God Community

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod

    📸 Instagram

    Keana W. Mitchell

    https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2

    🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle

    https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b


    📧 Email

    paperanthementertainment@gmail.com

    🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen

    New Music Coming Soon!!!


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    32 mins
  • Rebuilding Your Relationship with God After Trauma

    Rebuilding Your Relationship with God After Trauma
    May 14 2026
    Episode Summary

    In this deeply compassionate episode of the Finding God Podcast, Keana explores what it truly means to rebuild your relationship with God after experiencing trauma. Whether your trauma came from childhood, relationships, church environments, or spiritual abuse, this episode offers a gentle, grounded path back to connection with God — without pressure, guilt, or shame.

    Keana breaks down how trauma affects your view of God, your ability to trust, and your spiritual practices. Drawing from leading trauma psychologists like Dr. Judith Herman, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Stephen Porges, and spiritual trauma expert Dr. Diane Langberg, she explains why trauma survivors often struggle with prayer, worship, Scripture, and spiritual identity — and why these struggles are normal.

    You’ll also hear powerful biblical examples of people who experienced trauma — Elijah, Hagar, David, Job, and Mary Magdalene — and how God met each of them with gentleness, presence, and restoration.

    Finally, Keana shares trauma‑informed healing techniques to help you slowly and safely reconnect with God at your own pace.

    What We Cover in This Episode✨ Recap of Last Week’s Episode
    • How to support survivors of childhood sexual abuse
    • Why spiritual bypassing harms survivors
    • Insights from Dr. Bessel van der Kolk & Dr. Diane Langberg
    • How trauma impacts safety, identity, and connection
    ✨ How Trauma Affects Your Relationship With God
    • Trauma’s impact on your image of God
    • Why prayer, worship, or Scripture may feel triggering
    • How the nervous system interprets spiritual environments
    • Common thoughts trauma survivors experience about God
    ✨ What Trauma‑Affected Faith Looks Like in Real Life
    • Feeling numb during prayer
    • Avoiding church or spiritual spaces
    • Feeling guilty for not “feeling close to God”
    • Internal conflict between wanting God and fearing God
    ✨ Biblical Examples of Trauma & Reconnection
    • Elijah’s burnout and God’s gentle care
    • Hagar’s abandonment and God’s presence
    • David’s emotional honesty
    • Job’s questioning and God’s response
    • Mary Magdalene’s restoration
    ✨ Healing Techniques for Rebuilding Your Relationship With God
    • Gentle spiritual practices
    • Somatic grounding
    • Reframing your image of God
    • Naming your truth without shame
    • Finding safe spiritual community
    • Trauma‑informed therapy options
    Key Takeaways
    • Trauma can distort your view of God — but it does not change God’s heart toward you.
    • Your spiritual struggles are trauma responses, not spiritual failures.
    • God meets you with gentleness, not pressure.
    • Rebuilding your relationship with God is possible — slowly, safely, and at your own pace.
    Submit Your Questions

    Have a question or topic you want covered on the podcast?

    Email Keana at keanawmitchell@gmail.com.

    Share This Episode

    If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who may be healing from trauma and longing to reconnect with God.

    📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast


    🌐 Website

    https://emoryrose.bandzoogle.com


    📘 Facebook Page

    Finding God

    https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod

    👥 Facebook Group

    Finding God Community

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod

    📸 Instagram

    Keana W. Mitchell

    https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2

    🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle

    https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b


    📧 Email

    paperanthementertainment@gmail.com

    🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen

    New Music Coming Soon!!!



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    22 mins
  • Breaking Free from Legalism in the Church

    Breaking Free from Legalism in the Church
    May 7 2026

    In this powerful and healing episode, Keana explores what legalism looks like in the church, how it distorts our view of God, and how to break free from fear‑based faith. If you’ve ever felt like you had to earn God’s love, perform perfectly, or follow endless rules to be accepted, this conversation will help you breathe again.

    Keana gently unpacks the emotional and spiritual impact of legalism, explains why so many believers struggle with shame and anxiety around God, and offers a path back to a relationship rooted in love, grace, and freedom. This episode builds on last week’s message “Religion Cannot Save You, But God’s Love Can” and continues the journey of rediscovering God’s heart beyond religious pressure.

    You’ll also receive five healing exercises to help you unlearn harmful beliefs, reconnect with God’s love, and rebuild your identity on truth instead of performance.

    What You’ll Learn in This Episode
    • What legalism actually is and what it is not
    • How legalism shows up in church culture and teaching
    • The emotional and spiritual wounds legalism creates
    • Why legalism replaces relationship with rules
    • How to separate God’s character from harmful religious expectations
    • Practical steps to break free from fear‑based faith
    • Five healing exercises to help you reconnect with God’s love
    Five Healing Exercises Included
    • “God Is Love” Reframing Practice
    • Inner Child Compassion Prayer
    • Scripture Detox Exercise
    • Nervous System Reset for Spiritual Triggers
    • Identity Rebuilding Journal Prompts
    Reflection Questions
    • What beliefs about God were shaped by fear instead of love
    • Where have I confused religious performance with spiritual connection
    • What parts of my faith feel heavy, pressured, or shame‑based
    • What does spiritual freedom look like for me now
    • What is one legalistic belief I’m ready to release
    Final Encouragement

    Legalism may have shaped your view of God, but it does not define who God is. God is not the author of fear. He is the source of freedom. You don’t have to earn His love. You just have to receive it.

    📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast

    🌐 Website

    Emory Rose

    https://keanawmitchell.com

    📘 Facebook Page

    Finding God

    https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod

    👥 Facebook Group

    Finding God Community

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod

    📸 Instagram

    Keana W. Mitchell

    https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2

    🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle

    https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b

    📧 Email

    paperanthementertainment@gmail.com

    🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen

    New Music Coming Soon!!!


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    17 mins
  • How the Church can Support Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

    How the Church can Support Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
    Apr 30 2026
    This week’s episode is one of the most important and tender conversations we’ve ever had on the Finding God Podcast. We’re talking about how to support survivors of child sexual abuse in the church with honesty, compassion, and a trauma‑informed, faith‑centered lens.This episode is for survivors, parents, church leaders, and anyone who wants to help create safer, healthier, more accountable faith communities. We explore the emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact of abuse, how to respond when a child discloses, and what true support looks like in the eyes of God.✨ Episode OverviewIn this episode, Keana breaks down:The long‑term effects of child sexual abuseHow abuse in the church creates “double trauma”The A.R.E.S. framework (Adverse Religious Experiences Scale) created by Dr. Laura Anderson and Kyle J. HowardHow ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) impact a child’s health, relationships, and spiritual developmentWhat survivors need most from parents, churches, and communitiesHow to support healing on both a personal and spiritual levelWhat to do when a child discloses abuseHow to make a report and protect the child moving forwardThis episode is gentle, non‑graphic, and deeply validating.🔁 Recap of Last Week’s EpisodeLast week, we explored grooming and manipulation tactics in the church — how offenders build trust, break boundaries, and use spiritual authority to gain access to children. This week builds on that foundation by focusing on what happens after the harm and how we can respond with wisdom, accountability, and compassion.🧠 Understanding the Impact of Abuse in Faith SettingsFeaturing insights from leading trauma experts:Dr. Bessel van der Kolk — trauma lives in the bodyDr. Judith Herman — recovery requires safety, remembrance, and reconnectionDr. Jennifer Freyd — betrayal trauma theoryDr. Dan Siegel — how trauma affects the developing brainWe discuss how abuse in the church affects a child’s:Emotional healthPhysical healthRelationshipsSense of selfAbility to trust GodAbility to trust spiritual authority📘 A.R.E.S. — Adverse Religious ExperiencesCreated by Dr. Laura Anderson and Kyle J. Howard, the ARES framework helps identify harmful religious experiences that often compound trauma after abuse.🌱 Free Resources from the Spiritual Trauma InstituteThe Spiritual Trauma Institute offers additional free resources for survivors and supporters, including:Articles on spiritual abuseHealing guidesEducational videosCommunity support toolsAccess their free resources here: 👉 Religious Trauma InstituteThis website offers both paid and free resources. This is a good resource because they offer free resources that would be valuable to survivors of spiritual abuse.🌱 ACEs & Long‑Term EffectsWe break down the CDC’s ACEs research and how child sexual abuse impacts:HealthChronic illnessAnxiety, depression, PTSDSleep issuesEmotional dysregulationRelationshipsTrustAttachmentBoundariesSelf‑worthSpiritual LifeFear of GodConfusion about faithDifficulty engaging in churchFeeling spiritually “broken”💛 Healing on a Personal & Spiritual LevelKeana explores:Personal HealingTrauma‑informed therapyEMDRSomatic healingSafe relationshipsRebuilding self‑trustSpiritual HealingSeparating God from harmful peopleReframing damaging teachingsAllowing space for doubtTrauma‑informed pastoral careRebuilding faith slowly and safely🏡 What Churches & Parents Can DoChurchesMandatory reportingTransparent child safety policiesTrauma‑informed trainingTwo‑adult rulesZero tolerance for secrecyPublic support for survivorsParentsBelieve your child immediatelyStay calmReassure them it’s not their faultAvoid leading questionsSeek trauma‑informed therapyMaintain routines and safety📊 Why Believing Children MattersResearch shows:Children rarely lie about abuseBeing believed reduces PTSDValidation increases healingSupportive adults are a protective factorBelief is not optional — it is lifesaving.🚨 What To Do If a Child Discloses AbuseKeana walks through:Immediate ResponseStay calmThank themBelieve themAvoid pressing for detailsReportingContact Child Protective ServicesCall law enforcementUse your state’s child abuse hotlineYou do NOT need proof — only reasonable suspicionAfter the ReportProvide emotional supportMaintain routinesSeek trauma‑informed therapyEnsure safety from the offender💬 Final EncouragementSurvivors: what happened to you was not your fault. Parents and leaders: your response can change a child’s life. The church can be a place of safety — but only when we choose truth, accountability, and protection over silence.📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 🌐 Website Emory Rose https://keanawmitchell.com 📘 Facebook Page Finding God https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 👥 Facebook Group Finding God Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 📸 Instagram Keana W. Mitchell ...
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    24 mins