Soul Bruises

Christie Hodson
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Religion
  • Updated Semimonthly

 As a lifelong believer in Christ, I’ve grown weary of witnessing harm within spiritual settings. I’m tired of pretending it isn’t happening or convincing myself that spiritual abuse isn’t a serious issue—one that not only plagues the church but is also spreading beyond religious institutions. This is why the Soul Bruises podcast was created. It’s dedicated to exposing, educating, and ultimately working toward the eradication of spiritual abuse in all its forms. Whether you can relate to my experiences or bring your own perspective to the table, I hope Soul Bruises offers a balanced and thorough exploration of the issue. Whether you’re a spiritual leader, a member of a church, or someone with no connection to God or religion, I challenge you to reconsider your assumptions about spiritual abuse. I encourage you to tune in.  With each episode, I hope you gain a clearer understanding of what spiritual abuse is, how it manifests in religious and non-religious settings, who it affects, and why it’s crucial to address it with honesty and purpose.

  1. 3d ago

    Episode 28 - The Anatomy of Twisted Scripture (Spiritual Abuse Tactic & Behavior #6 of 12)

    Send us Fan Mail 12 Tactics and Behaviors Used By Spiritual Abusers Deception & LiesPower Control Authority, Spiritual Authority & Distorted LoyaltyIndoctrination, Thought Suppression, Bounded Choice & Mind Control Twisting The  ScripturesSpiritual Elitism & Spiritual NarcissismBlame & ShameCulture of Fear & Bullying Exploitation, Humiliation & DehumanizationManipulation, Coercion, Spiritual Gaslighting & Bypassing Silence, Secrecy & Isolation********************************************************************************** A single Bible verse can feel like comfort in one moment and coercion in the next. I sit with that tension and talk honestly about how scripture gets weaponized in spiritually abusive churches, high control religion, and faith systems that protect power at the expense of people. If you’ve ever been told that questioning is rebellion or that leaving a harmful community means leaving God, you’re not imagining the pressure. I name it, slow it down, and give you language for what happened. I start with a crucial distinction: scripture itself is not inherently abusive, but interpretations can be. From circular reasoning that treats one person’s reading as absolute truth, to proof texting that rips a verse from its context, the result is often the same: shame, silence, and dependence. I look at the Bereans as a healthier model of faith, one that welcomes careful study, community testing, and humility rather than blind loyalty. Then I lay out a practical framework built around five concepts that show up again and again in church abuse: authority, interpretation, discernment, suffering, and fear. I unpack exegesis versus eisegesis, how charisma and biblical certainty can function like control, and how spiritual gaslighting can make you doubt your own reality. I also talk about suffering being spiritualized, why lament matters for healing, and how fear-based leadership keeps people trapped. If this resonates, listen, share it with someone who needs words for their experience. "Be Human,  Be Kind,  Be Both."

  2. Jul 27

    Episode 27 - Grace Is Not A Background Check: What We Can Learn & Do Better By What Happened At Pawley's Island Community Church & School

    Send us Fan Mail Video of Pastor Don Williams exchange with law enforcement: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/P7J5N05Wu7s Video of Pastor Don Williams speaking to his congregation: WARNING (Heavy Emotion/Could be triggering) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILfKIGLBAL4&list=PPSV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9uNPjeTv6Y Video of Assoc. Pastor's Response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnhh78sWa9o Video of Teacher's Response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUoiSmfnopE "Be Human,  Be Kind,  Be Both."

  3. Jul 6

    Episode 26 - Interview with Former 2x2 Church Member Darlene Hegyi - A Survivors Guide to Leaving a Highly Controlled Church

    Send us Fan Mail A religion can look peaceful from the outside while quietly training you to disappear on the inside. My friend Darlene Hegyi joins me to tell the story of growing up in the Two by Two church, a secretive high control religion where meetings happen in homes, rules are enforced through shame, and “faith” can become indistinguishable from loyalty to the system. We talk about what spiritual abuse does to identity and the nervous system: kids conditioned to sit silent, emotions treated as disobedience, and a constant fear of being seen as “off” or “confused.”  Darlene describes the pressure to perform, the way enmeshment pulls extended family and church leadership into personal decisions, and the moment a simple question exposed a painful truth: she could describe how the church works, but not what she actually believed. COVID became an unexpected opening for deconstruction and clarity, but it also revealed how quickly gossip and social punishment can push someone out.  Darlene also speaks candidly about the church’s expectations for women to be quiet, submissive, and muted in voice, gifts, and ambition, and what it takes to reclaim agency through therapy & boundaries, and learning to trust your own inner voice again.  If you’re navigating religious trauma, leaving a controlling church, or rebuilding after spiritual manipulation, her story offers language, validation, and hard fought for hope. If this conversation helps you, share it with someone who needs it! "Be Human,  Be Kind,  Be Both."

  4. May 14

    Episode 25 - Interview with Former 2x2 Member Steve Hegyi - The Church With No Name But Plenty of Rules

    Send us Fan Mail The Two Books mentioned in the interview: "Preserving the Truth: The Church without a Name and Its Founder, William Irvine"  by Cherie Kropp-Ehrig  "The Truth About The Truth" by Mary Ann Schoeff ********************************************************************************** A church that refuses a name can still demand your whole identity.  Steve Hegyi joins me to describe what it’s like to grow up inside the Two by Two religion (also known as the 2x2s, the Truth, or the Way) and slowly realize that what you were taught was “faithfulness” often functions as spiritual abuse, coercive control, and enforced silence. We walk through the practical mechanics that keep the system running: private home meetings, traveling “workers” who hold spiritual authority, overseers who steer decisions, and a culture with no formal creed and little written accountability.  Steve explains how secrecy works socially and spiritually, why questions are treated as danger, and how gossip can become a quiet form of discipline. He also shares the pressure families feel to perform perfection, especially when workers stay in their home, and how that performance shapes kids, friendships, and emotional development. Then we get honest about the deeper costs, especially for men formed by patriarchy. Steve describes expectations around leadership, control, and emotional suppression, including how anger can be normalized while vulnerability is shamed. We also name red flags like lack of transparency, cover up culture, and harmful responses to abuse, and we talk about what healing looks like after leaving: learning grace instead of earning, rebuilding relationships, practicing accountability, and finding a faith that’s allowed to be curious. If you’re navigating religious trauma, faith deconstruction, or recovery from a high control church, I think Steve’s clarity will help you feel less alone. "Be Human,  Be Kind,  Be Both."

  5. Jan 24

    Episode 24 - Interview with Artist & Author David Hayward (The Naked Pastor) - Capturing Truth in a Single Frame

    Send us Fan Mail FYI: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS A SMALL SECTION OF EXPLICIT CONTENT IN REGARDS TO SEXUAL ABUSE. *FOR VIEWING PODCAST - YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK (Advantages: Artwork is shown when it is being described) https://youtu.be/Etc_Gxr-6IQ DAVID'S WEBSITES www.nakedpastor.com His main site where you can find his cartoons and his blog www.thelastingsupper.com His online community  DAVID'S BOOKS Adult books: Questions are the Answer, The Liberation of Sophia, Til Doubt Do Us Part, Money is Spiritual, The Art of Coming Out, The Lasting Supper - Letters for Deconstruction, Without a Vision My People Prosper Children's book: The Rainbow Sheep Cartoon books: Flip It Like This & Naked Pastor 101 DAVID'S SOCIAL MEDIA Look for "Naked Pastor" on Instagram DESCRIPTION OF PODCAST A single frame can say what a thousand sermons won’t. That’s the power David “Naked Pastor” Hayward brings to the table as we explore spiritual abuse, religious trauma, and the radical courage it takes to tell the truth with humor and heart. David shares how a decades‑long journey from pulpit to pen sharpened his eye for systems that control, how cartoons validate the wounded at a glance, and why critiques of the church are not betrayal but care for the community it could be. We trace the invisible contours of harm—sermons turned into weapons, authority used to silence, group pressure passed off as discipleship—and talk about the moment survivors realize their “soul bruises” are real. David walks us through the images that resonated worldwide: Sophia’s scarred spirit, Jesus erasing the lines we draw, and the gut-punch panel where leaders say, “It’s not that we don’t believe you. It’s that we don’t care.” Humor becomes a scalpel, not a sledgehammer, opening space for reflection without letting power off the hook. He also pulls back the curtain on his process, from sensitivity checks with diverse friends to the ongoing work of unlearning bias. We dig into why systems drift toward dehumanization, how denial and silence protect brands over bodies, and what it takes to rebuild a life after leaving a toxic church. David’s answer is both practical and hopeful: cultivate spiritual independence while choosing interdependence, seek communities that honor dignity without control, and keep curiosity alive. He founded The Lasting Supper as a safe, diverse space for people rethinking faith to be fully seen without a new gatekeeper. If you’ve wondered whether you’re allowed to name what happened, or you’re searching for belonging without surrendering your agency, this conversation meets you where you are. If the episode speaks to you, share it with someone who needs language for their pain, subscribe for more soul-honest conversations, and leave a review so others can find the show. Your voice helps build healthier, more compassionate communities. "Be Human,  Be Kind,  Be Both."

  6. Jan 4

    Episode 23 - My Response to the Documentary: "Evil Influencer - The Jodi Hildebrandt Story"

    Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES: Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMjsVQIepZw Dark Truth Behind Netflix’s ‘Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story Law & Crime Network https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPipALF5glc Was Ruby Franke Brainwashed? - Jodi Hildebrandt's Tactics Dissected https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvvgHlPZFrM Some stories shock because they’re new; this one shocks because it feels familiar. We dig into how a therapist wrapped control in spiritual language, turned doubt into “distortion,” and built a closed system where obedience looked like healing and disagreement looked like moral failure. Using the Jodi Hildebrandt documentary as a case study, we trace the slow creep from guidance to coercion and outline the subtle tells—language shifts, isolation, and financial pressure—that signal spiritual abuse long before the headlines. We walk through the backstory of Connexions, the promise of moral clarity, and the way binaries like truth versus distortion hollow out a person’s inner compass. You’ll hear how clients were nudged to distrust their own signals, cut off outside support, and accept “loving correction” as proof the process worked. Along the way, we connect these patterns to tactics common in high-control religious spaces: information control, shunning, and leader-centric authority dressed up as care. The goal isn’t to sensationalize; it’s to name the playbook so you can recognize it early—whether it shows up in therapy, church, parenting advice, or coaching. We also offer practical tools to test any authority: Who can ask questions here? What happens when someone disagrees? Are fees and expectations transparent? Does this space invite dialogue and referrals, or does it monopolize trust? Healthy authority connects rather than isolates, welcomes feedback, and never asks you to abandon yourself to belong. If your body says something is off, that signal matters. Your worth isn’t measured by compliance, and choosing truth over loyalty is not a failure—it’s healing. Listen, reflect, and share this conversation with someone who needs language for what they’ve felt but couldn’t name. "Be Human,  Be Kind,  Be Both."

  7. 11/29/2025

    Episode 22 - Your Nervous System Is Not Sinning; It Is Protecting You! - Understanding Fight, Flight, Freeze and Fawn through Spiritual Abuse

    Send us Fan Mail FREEZE YouTube Video of Bobi Gephart confronting Pastor John Lowe II  (13:39) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4Sh2-Peefo FIGHT YouTube Video of "Remembering Jennifer Lyell" (5:37) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7ekxdMchxA FLIGHT Who are the 2 x 2's? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83DZdzxpR84 (Short Version - 1:58) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o_vTxBShFA (Long Version - 16:10) FAWN Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQopCn4MFwM (10:52) The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill Podcast (Episode 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cou36nSmJY "When Religion Hurts You" Dr. Laura Anderson What is Religious Trauma? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjdBoBOhXvA (short clip) 4 Trauma Responses (Dr. Alex Howard) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVQDRrs-a8A (6:28) *************************************************************************************************This episode of Soul Bruises explains how fight, flight, freeze, and fawn show up in faith spaces and why they are survival, not sin. We share real stories, practical regulation tools, and a path from shame to curiosity so survivors can rebuild safety, voice, and trust. • defining spiritual abuse and the autonomic nervous system • clear explanations of fight, flight, freeze and fawn • how churches mislabel trauma responses as moral failings • scenarios that map all four responses in a church conflict • whistleblowing, delayed disclosure and high control groups • tend and befriend versus fawning and why it matters • practical regulation skills and boundary setting • moving from survival to healing with supportive community • recommended reading: When Religion Hurts You by Dr Laura Anderson You can reach me at soulbruises@gmail.com or send me a message on Instagram at SoulBruises2023 "Be Human,  Be Kind,  Be Both."

  8. 10/12/2025

    Episode 21 - Interview with Pastor Kayleigh Clark - Restoring the Flock: God’s Blueprint for Healing After Collective Trauma

    Send us Fan Mail In this podcast episode with our guest, Pastor & scholar Kayleigh Clark we  explore how collective trauma reshapes churches, why language and listening matter, how sometimes the first step of finding healing a church is about asking the right questions, and how new shepherds can gather what harm scattered. She shares a path from lament to restoration with trauma-informed ministry, empathetic witness, and patient trust-building. Additional topics, references, website & terms mentioned below. • Defining collective trauma and loss of communality • The body of Christ keeps the score as a diagnostic lens • COVID’s disruption, decision fatigue, and grief in congregations • Betrayal trauma and why defenses form around leaders • Jeremiah 23, negligent shepherds, and God’s new shepherds • Using careful, descriptive language before hard labels • Pastors’ secondary traumatic stress and pastoral self-care • After-pastors, church splits, and rebuilding safety • Theology that heals vs theologies that harm and shame • Shifting diagnosis from behaviors to “what happened to us” • Revitalization & Reformation.... with Restoration as a third path to consider • Lament, middle-space testimonies, and empathetic witnessing • Reading scriptures through the eyes of the sufferer • Practical methods to restore trust and communality YOUTUBE EPISODE LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rREm75DGcgk Check out Restor(y) resources at restorycenter.com Restor(y) is a nonprofit founded by Pastor Kayleigh Clark whose mission is to accompany churches through healing, restoration, and wholeness  Link to article of "New Shepherds For A Hurting Church https://www.restorycenter.com/blog/new-shepherds-for-a-hurting-church A Theological Framework for Religious Trauma (Short Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSIpj-NhhnA  Kayleigh's Blog on Restor(y) https://www.restorycenter.com/blog Jeremiah 23  NIV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/search=Jeremiah%2023&version=NIV  TERMS Secondary Trauma  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_trauma   DARVO is an acronym that describes a common pattern of behavior used by individuals—often abusers or manipulators—when they are confronted about their harmful actions. It stands for: D – Deny, A – Attack, RVO – Reverse Victim and Offender Soul Bruises Episode on DARVO https://www.buzzsprout.com/2240617/episodes/16013641  Collective trauma happens when a whole community or group of people goes through something deeply painful or disruptive—like abuse, conflict, disaster, or loss—and it impacts not just individuals, but the relationships, trust, and identity of the entire group. Betrayal trauma refers to the psychological harm that occurs when someone experiences a profound violation of trust or safety by a person or system they depend on for protection, care, or support. Communality refers to the quality or state of sharing things in common — a sense of belonging, mutual responsibility, and connection within a group or community  "Be Human,  Be Kind,  Be Both."

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About

 As a lifelong believer in Christ, I’ve grown weary of witnessing harm within spiritual settings. I’m tired of pretending it isn’t happening or convincing myself that spiritual abuse isn’t a serious issue—one that not only plagues the church but is also spreading beyond religious institutions. This is why the Soul Bruises podcast was created. It’s dedicated to exposing, educating, and ultimately working toward the eradication of spiritual abuse in all its forms. Whether you can relate to my experiences or bring your own perspective to the table, I hope Soul Bruises offers a balanced and thorough exploration of the issue. Whether you’re a spiritual leader, a member of a church, or someone with no connection to God or religion, I challenge you to reconsider your assumptions about spiritual abuse. I encourage you to tune in.  With each episode, I hope you gain a clearer understanding of what spiritual abuse is, how it manifests in religious and non-religious settings, who it affects, and why it’s crucial to address it with honesty and purpose.

Information

  • Creator
    Christie Hodson
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Soul Bruises
  • Show Website
    Soul Bruises