The Body Keeps the Score but the Church Keeps the Secrets with Margaret Bronson

Join host Charna Cassell for a raw and eye opening conversation with Margaret Bronson, founder of Deconstruction Doulas. Margaret grew up inside a high control Christian cult and survived domestic violence, child abuse, excommunication, and the long psychological fallout of authoritarian religion. Now she guides others through the same dismantling of belief systems that once owned them.

In this episode, Margaret unpacks how she and her husband developed somatic practices to help survivors heal the trauma stored in the body after years of purity culture, spiritual coercion, and obedience enforced through shame and fear. She breaks down what truly happens inside high control religious communities and why so many people leaving them feel like they're stepping out of a parallel universe.

This conversation also dives into the political reality many of us are waking up to. Margaret explains how the same ideology that shaped her childhood is now embedded in Project 2025, Christian Reconstructionism, and the growing Trad Wife movement. She outlines the playbook of modern theocrats and shows how personal trauma and national policy are intertwined when religion is weaponized.

If you're feeling a visceral reaction to Project 2025, this episode will help you understand why. Margaret offers grounding tools, embodied healing practices, and a clear-eyed look at what we're facing as the country edges closer to an openly theocratic agenda.

Tune in for a fierce, validating, and deeply necessary conversation for anyone untangling from religious trauma or trying to make sense of this political moment.

Show Notes:

00:00 Introduction and Content Warning

01:20 Meet Margaret Bronson: A Journey of Healing

03:17 Life in a Cult: Margaret's Early Years

04:03 Excommunication and Its Aftermath

06:07 Deconstruction Doulas: Birth of a Support System

06:30 Parental Vulnerability and Cult Recruitment

08:24 The Impact of Cult Ideology

13:43 Breaking Free: Personal and Collective Healing

18:02 Somatic Practices and Reclaiming the Body

19:31 Navigating Sexual Trauma and Rediscovery

25:42 Resources and Support for Survivors

26:35 Generational Trauma and Abuse

27:55 Challenges in Seeking Help

29:49 The Trad Wife Movement

33:17 Christian Reconstructionism and Theocracy

39:21 Embodied Freedom and Healing

46:25 Practical Exercises for Grounding

49:09 Conclusion and Resources