We are excited to be talking today with April Ajoy and Beecher Reuning! They are sharing with the Sunday School Dropouts crew their story of growing up in fundamentalism and purity culture, meeting and getting married under those systems and then navigating their way through discarding those doctrines and theology to find their way into the relationship they have today. It’s an episode you won’t want to miss! Religious Trauma + the Elections Course - use code ELECTIONS for $15 off Guests:  April Ajoy can be found on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @aprilajoy and on X at @aprilajoyr  Beecher Reuning can be found Instagram, TikTok and X @hellobeecher and on Facebook @beecher  Their podcast "The Non-Binary Marriage" can be found here. Buzzfeed article about April can be found here 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 Kerbs Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co

Today we are excited to have the Sexvangelicals, that is Julia Postema and Jeremiah Gibson, on our podcast! Julia and Jeremiah are licensed and AASECT certified psychotherapists who use their personal and professional lives and experience to work with relationships where at least one partner has been a part of high control religion, fundamentalism or purity culture.  Resources Developmental Model - Ellen Bater AASECT.org - finding a sex therapist Six Steps for a structured question Decide on specific topic - key word SPECIFIC! (Ex: what are my favorite places to be touched, to be kissed, preferences around initiation) Agenda - (not rigid) what  is the purpose of this conversation? Eg. understanding each other better, resolving conflict Choose a time and location that will set you up for success (beginning and end) - try to make it outside the house Set a timer based on the topic, level of vulnerability and your level of experience in these conversations Stay on topic! Once you’ve decided what the topic is, write it on a sticky note or card what the topic is so you can refer to it later to help you stay on topic! Aftercare - sometimes these conversations can be going or vulnerable so how can you come back together with your partner *(e.g. a game, going out to eat, cuddling) 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 Kerbs Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co

We are thrilled today to be talking with Rachel Overvoll! Rachel herself grew up in purity culture and high control religion. We discuss her experiences inside purity culture, the impact of it and her healing journey. We then get into how Rachel has used her personal story to inspire her professional life as a Somatic Sex Coach who works with clients focusing on finding sexual freedom after purity culture.  We’ll also be answering a listener question and a special prayer partner guest will be joining us for this episode’s segment of prayer requests! The Religious Trauma + Elections course is now available for sign up! Find out more information and register for the course here! Resources from today The Purity Myth by Jessica Valenti Better Sex Through Mindfulness by Lori Brotto Pleasure Activism by Adrian Maree Brown She Comes First by Ian Kerner Rachel Overvoll Somatic Sex Coach @rachelovervoll on IG and TikTok Find out more about the work Rachel does or book a session with her at: www.modernintimacy.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 Kerbs Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co

We are thrilled to have with us today Dr. Tina Schermer Seller who is an author, researcher, professor, and psychotherapist specializing in the impacts of purity culture, shame resilience, gender, and sexuality. In this episode, Dr. Tina shares her research and how she came to realize the psychological and physiological impact of purity culture and how that shaped the direction of her work with clients, students, and her writing. In the episode, Dr. Tina shares an incredible definition of sexual shame (see below) that can help us understand the felt sense experience of purity culture! But before we talk to Dr. Tina, we have a vocabulary lesson on what are porn and sex addictions really and why religion is so quick to diagnoses people with them, and we’ll also be taking some prayer requests! This is an episode you won’t want to miss! Dr. Tina’s definition of sexual shame (taken from the dissertation of Noel Clarke): Sexual shame is a visceral feeling of humiliation and disgust toward one’s own body and identity as a sexual being and a belief of being abnormal, inferior and unworthy. this feeling can be internalized but also manifests in interpersonal relationships having a negative impact on trust, communication, and physical and emotional intimacy. Sexual shame develops across the lifespan in interactions with interpersonal relationships, one’s culture and society, and subsequent critical self-appraisal (a continuous feedback loop). There is also a fear and uncertainty related to one’s power or right to make decisions, including safety decisions, related to sexual encounters, along with an internalized judgement toward one’s own sexual desire.  You can find Dr. Tina at:  Instagram: @drtinashameless   Facebook: @TinaSSellers  Twitter: @TinaSSellers Website: https://www.tinaschermersellers.com Psychedelic assisted psychotherapy: www.Inannarising.org  Dr. Tina’s Books: Sex, God, and the Conservative Church Shameless Parenting – Everything You Need to Raise Shame-free, Confident, Kids and Heal Your Shame Too 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 Kerbs Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co

We’re back with another episode from our purity culture mini-series! This week’s guest is RC Curtwright (@deconstructing_exjw on Instagram) who grew up in the Jehovah’s Witness organization and was a poster child of purity culture. In our conversation RC shares some of the long term impacts, mental health issues and shame that he and  many other men experienced as a result of purity culture. Before we get into our conversation, Laura answers a listener question and shares a little bit about being a church leader and teaching adolescents about purity culture, thereby having a front row seat to the lived experiences of men and boys. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!  Resources mentioned by RC Healing CPTSD by Pete Walker Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel 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 Kerbs Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co

The holidays are over and we are back into our purity culture mini-series! This month we are talking about purity culture and it’s impact on individuals who grew up male in this system. We are thrilled to have Dr. Bradley Onishi on the podcast today as our professional who has done research and client-facing work in this area as well as being a purity culture poster boy himself. Join Brad and Laura as they discuss the unique impacts of purity culture on men, shame, the expectations of being a “Godly man” and what happens when you don’t measure up to that, as well as the importance of men learning how to step out of of the prescribed roles and mentality that both purity culture and patriarchy prop up.  Resources Mentioned:  Fair Play (book and game) by Eve Rodsky  Mild at Heart podcast series (can be found on the website below and using “Mild” in the search bar) Guest: Brad Onishi Website: https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com Instagram/TT: @straightwhitejc  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 Kerbs Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co

You better watch out…you better not cry… Celebrating the holidays can be difficult when you’re deconstructing from your faith or healing from religious trauma. That’s why we’re using today’s episode to take your questions about various aspects of religious trauma and the holidays! Today Laura is joined by guest-host, Cindy Wang Brandt, to answer the questions you’ve submitted about parenting, families, creating new traditions and more!  Cindy Wang Brandt https://cindywangbrandt.com Facebook and Instagram: @parentingforward  X/Twitter: @cindywangbrandt  Substack: cindywangbrandt.substack.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 Kerbs Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co

We have a special episode for you today! Throughout our podcast episodes we’ve talked about various forms of trauma resolution but today we want to let you peek into what a trauma resolution session actually is! Laura is joined with her friends and colleagues, Jeremy Lehmann (who’s been on our podcast before!) and Jessica Hyne. The three of them have all gone through the Somatic Experiencing Practitioner training and use this with their clients. Join us for a brief discussion about various aspects of trauma resolution and then witnessing an actual session and debriefing it afterwards!  Both Jeremy and Jessica are practitioners at the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery and are taking clients! Head to the website (info below) and schedule your free inquiry call with them today! Jeremy and Jessica will be back in future episodes to continue letting us peak into Somatic Experiencing sessions so that you can learn these practices and and try them yourself! 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 Kerbs Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co  

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or is it? Celebrating the holidays can be difficult when you’re deconstructing from your faith or healing from religious trauma. That’s why we’re using today’s episode to take your questions about various aspects of religious trauma and the holidays! Today Laura is joined by guest-host, Matthias Roberts, to answer the questions you’ve submitted!  Matthias Roberts www.matthiasroberts.com Social Media (all platforms): @matthiasroberts    Book: Holy Runaways (released October 2023) Photo Credit: John Keatley  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 Kerbs Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co

Let’s talk about sex, baby! Today sex educator and creator of the Purity Culture Dropout brand and services, Erica Smith, joins us to talk about sex, comprehensive sex education and resources if you’re needing some remedial sex education after abstinence only or purity culture “sex education”. We’ll also be sharing some prayer requests, answering listener questions and generally having a holy time! Resources mentioned on the podcast:  Holy Hurt Podcast series by Dr. Hillary McBride Erica Smith Website: www.purityculturedropout.com IG: @ericasmith.sex.ed 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 Kerbs Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe and can be found at  www.kevincrowe.co