It’s time to talk about purity culture! Join Andrew and Laura as they begin a mini-series on all things purity culture. In today’s episode we discuss the history of purity culture, our own experiences in it, the long term impacts it’s had on their clients and some of the ways they work with clients when it comes to recovering from purity culture. This is the first episode in a 6-episode series where we will be discussing the impact of purity culture, some of the specific implications for individuals socialized male and female (since in purity culture there is a very rigid, binary gender concept) as well as talk to people about their lived experiences of healing from purity culture.  And, you won’t want to miss today’s vocabulary lesson where we ask…what is an Inner Child? Do we actually have a tiny child living within us?  Resources mentioned in the podcast episode:  Homecoming by John Bradshaw No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz www.scarleteen.com  Our Whole Lives (comprehensive sex education) Polysecure by Jessica Fern The Care and Keeping of You 1 & 2 by American Girl Library 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 this week to be talking to Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza about their work in embodiment! Dr. Roberto is passionate about the politics of radical difference and the ways that our collective differences might shed light on how we become a better body together. This ‘better body together’ concept is something our conversation focuses on, as well as some meaningful and tangible ways that we can practice embodiment and embodied justice in our own lives in the here and now.  Before we get into our conversation with Roberto, Laura uses the Prayer Request time to talk a little bit about the intersections of what is happening in the Middle East and the End Times teachings that many of us grew up hearing about. After the conversation with Dr. Roberto, Andrew and Laura share their thoughts on the interview and answer listener questions.   Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza (he/they/dr) can be found on:  Instagram: @DrRobertoChe  Twitter: @iRobyn       Facebook: @DrRobertoCheEspinoza Website: www.robertoche.co 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.tubeatoz.com

Today’s guest is Tara Teng. Tara is an Embodiment Coach who works in the intersections of spirituality and sexuality. She helps people find their way back to their bodies, overcome shame, heal trauma and dismantle purity culture in a way that is in alignment with their values and beliefs so that they can build a healthy, sexual ethic and thrive in freedom and wholeness. But before we get to the interview with Tara, we’ll have a little vocabulary lesson as we discuss what a trigger is (and isn’t!) and how to navigate. And don’t worry, we’ll also be having some “prayer time”! Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast and follow us on social media.  Instagram: @sundayschooldropoutspod Website: www.sundayschooldropoutspod.com  Tara’s book: “Your Body is a Revolution” is on sale and can be purchased wherever you like to buy books! Website: www.tarateng.com  Instagram: @misstarateng     Facebook: www.facebook.com/TaraTeng Twitter: @misstarateng 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 kevincrowe.co

On today’s episode of Sunday School Dropouts we will be talking to Cody Harman, a certified fitness coach and nutritionist! Cody shares his story of growing up within evangelicalism and purity culture being socialized female, coming out and transitioning. Cody’s lets us in on his process of healing from the shame and harm that was caused by high control religion and offers encouragement and hope on the journey of healing. You can find Cody at the following places: • Instagram: @mrcoachcody_scoobyprep • TikTok: @mrcoachcody • Facebook: Cody Harman • Twitter: @mrcoachcody YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Codytalks11/featured • Website: www.codyharman.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  Music by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji  Editing and Production by Kevin Crowe  

Today we are excited to be joined by Jeremy Lehmann–Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Trauma Coach and Assistant Director for the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Jeremy joins us today to talk about some of the aspects of working with queer folks coming out of high control religion, fundamentalism, and cults–sharing the unique pieces of religious trauma recovery including shame, embodiment, internalized hatred, and more.  To find out  more about Jeremy, you can go to his website: www.thrivery.com. Jeremy is taking therapy clients in the state of Tennessee through is website. If you would like to work with him but do not live in Tennessee, he is taking clients at the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery.  Books that Jeremy Recommends: Radical Self-Acceptance by Tara Brach Beyond Shame by Matthias Roberts 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, Threads, 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.tubeatoz.com

It’s time to go to school! Pull out your paper and pencil because today we’re going to have a vocabulary lesson! Join Laura and Andrew on today’s episode where they discuss some of the most commonly misunderstood and mis-defined words that people throw around conversationally and in social media spaces! Trauma bonding is when you bond over shared traumatic experiences…right? Doesn’t persistent selfishness equal narcissism? And surely you’re being gaslit if you feel confused by someone else’s memory or experience of something, right? In this episode Laura and Andrew define what these terms and concepts mean and why it’s important to the healing process to know what various terms mean–even if large social media accounts say otherwise! 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.tubeatoz.com

Nowadays there are more resources available than ever before if you’re looking for support on your healing journey–but which type of person is the best fit for you? A therapist? Coach? Psychiatrist? Join Andrew and Laura to discuss the differences and similarities between these professionals, why they practice as coaches (even though they have academic backgrounds as therapists), and help you figure out which type of person would be the most meaningful to you. Additionally, they discuss religion’s view of medicine, therapy, and why it can feel so difficult to engage in support services after leaving high control religion, cults, and fundamentalist systems.  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.tubeatoz.com

Many people in deconstruction and post-religious communities use the term ‘deconstruction’ to describe their experience coming out of high control religion as well as the religious trauma that may have resulted. But are deconstruction and religious trauma the same? On today’s episode of Sunday School Dropouts we will be talking about deconstruction vs. deconversion vs. dechurched–how they are different and where they overlap. Laura and Andrew will also discuss the difference between these three experiences and religious trauma as well as offering up prayer requests and having some flannelgraph storytime! 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.tubeatoz.com

What are Adverse Religious Experiences (AREs) and spiritual abuse? Aren’t they the same thing as religious trauma? Join Andrew and Laura on this week’s episode to discuss AREs, spiritual abuse, dynamics of power and control, how this relates to fundamentalism and how all of this…isn’t religious trauma? You heard us correctly!  Andrew and Laura discuss all of this AND how these things can result in religious trauma on this episode of Sunday School Dropouts! 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

On this episode of Sunday School Dropouts, Laura and Andrew discuss the nervous system–what is it and how it is essential in healing trauma, including religious trauma. They discuss why you can’t think trauma away as well as how high control religions, cults, and fundamentalist systems encourage us to bypass the nervous system as a way of gaining additional control over people. 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.tubeatoz.com