The Trauma Therapist A Year of Yes with Melissa Williams
Dec 2, 2025
31:16
Melissa Williams is the creator of the YouTube channel Lostat50Something and the originator of the “Backwards Confession,” a powerful practice of entering a confessional not to seek absolution, but to name the harm caused by certain church doctrines and actions — and then to offer forgiveness as an act of reclaiming personal power and peace.
This deeply personal ritual has become the foundation for a budding movement and online community, r/BackwardsConfession, where individuals are encouraged to engage in similar acts of active forgiveness and liberation from institutional harm.Through this work, Melissa offers a unique perspective on healing from religious trauma, challenging institutional power dynamics, reclaiming agency in the face of patriarchal structures, and transforming pain into empowerment.
By sharing her own story and guiding others in this practice, she hopes to open new pathways for those navigating religious deconstruction and seeking healing beyond traditional frameworks.
In This Episode
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.
You can learn more about what I do here:
The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.
Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.
Thank you to our Sponsors:
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app
Arizona Trauma Institute at https://aztrauma.org/
This deeply personal ritual has become the foundation for a budding movement and online community, r/BackwardsConfession, where individuals are encouraged to engage in similar acts of active forgiveness and liberation from institutional harm.Through this work, Melissa offers a unique perspective on healing from religious trauma, challenging institutional power dynamics, reclaiming agency in the face of patriarchal structures, and transforming pain into empowerment.
By sharing her own story and guiding others in this practice, she hopes to open new pathways for those navigating religious deconstruction and seeking healing beyond traditional frameworks.
In This Episode
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.
You can learn more about what I do here:
The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.
Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.
Thank you to our Sponsors:
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app
Arizona Trauma Institute at https://aztrauma.org/