The Sunday School Dropouts are back with another episode of answering your questions about religious trauma and the holidays. Many of the questions today centered around finding new traditions post-religion, dealing with family members who don’t understand why you won’t go to church, and how to navigate co-parenting around this time of year when one person has left the church and the other hasn’t. Plus, Andrew and Laura are at it again with another holiday quiz game and sharing some of their own stories of how they celebrated the holidays as they deconstructed. This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com Hosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at kevincrowe.co.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or is it? The Sunday School Dropouts are taking on your questions today about all things having to do with religious trauma and the holidays! How do you set boundaries with your family that is still in church? Can you tell your emotionally immature family members that they are emotionally immature? Is it ok to tell your kids that you don’t trust churches and religious doctrine anymore? All these questions (and more!) will be answered today. And, you’ll also get to see who wins at holiday jeopardy between Andrew and Laura! Do YOU know what laughing-red-monster toy was the “it” toy of 1996? Tune in to find out!This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com Hosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co

We are joined today by RC Curtright, or, you might know him from social media as @deconstructing_exjw. RC was on the podcast in season one talking about the impact of purity culture for individuals who grew up male inside that system. But today he is here to talk about his own experiences of growing up in the Jehovah’s Witness organization, his deconstruction and his journey of healing. Books that RC mentioned:Healing CPTSD by Pete WalkerWhen Religion Hurts You by Dr. Laura AndersonRadical Acceptance by Tara BrachConnect with RC on Instagram: @deconstructing_exjw This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com Hosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at kevincrowe.co

We’re excited to be joined today by Mike Maeshiro! On today’s “Story Episode” Mike shares with us about his time at Bethel Church and their school, the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. Did Mike get slain in the spirit or was he a peaceful observer? You’ll have to listen to find out! To connect with Mike: Substack: https://mikemaeshiro.substack.com/TikTok: @mikemaeshiroInstagram:@mikemaeshiroWebsite: mikemaeshiro.comThis podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com Hosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at kevincrowe.co

We have one of the “founding fathers” of religious deconstruction on social media with us today…Phil Drysdale! Phil is joining us today to talk about all of the ins and outs of deconstruction, including the differences between deconstructing, deconverting, and being de-churched. Phil has partnered with researchers that have been able to obtain data on the tenants of deconstruction, how many people are deconstructing, and more! We loved this conversation with Phil and we know you’ll love it too!This is our first episode back after the elections in the United States, so Andrew and Laura also share their thoughts on how they are doing and the theme that has been coming up over and over in their client sessions: feeling betrayed. We know that this time–because of the added stress of the elections and the holidays–can be particularly stressful for those of you with a background in high control religion, fundamentalism, and cults. So we wanted to remind you that if you need extra support or help navigating this, the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery is here to help! All practitioners offer a free inquiry call in order to make sure that they are a good fit for you, so schedule yours today! (Sliding scale spots are available!)Connect with Phil DrysdaleInstagram: @phildrysdale Youtube: youtube.com/phildrysdale Websites: www.phildrysdale.com / www.thedeconstructionnetwork.comThis podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com Hosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co

We are joined today by Cait West–an author, podcaster, and educator. Cait recently published a book, “Rift: A Memoir Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy” and is stopping by today to share with us about her book and her journey. Cait grew up in the Christian Patriarchy movement and was a stay at home daughter until age 25. Through courage and trusting herself, Cait was able to leave the system and family she grew up in and create a thriving life outside of it. Website: www.caitwest.com Substack: https://caitwest.substack.com Podcast: Survivors DiscussFor Our Daughters FilmFind Cait on Instagram Cait’s book: Rift: A Memoir Breaking Away from Christian PatriarchyThis podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com Hosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at kevincrowe.co

It’s Election Day in the United States…which can feel relieving, nerve wracking, and everything in between! It made sense that we use this episode to wrap up our Religious Trauma and Politics mini-series by talking about how to take care of yourself today, the next few days, and beyond. Andrew and Laura are talking about finding stability, how fear can cause us to do and think things that are not aligned with our core values, identifying what we can control, and how to take care of ourselves. And you’ll also get to hear who wins at the game of Presidential and Elections Jeopardy! This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com Hosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  kevincrowe.co.

We are thrilled to have Julia and Jeremiah (aka the Sexvangelicals) back on the podcast today to wrap up our Religious Trauma and the Elections mini-series. Today’s topic: Project 2025. If you haven’t heard about it or don’t know what, consider this your catch up course to all things related to Project 2025. And in our opinion, this project gets an “F”. Jeremiah and Julia explain various policies, the language used, the history behind why we got here and how it connects to Christian Nationalism. To Connect with the Sexvangelicals:www.sexvangelicals.com Substack (Relationship 101): https://sexvangelicals.substack.com/IG: @sexvangelicalsResources mentioned in the pod:Andra Watkins’ article: https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/p/why-anti-abortion-laws-christianSexvangelicals’ first Project 2025 article: https://sexvangelicals.substack.com/p/what-does-the-republican-party-actuallySexvangelicals’ second Project 2025 article: https://sexvangelicals.substack.com/p/what-is-a-family-according-to-theLink to Project 2025 (the entire 900-pages!)This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com Hosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at kevincrowe.co.

The Sunday School Dropouts are proving their dropout status today! We are talking about all things White Christian Nationalism, including the origins, impacts, and how to heal with Rev. Angela Denker. Angela is the author of “Red State Christians” and the forthcoming book “Disciples of White Jesus” where she writes about the growing phenomenon of White Christian Nationalism and its impact on a specific group of people: White men and boys. Throughout this conversation we begin to see  how this extremist approach began, why it thrives and even how to navigate relationships with people in our lives who live according to those values. Andrew and Laura also discuss the term ‘gaslighting’ and explain what it truly means–instead of how it’s talked about on social media and in pop culture–as a way to help people better organize and name what happened to them.Join the Religious Trauma and the Elections Support Groups! Find out more and/or sign up here!Books discussed today:Angry White Men by Michael KimmelConnect with our Guest:Rev. Angela Denker @denkerangela This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com Hosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe

Dan Miller is back on the podcast today with an excellent discussion regarding the way that extremist political groups use fear and trauma as a way to move their message forward, gain control, and get followers. It’s an episode you won’t want to miss as Dan, Andrew, and Laura dive into why groups target specific age ranges, the neuroscience of extreme thinking and propaganda, and how this can result in trauma. Today we are lifting Russell Brand up in prayer.  To find out more about the Religious Trauma and the Elections self-led course, click here. Use code SUNDAYSCHOOLDROPOUTS for $50 off!Registration for the Religious Trauma and the Elections support group opens next week! Find out more about it here!Connect with Dan Miller:dan@traumaresolutionandrecovery.com danielmillerswaj@gmail.com https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/ This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @deconstruct_everything Follow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com Hosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at kevincrowe.co