Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Unchurched

What if what hurt you… wasn’t truth?

In this episode of Unchurched, I sit down with Charles Hall to unpack what it really means to unlearn the lies and begin healing from church hurt.

This is not about attacking faith. This is about reclaiming your identity.

We’re having a real conversation about: • Church hurt and religious trauma • Unlearning beliefs that no longer serve you • The difference between truth and conditioning • Rebuilding your identity after leaving the church • What healing actually looks like beyond religion

If you’ve ever questioned what you were taught, felt disconnected after leaving a religious environment, or struggled to trust yourself again—this conversation is for you.

You’re not broken. You’re waking up.

WATCH MORE FROM UNCHURCHED Where truth breaks tradition—and real stories lead to real recovery.

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Break the pattern. Rebuild your identity. Move forward with clarity.

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The United States continues to rank among the top three worst countries in the world for human trafficking, and for survivors like Marie-Ange Mbumba Ntambwe, this reality is not a statistic — it is personal.

Marie-Ange is a human trafficking survivor who endured unimaginable trauma, yet she has transformed her story into a mission of advocacy, healing, and global awareness. Today she travels and speaks publicly about survival, identity, and reclaiming life after exploitation.

On this powerful episode of Keeping It Real on Purpose, Marie-Ange shares her journey in a deeply honest conversation titled:

Praying But Still Bleeding: Healing Identity After Spiritual Warfare

This conversation explores:

• The hidden emotional and spiritual wounds survivors carry • Why faith alone sometimes isn’t enough to stop the pain • How survivors reclaim their identity after trauma • Turning survival into purpose and advocacy

Marie-Ange’s story is not just about survival — it is about rebuilding identity after the deepest forms of betrayal and trauma.

This episode is a reminder that healing is possible, voices matter, and stories can change lives.

Stay tuned for this important conversation.

#HumanTraffickingAwareness #SurvivorStories #KeepingItRealOnPurpose

Does the place that first taught you about love also quietly teach you shame? For many raised in strict traditions—especially Catholicism—belonging is often conditional. You’re told you fit in, but only if you behave, believe, and love within a pre-built box. When your identity breaks that box, the choice is agonizing: Do you abandon yourself, or do you abandon the system?

In this episode of Unchurched, host Edna White sits down with Bill Hulseman, a ritual designer and former Catholic school principal, to discuss the intersection of faith, queer identity, and spiritual wounding. Bill shares insights from his debut book, six to carry the casket and one to say the mass, reflecting on his years inside religious institutions and the courage it takes to reclaim your own narrative.

We dive deep into deconstructing faith, navigating institutional religious trauma, and finding the path toward spiritual agency. If your personal truth has ever collided with your religious upbringing, this conversation is for you. Learn how to stop working against your wiring and start leading with power.

Key Topics:

• Healing from Catholic Guilt and church-induced shame.
• The journey of LGBTQ+ belonging in spiritual spaces.
• How to reclaim your story after leaving the institution.

#ReligiousTrauma #FaithDeconstruction #CatholicGuilt #QueerSpirituality #Unchurched #EdnaWhite #SpiritualHealing #IdentityJourney #BillHulseman #ChurchTrauma #SecondChanceInc

A candid conversation with Daniel John Carey examining the Mormon church’s history, high-control teachings, and the lasting emotional and spiritual impact many former members experience. This episode explores religious trauma, identity loss, and the path to reclaiming personal agency after faith-based harm.

Leaving belief systems doesn’t mean losing yourself. If you’re rebuilding identity after religious harm, reach out — I help people design what comes next.

#reclaimyourlife #religioustrauma

Tonight’s conversation stayed with me.

I sat down with Daryl Dittmer as he openly unpacked Religious Trauma, Addiction, and the long road to Recovery. No performance — just honesty, clarity, and the kind of courage that actually helps people see themselves differently.

He didn’t just tell a story… he explained the patterns behind it.

If you’ve ever questioned what you were taught, struggled to separate faith from fear, or rebuilt yourself after survival mode — this one matters.

Watch the LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/live/vzkC5gnxK3Q?si=efWQNBfx2_uleN6P

If this conversation hit close to home and you’re tired of carrying it alone, you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

Start your next step here: https://calendly.com/ejwcoaching/one-off-talk-it-through-session

Clarity begins when you stop managing the pain and start understanding it.

Real conversations. Real healing.

The “Obedience Trap” exposes how fear-based faith can quietly keep people stuck, silenced, and disconnected from their emotional truth. In this episode of Keeping It Real on Purpose, with Jeffery M. Lenard, we unpack how obedience is often taught as virtue—while actually masking unresolved emotional wounds, trauma responses, and people-pleasing survival patterns.

This conversation challenges the idea that submission equals spiritual maturity and asks a deeper question: Are you truly aligned—or just afraid to question what you were taught? Together, we explore how fear-driven belief systems suppress self-trust, block healing, and confuse compliance with calling.

If you’ve ever felt guilty for setting boundaries, afraid to use your voice, or torn between faith and emotional honesty, this episode helps you identify where obedience ends and self-betrayal begins—so you can reclaim clarity, agency, and a faith that supports healing, not harm.

A necessary conversation for anyone ready to unlearn survival faith and step into grounded belief—on purpose.

Faith is meant to heal, but what happens when the religious environment you trusted becomes the source of profound pain, anxiety, and deep mental health struggles?

Join us as we sit down with Harmony Ekundayo for a raw and necessary conversation about the invisible burdens carried by those wounded by their faith journey.

Harmony (Prophet Harmoney) shares her courageous personal story, diving into the shame, chronic anxiety, and internal conflict that surfaces when doctrine clashes with emotional reality.

This episode offers validation and empathy for anyone navigating the difficult, complex path of healing from religious trauma. If you have ever felt broken by your belief system, this episode is for you.

“Where Truth Breaks Tradition” signals exposing toxic systems without being harsh or defamatory.

About Unchurched

Raw, unfiltered conversations with people who have walked away from institutional religion, survived spiritual abuse, and are navigating religious trauma and faith deconstruction.

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New episodes exploring the hidden harm of organized religion and the path to healing, autonomy, and liberated faith.

Work With Edna J. White

Speaking, trauma-informed coaching, and consulting: EdnaJWhite.com

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Join the mailing list for upcoming conversations and resources: EdnaJWhite.com/connect

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Unchurched YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/@Unchurching

Universal Links

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#KeepingItRealOnPurpose #KROPCast #HealingStories #RealTalk #FaithandFreedom

In this raw and revealing episode of Keeping It Real on Purpose, host Edna J. White sits down with Stephanie Jones to unpack her journey through the dark side of church life—where faith was used as a weapon instead of a source of healing. Stephanie shares her powerful story of being exploited in a toxic church environment, the emotional toll of spiritual exile, and how she’s finding her way back to truth, trust, and freedom.

This conversation isn’t about religion—it’s about reclaiming your voice after being silenced by systems that were supposed to save you. Tune in for a brutally honest look at pain, power, and the process of rediscovering a faith that heals instead of harms.

#KeepingItRealOnPurpose #Unchurched #ToxicFaith #ChurchHurt #SpiritualAbuse #FaithHealing #RealStories #StephanieJones #EdnaJWhite

Is your relationship with God built on love or on sheer terror? That’s the core question we’re tackling with Pastor Brandon Moore. In this episode of Unchurched, we confront The Church's Bully Tactics head-on: the sermons, the guilt trips, and the cultural pressure that turned God into a Punisher. We discuss the freedom that comes when you stop running from a wrathful deity and start deconstructing the fear that has poisoned faith for generations.

#FearGod

#ChurchBullyTactics

#DeconstructFaith

#Exvangelical

#ReligiousTrauma

#PunisherGod

#faithoverfear

What happens when you leave church… but still believe in God?

In this episode, Edna White sits down with De Shell Parker for a real conversation about faith, healing, identity, and reconnecting with God outside of religion, fear, and control.

Born and raised in Milwaukee and shaped by Milwaukee Public Schools, De Shell Parker brings more than 25 years of service, leadership, and advocacy for youth and families. As a social services professional, board secretary, and community leader,

De Shell shares powerful insight on spiritual growth, religious experiences, personal healing, and learning how to rebuild your relationship with God on your own terms.

This episode goes beyond church culture and explores:

• Religious hurt and spiritual healing
• Faith outside of organized religion
• Identity after leaving church
• Fear, shame, and control in religious spaces
• Reclaiming your voice and personal relationship with God
• Healing while still believing

If you’ve ever questioned your faith, struggled with church hurt, or wondered if God still exists outside the walls of religion, this conversation is for you.

You heard the story. Now let’s talk about what to DO with it.

Subscribe to Keeping It Real on Purpose and Unchurched for more real conversations about healing, purpose, faith, trauma, relationships, and rebuilding your life on purpose.

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#Unchurched #ChurchHurt #FaithJourney #ReligiousTrauma #HealingJourney #EdnaWhite #KeepingItRealOnPurpose #SpiritualHealing #GodWithoutReligion #FaithAfterChurch

What if everything you thought you knew about who you are… was wrong?

In this deeply personal episode of Unchurched, Edna White opens up about her journey through religious conditioning, identity confusion, spiritual hurt, and what it took to break free from the cult-like control of religion to rediscover herself.

For centuries, identity has been shaped by religious systems, ancient traditions, fear-based teachings, and outside expectations telling people who they should be, how they should think, and how they should live. But what happens when you begin questioning those beliefs and step outside the boundaries you were taught never to cross?

This conversation explores self-discovery, spiritual awakening, religious trauma, and the emotional process of learning who you are beyond guilt, fear, shame, and performance. Edna shares her personal experience of untangling harmful patterns rooted in religious abuse and how she reclaimed her voice, confidence, purpose, and relationship with herself and God.

If you’ve ever struggled with identity confusion after church hurt, people-pleasing, perfectionism, spiritual control, or emotional wounds tied to religion, this episode will challenge you to rethink everything you were taught about identity, purpose, and personal power. It is a real conversation for people trying to heal while rebuilding their lives outside of survival mode and fear-based faith.

You heard the story. Now let’s talk about what to DO with it.

If you’re ready to break unhealthy patterns and rediscover who you are outside of religious hurt and emotional survival, head over to the Your Next Move Strategy Session with Edna White https://buy.stripe.com/3cI3cw6Ng6mUaI0b8q43Sa.

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#SelfDiscovery #RedefinePurpose #IdentityShift #BeyondTradition #ChurchHurt #ReligiousTrauma #SpiritualHealing #FaithJourney #Unchurched #EdnaWhite

What happens AFTER you leave the church?

In this powerful Part 1 episode, Edna White sits down with Linwood Jackson Jr. to unpack the emotional, spiritual, and identity shifts that happen when someone walks away from organized religion—but still desires a relationship with God.

This conversation is not about rebellion. It’s about reconstruction. It’s about what happens when faith remains, but the systems, expectations, pressure, and identity tied to church begin to fall apart. Many people leave church carrying guilt, shame, confusion, fear, anger, loneliness, and spiritual exhaustion, yet few conversations ever address what comes next.

Edna and Linwood have an honest discussion about church hurt, religious trauma, fear-based teaching, spiritual control, and the struggle to rediscover yourself after leaving toxic religious environments. They also explore what healing can look like when you are trying to reconnect with God outside of religion while learning to trust yourself again.

If you’ve ever questioned your faith, struggled with identity confusion after leaving church, or felt emotionally disconnected while trying to rebuild your spiritual life, this episode will speak directly to where you are right now. This conversation is raw, honest, healing, and necessary for anyone navigating deconstruction, spiritual healing, and personal transformation.

You heard the story. Now let’s talk about what to DO with it.

Subscribe to Unchurched and Keeping It Real on Purpose for real conversations about healing, faith, trauma recovery, purpose, relationships, and rebuilding your life after pain.

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#Unchurched #ChurchHurt #ReligiousTrauma #FaithAfterChurch #SpiritualHealing #Deconstruction #FaithJourney #HealingAfterReligion #EdnaWhite #KeepingItRealOnPurpose

What happens when you realize healing doesn’t happen overnight after leaving the church?

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Edna White continues the discussion with Linwood Jackson Jr. about the emotional aftermath of church hurt, spiritual confusion, and rebuilding your identity after walking away from toxic religious environments.

Part 1 opened the conversation about leaving church. Part 2 goes deeper into the process of healing, rebuilding trust, and learning how to separate God from painful religious experiences. This episode explores the reality that many people still believe in God, but struggle with fear, guilt, judgment, anxiety, and emotional wounds created by unhealthy church culture.

Edna and Linwood unpack the hidden effects of religious trauma, the pressure to perform spiritually, and the difficulty many people face when trying to rediscover purpose, peace, and authentic faith outside of control-based systems. They also discuss emotional triggers, identity struggles, spiritual isolation, and what it really means to heal while creating a healthier relationship with faith and yourself.

If you’ve ever felt torn between faith and freedom, struggled to trust again after church hurt, or questioned who you are outside of religion, this episode offers a real and honest conversation that many people are afraid to have out loud.

This is not about attacking faith. It’s about understanding the difference between religion, control, healing, and true spiritual connection.

You heard the story. Now let’s talk about what to DO with it.

Subscribe to Unchurched and Keeping It Real on Purpose for honest conversations about church hurt, healing, trauma recovery, relationships, purpose, and rebuilding your life after pain.

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#Unchurched #ChurchHurt #ReligiousTrauma #HealingAfterChurch #FaithJourney #SpiritualHealing #Deconstruction #FaithAfterReligion #EdnaWhite #KeepingItRealOnPurpose

What happens when you stop defining yourself by religion and finally begin discovering who you truly are?

In this powerful episode, Edna White sits down with Claudette Milner for a transformational conversation about identity, purpose, spiritual growth, and reclaiming the gifts you were born with after religious conditioning.

Too many people spend years minimizing their natural talents, creativity, leadership, empathy, organization, communication skills, and intuition because they were taught to view their gifts as “just hobbies” instead of tools connected to purpose, calling, abundance, and impact. In this episode, Claudette shares how to maximize your gifts, align them with your highest mission, and stop hiding the very things that were meant to help you thrive.

Together, Edna and Claudette unpack the connection between self-worth, faith, purpose, creativity, and success. They discuss how many people become disconnected from themselves through religious expectations, fear, survival mode, and people-pleasing, and how reclaiming your gifts can become the first step toward healing, confidence, fulfillment, and authentic living.

This conversation explores identity after religion, spiritual awakening, personal growth, entrepreneurship, purpose-driven living, and learning how to actively deploy your gifts instead of constantly suppressing them. If you’ve ever struggled with self-doubt, confusion about your purpose, or fear around fully stepping into your calling, this episode will challenge you to think differently about the gifts already inside of you.

You heard the story. Now let’s talk about what to DO with it.

If you’re still struggling to understand your life purpose or next move, connect with Edna White for a Your Next Move https://buy.stripe.com/3cI3cw6Ng6mUaI0b8q43S0a

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#Purpose #GodGivenTalents #SpiritualAwakening #IdentityAfterReligion #FaithJourney #Creativity #Abundance #PersonalGrowth #Unchurched #EdnaWhite

What is it really like growing up as a preacher’s kid?

In this powerful episode of Unchurched, Edna White sits down with Randy Curtis Jr. to unpack the hidden pressure, emotional weight, and identity struggles that many preacher’s kids experience behind closed church doors.

As the host of Choo Radio, Randy Curtis Jr. is known for leading thoughtful conversations around leadership, mindset, culture, faith, personal development, and transformation. His grounded approach to dialogue has made him a respected voice in both media and community engagement, helping people move beyond surface-level conversations into deeper understanding and personal reflection.

In this honest and eye-opening conversation, Edna and Randy explore what happens when children raised in church leadership families are expected to carry an image before they even understand their own identity. They discuss the pressure of always being watched, judged, corrected, and expected to represent perfection while privately navigating personal struggles, emotional pain, and questions about faith.

This episode dives into the emotional realities many preacher’s kids silently experience, including identity confusion, people-pleasing, perfectionism, emotional suppression, church hurt, and the challenge of separating performance from purpose. Randy shares insight into the internal battles that often come with trying to live up to expectations while attempting to discover who you truly are outside of the roles placed upon you.

This is not a conversation attacking faith or the church. It is a real discussion about healing, honesty, emotional freedom, and creating space for people to acknowledge the hidden struggles that often exist behind ministry, leadership, and religious expectations.

If you’ve ever struggled with religious pressure, emotional exhaustion, identity confusion, or trying to balance faith with authenticity, this conversation will resonate deeply with you.

You heard the story. Now let’s talk about what to DO with it.

Subscribe to Unchurched and Keeping It Real on Purpose for real conversations about healing, faith, trauma recovery, leadership, relationships, and rebuilding your life on purpose.

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#PreachersKid #ChurchHurt #ReligiousTrauma #FaithJourney #Unchurched #SpiritualHealing #RandyCurtisJr #EdnaWhite #KeepingItRealOnPurpose #HealingAfterChurch