
Holy/Hurt Podcast
What is spiritual trauma? How does it impact us? And are there paths toward healing? In this series, Hillary McBride (PhD, RPsych, RCC) explores these questions, sharing her research, clinical experience, and embodied approach, and engaging with other mental health professionals and people with lived experience of spiritual trauma. This series offers an informed and gentle invitation toward learning and healing, designed specifically for people who have experienced various kinds of spiritual trauma, and can be used either individually or in community. For those who simply want to learn more about spiritual trauma, this podcast will help you consider how you can help build healthier communities and love your neighbour with greater compassion and wisdom. While this series addresses stories and trauma situated within the Church, it is intended for a broad audience and does not presume particular spiritual practices or beliefs.
Holy/Hurt: A Podcast Exploring Spiritual Trauma and Healing is sponsored by Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries.
Learn more at holyhurtpodcast.com
Latest episodes

Sep 6, 2023 • 1h 25min
Ep 8: Unsettling Ourselves
Explore the impact of communities and faiths on personality structures, the weaponization of scriptures, and Christian nationalism. Learn about the importance of staying with core feelings and embracing grief for healing. Hear from guest Mark Charles about the legacy of the doctrine of discovery and the intergenerational trauma experienced by marginalized communities. Conclude the series with a call for lament and a focus on love, connection, and hope.

Aug 30, 2023 • 1h 17min
Ep 7: Meaning & Mending
William, an expert on healing and trauma recovery, joins the podcast to discuss various aspects of healing. They explore topics like shifting definitions of recovery, healing from spiritual trauma by listening to our bodies, embracing the complexity within us, recognizing individual needs in the healing journey, the non-linear nature of healing, and connecting with our core self through guided meditation. The episode offers options and possibilities for healing at an individual and community level.

Aug 23, 2023 • 16min
Core State Meditation
In this insightful conversation, Hillary McBride, a renowned mental health expert focused on meditation, shares her wisdom on connecting with the core self. She leads a transformative meditation that emphasizes grounding through breath and mindfulness. Listeners will discover how these practices enhance self-awareness and foster a sense of community. Hillary’s engaging approach makes it clear that reflective practices are essential for personal growth and emotional well-being.

Aug 16, 2023 • 1h 21min
Ep 6: Seeing & Believing
This podcast explores healing from complex trauma, emphasizing the importance of witnessing our own wounds and the role of parts work. It delves into the power of connection, unlearning bad theology, and embracing ambiguity in the healing journey. The speaker also shares their personal experience of losing faith and highlights the significance of witnessing and being witnessed in moments of pain. The chapter ends by discussing the stages of healing from spiritual trauma and the transformative power of pain for growth and reconnection.

Aug 9, 2023 • 1h 13min
Ep 5: How We Feel
This podcast explores the cost of feeling responsible to save the world, and the impact of being disconnected from normal human emotions. It discusses the complexities of therapists and childhood coping mechanisms, the harmful effects of having the right answer, recognizing our core state of goodness, reflection and healing through shared stories, the impact of spiritual trauma, and how to explore and experience emotions.

Aug 2, 2023 • 1h 1min
Ep 4: All In The Family
In this episode, the podcast explores the impact of spiritual trauma on individuals and the need for compassionate communities. It delves into how parents shape their children's development and worldview, and the factors that influence responses to trauma. The importance of trust in our bodies and support in regulating emotions is discussed, along with the challenges of unraveling personal experiences and discovering self-responsibility. Reflecting on a time when needs were met and a guided exercise to explore feelings and beliefs are also explored.

6 snips
Jul 26, 2023 • 54min
Ep 3: Shards Of Glass
Sometimes trauma happens as a result of a single event, with a distinct before, during, and after. More often than not, spiritual trauma happens in complex, layered ways over a long period of time. In this episode, Dr. Hillary McBride talks about the legacy of spiritual trauma in our mind-body systems, including listing many of the psychological, social, and physiological symptoms of spiritual trauma. This episode includes interviews with Mihee Kim Kort and K.J. Ramsey.
Content Note: this episode contains reference to sexual abuse; it also includes profanity.
For transcript and show notes, visit holyhurtpodcast.com
Credits
Written and recorded by: Hillary McBride
Guest: Mihee Kim Kort, K.J. Ramsey
Executive producer: Leslie Roberts
Sound editing: Bradley Danyluk and Micaela Peragallo
Music and scoring: Jon Guerra, adapted from the album Ordinary Ways, strings performed by Valerie Guerra
Logo and art: Courtney Searcy

10 snips
Jul 19, 2023 • 1h 8min
Ep 2: The Ecological System
Even though the impact of trauma is felt most obviously in each individual, through the symptoms that show up in their thinking, feeling, and sensing, what causes such trauma, and the impact of it, spreads far beyond the individual. In this episode, Dr. Hillary McBride describes how spiritual trauma impacts our brain-body system, what post-traumatic stress is, and explores the systemic causes and effects of spiritual trauma. Guest interviews for this episode include K.J. Ramsey, Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza, and Mark Charles. The episode ends with a guided body-based emotion practice.
Content Note: this episode contains reference to sexual abuse; it also includes profanity.
For transcript and show notes, visit holyhurtpodcast.com
Credits:
Written and recorded by: Hillary McBride
Guests: K.J. Ramsey, Roberto Che Espinoza, and Mark Charles
Executive producer: Leslie Roberts
Sound editing: Bradley Danyluk and Micaela Peragallo
Music and scoring: Jon Guerra, adapted from the album Ordinary Ways, strings performed by Valerie Guerra
Logo and art: Courtney Searcy

9 snips
Jul 12, 2023 • 1h 4min
Ep 1: The House Is Haunted
J.S. Park, a Korean-American hospital chaplain and author, shares profound insights into the nature of spiritual trauma, blending Eastern and Western perspectives. He explores how trauma, both 'big T' and 'little T', impacts emotional well-being and spiritual beliefs. The conversation highlights the effects of community betrayal and emphasizes the need for healing in religious contexts. Listeners are encouraged to recognize their pain while engaging in a grounding practice, aiming to foster mindfulness and reconnect with their sense of wholeness.

Jun 19, 2023 • 6min
Trailer - Holy/Hurt: A Podcast Exploring Spiritual Trauma and Healing
Discover the intricate nature of spiritual trauma and its deeply personal impact on individuals. Explore heartfelt stories about community, loss, and grief, revealing the complexities of attachment and innocence. Engage with pathways to healing that invite both personal reflection and communal understanding. Journey through the diverse experiences that illuminate the ways we can build healthier, more compassionate communities. This exploration encourages not only healing but a broader dialogue on spiritual trauma's effects within various contexts.