Episode 688: Deconstructing Belief, Rebuilding Truth with Brittney Hartley

This week’s episode is all about spiritual deconstruction, what it is, why it happens, and what comes after. I’m joined by Brittney Hartley, an atheist spiritual director with a Master’s in Theology who has created a captivated following with her content. I love how Brittany talks about this topic with honesty, clarity, and depth. I wanted to bring this topic to the podcast because so much of what I teach is about deconstructing beliefs that no longer work for us and figuring out what does actually work for you. Religion is often one of those things. From both my personal experience and what I know so many of you have gone through, I think you’re going to love this conversation with Brittney.

Here’s what really hit me in our conversation: spiritual deconstruction isn’t just about walking away from religion. It’s about rebuilding a sense of meaning that actually aligns with who you are, not who you were told to be. Brittney shares what helped her through the unlearning process, how religious trauma shows up in sneaky ways (especially for women), and why reclaiming your intuition and identity is deeply spiritual work.

What you’ll hear about in this episode:

• Brittney’s spiritual deconstruction story from Mormonism to theology school to becoming an Atheist Spiritual Director (5:40)

• Personality traits more likely to lead to deconstruction (spoiler: empathy, curiosity, and authenticity play a big role) (13:27)

• The sneakier signs of spiritual trauma for women raised in patriarchal religions (15:33)

• Anchors and practices that helped Brittney rebuild her identity, including discovering core values (20:34)

• The biggest culprit of religious trauma for women (28:35)

Resources from this episode:

Interested in doing deeper work within a group setting and with me? Drop a DM on Instagram @heyandreaowen or email support[at]andreaowen.com with the note “Interested in your deeper work” and I’ll send you more details.

Britt’s website

Britt’s book, No Nonsense Spirituality

Britt on Instagram @nononsensespirituality

The Heroine’s Journey, Maureen Murdock

Deconstruction, Dogma, and Spiritual Beliefs with David Hayward

Book recommendations: I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

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Episode link: https://andreaowen.com/podcast/688

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