The Awakening Podcast

Heather Foy
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Religion & Spirituality

Join our Hosts, Heather and Tamara as they feature guests that have survived 'Religious Trauma' and the stories about that trauma and how they survived.

  1. 3d ago

    Redeeming Me - With Becky Joy

    ⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussion of rape and sexual assault, including an assault that occurred when the guest was a minor, as well as spiritual manipulation and religious trauma. This episode is intended for mature audiences. Please take care of yourself as you listen. If you or someone you know needs support: RAINN Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 | rainn.org This week on The Awakening, Tamara and I sit down with Becky Joy Mercer for a conversation that is raw, honest, and ultimately full of hope. Becky Joy shares her story of being part of a young adult evangelical leadership program, and what happened when she was pressured and convinced to deny her own rape, an assault that occurred when she was fifteen. Being told to deny the truth of what happened to her did its own kind of damage. The trauma became so overwhelming that she had to leave in order to find healing. She walks us through what deconstruction was like for her, and how it felt as though her whole life had imploded. Faith, community, identity, and purpose all came apart at once. But Becky Joy doesn't leave us in the rubble. She shares what healing and redemption actually look like on the other side, and why she believes love is the most important thing we can walk in. This is a tender, powerful conversation about telling the truth when you've been taught to bury it, and about the life that is possible after everything falls apart. In This Episode, We Discuss: • Becky Joy's experience in a young adult evangelical leadership program • Being pressured to deny her own rape • Why the trauma forced her to leave in order to heal • What deconstruction felt like when her life imploded • What healing and redemption actually look like • Why love is the most important thing we can walk in Connect with Becky Joy Mercer: 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebeckyjoy 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeckyjoy Connect with Your Hosts: Heather: https://linktr.ee/Happyheathersmiles Tamara: TikTok @feralatheistjezebel321 | Instagram @tamarajo321 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningPodcast-w6s 📩 Be a guest: theawakeningpod@gmail.com If someone ever told you to deny what happened to you, hear this clearly: what happened was real, and it was never your fault. Your pain is valid, your story is yours, and healing is possible, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart. You are not alone. You belong here. If you like what you here, check out other great pods on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! Barrett and Zac host The All About Nothing: Podcast, discussing everything from news and politics to entertainment and sports! All About Nothing, but All About Something too! Zac and Barrett host What The Pod Was That with Cari Simmons, available everywhere you listen to podcasts. Take a deep dive down the rabbit hole with Amii on the pod Welcome to Wonder Land. Check out Black White and Blue In the South, With Dr. Jumelle Brooks and Bill Kimler! Politically Speaking with Erica Sampson, Kirsten Pruitt, and Emily Mayer is a sharp, engaging podcast breaking down politics with insight, wit, and a fresh perspective. The Preach Jacobs Podcast is hosted by Columbia South Carolina's very own Ambassador, Hiphop Artist, Columnist and Owner of SoulHAUS Art Gallery, Preach Jacobs! All of these fantastic podcasts can be found on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! FAIR USE COPYRIGHT NOTICE The Copyright Laws of the United States recognize a "fair use" of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 106 AND 106A, THE FAIR USE OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK, INCLUDING SUCH USE BY REPRODUCTION IN COPIES OR PHONO RECORDS OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS SPECIFIED BY THAT SECTION, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING (INCLUDING MULTIPLE COPIES FOR CLASSROOM USE), SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH, IS NOT AN INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. This Video/Audio in general may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyright holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above. If you have any specific concerns about this usage, or our position on the Fair Use Defense, please contact us at preachjacobs@gmail.com so we can discuss amicably. Thank you. Mentioned in this episode: BIG Media LLC Copyright 2026 BIG Media

  2. Oct 28

    Surviving Religious Trauma With Stella McCormick

    ⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains detailed discussion of child abuse, including abuse by parents, and life inside a high-control religious cult. This episode is intended for mature audiences. Please take care of yourself as you listen. If you or someone you know needs support: Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 RAINN Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 | rainn.org This week on The Awakening, Tamara and I sit down with Stella McCormick, a survivor of an evangelical cult, for a conversation that is heavy, courageous, and important. Stella grew up in a world where the people who were supposed to protect her were the ones who hurt her. She shares the abuse she endured at the hands of her parents inside a high-control evangelical environment, where harm was hidden behind religion and no one was coming to help. But Stella's story doesn't end with her own escape. She tells us about the fight to get her younger siblings out, too: what it took, what it cost, and what it means to carry the responsibility of protecting children when the adults around you won't. We also talk about the book A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer, a well-known memoir of child abuse that came up in our conversation. This is a story about survival, about fierce love for the kids who were left behind, and about what it looks like to break out of a system built to keep you silent. We are honored that Stella trusted us with it. In This Episode, We Discuss: • Stella's experience growing up in an evangelical cult • The child abuse she suffered at the hands of her parents • How religious environments conceal and excuse abuse • Her determination to get her younger siblings to freedom and safety • What escape looked like, and what came after • The book A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer • Survival, healing, and telling the truth out loud Book Mentioned in This Episode: 📖 A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer: available wherever books are sold (Please note this book contains graphic depictions of child abuse.) Connect with Stella McCormick: 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stella_mccormick Connect with Your Hosts: Heather: https://linktr.ee/Happyheathersmiles Tamara: TikTok @feralatheistjezebel321 | Instagram @tamarajo321 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningPodcast-w6s 📩 Be a guest: theawakeningpod@gmail.com To every survivor listening: what was done to you was never discipline, and it was never your fault. You deserved safety, and you deserved to be believed. Stella's story is proof that escape is possible and that the truth can be told. You are not alone. You belong here. If you like what you here, check out other great pods on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! Barrett and Zac host The All About Nothing: Podcast, discussing everything from news and politics to entertainment and sports! All About Nothing, but All About Something too! Zac and Barrett host What The Pod Was That with Cari Simmons, available everywhere you listen to podcasts. Take a deep dive down the rabbit hole with Amii on the pod Welcome to Wonder Land. Check out Black White and Blue In the South, With Dr. Jumelle Brooks and Bill Kimler! Politically Speaking with Erica Sampson, Kirsten Pruitt, and Emily Mayer is a sharp, engaging podcast breaking down politics with insight, wit, and a fresh perspective. The Preach Jacobs Podcast is hosted by Columbia South Carolina's very own Ambassador, Hiphop Artist, Columnist and Owner of SoulHAUS Art Gallery, Preach Jacobs! All of these fantastic podcasts can be found on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! FAIR USE COPYRIGHT NOTICE The Copyright Laws of the United States recognize a "fair use" of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 106 AND 106A, THE FAIR USE OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK, INCLUDING SUCH USE BY REPRODUCTION IN COPIES OR PHONO RECORDS OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS SPECIFIED BY THAT SECTION, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING (INCLUDING MULTIPLE COPIES FOR CLASSROOM USE), SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH, IS NOT AN INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. This Video/Audio in general may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyright holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above. If you have any specific concerns about this usage, or our position on the Fair Use Defense, please contact us at preachjacobs@gmail.com so we can discuss amicably. Thank you. Mentioned in this episode: BIG Media LLC Copyright 2026 BIG Media

  3. Oct 21

    Ministry was Expected, Authenticity Was Not.

    Content Note: This episode includes discussion of religious trauma, LGBTQIA+ religious harm, purity culture, failed relationships, and the loneliness of deconstruction. This week on The Awakening, Tamara and I sit down with Cain — and from the very first moment of this conversation, he shows up with a vulnerability and honesty that we don't take lightly. Cain grew up in a strict Christian home where the path was already laid out for him before he was old enough to choose it. Ministry wasn't a suggestion — it was an expectation. He tells us what it was like to carry that weight, to perform faith for the people around him, and to slowly begin to realize that the person he was being asked to become and the person he actually was were two very different people. He shares about failed relationships, the painful process of coming out as LGBTQIA+, and what it is like to do all of that inside a world that had no room for who he actually is. And he gets honest about something that doesn't get talked about enough — the profound loneliness that comes with deconstruction. The friends who disappear. The family that doesn't understand. The silence where community used to be. This conversation is tender, real, and one of the most human things we've put on this show. In This Episode, We Discuss: • Growing up in a strict Christian home with ministry expected of him • The weight of a calling you never chose • Failed relationships and the role faith played in them • Coming out as LGBTQIA+ inside a world that had no room for it • The loneliness of deconstruction — and why nobody warns you about it • Finding your way forward when the map you were given was wrong Connect with Cain: 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caineudkkt0 Connect with Your Hosts: Heather: https://linktr.ee/Happyheathersmiles Tamara: TikTok @feralatheistjezebel321 | Instagram @tamarajo321 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningPodcast-w6s 📩 Be a guest: theawakeningpod@gmail.com If you know that loneliness — the specific kind that comes when you start asking questions and the people around you start pulling away — this episode is for you. You are not too much. You are not broken. And you are not as alone as it feels right now. We see you. You belong here. If you like what you here, check out other great pods on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! Barrett and Zac host The All About Nothing: Podcast, discussing everything from news and politics to entertainment and sports! All About Nothing, but All About Something too! Zac and Barrett host What The Pod Was That with Cari Simmons, available everywhere you listen to podcasts. Take a deep dive down the rabbit hole with Amii on the pod Welcome to Wonder Land. Check out Black White and Blue In the South, With Dr. Jumelle Brooks and Bill Kimler! Politically Speaking with Erica Sampson, Kirsten Pruitt, and Emily Mayer is a sharp, engaging podcast breaking down politics with insight, wit, and a fresh perspective. The Preach Jacobs Podcast is hosted by Columbia South Carolina's very own Ambassador, Hiphop Artist, Columnist and Owner of SoulHAUS Art Gallery, Preach Jacobs! All of these fantastic podcasts can be found on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! FAIR USE COPYRIGHT NOTICE The Copyright Laws of the United States recognize a "fair use" of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 106 AND 106A, THE FAIR USE OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK, INCLUDING SUCH USE BY REPRODUCTION IN COPIES OR PHONO RECORDS OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS SPECIFIED BY THAT SECTION, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING (INCLUDING MULTIPLE COPIES FOR CLASSROOM USE), SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH, IS NOT AN INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. This Video/Audio in general may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyright holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above. If you have any specific concerns about this usage, or our position on the Fair Use Defense, please contact us at preachjacobs@gmail.com so we can discuss amicably. Thank you. Mentioned in this episode: BIG Media LLC Copyright 2026 BIG Media

  4. Oct 7

    Exposing Christian Nationalism With Poetic Deconstruction

    ⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of Christian Nationalism, political advocacy, and the intersection of faith and democracy. This week on The Awakening, Tamara and I sit down with our friend and fellow deconstructionist Poetic Deconstruction for a conversation that is as urgent as it is honest. We've been watching Christian Nationalism tighten its grip on our political landscape for years now — and this week we stop dancing around it and get into exactly what it is, what it's doing to our country, and what we can do about it. Poetic Deconstruction brings his signature clarity and passion to the table and together we dig into the ways this movement is dismantling democratic values from the inside out, using faith as both a weapon and a shield. But this episode isn't just about naming the problem. It's about showing up. November is coming and democracy does not defend itself. We talk about the importance of voting like everything depends on it — because right now it does — and the practical steps every single one of us can take right now to make a difference. Check your registration. Sign up to be a poll worker. Canvass your neighborhood. Every single act of civic engagement matters more right now than it ever has before. In This Episode, We Discuss: • Christian Nationalism — what it is and the damage it is doing to our country • The intersection of faith, power, and political control • Why showing up at the polls in November has never mattered more • How to check your voter registration • Signing up to be a poll worker or canvasser • Community outreach as an act of resistance • What democracy actually requires of us right now Take Action: 🗳️ Check your voter registration: https://vote.org 📋 Sign up to be a poll worker: https://www.powerthepolls.org 🚪 Sign up to canvass: https://www.mobilize.us Connect with Poetic Deconstruction: 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@poetic_deconstruction 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poetic_deconstruction Connect with Your Hosts: Heather: https://linktr.ee/Happyheathersmiles Tamara: TikTok @feralatheistjezebel321 | Instagram @tamarajo321 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningPodcast-w6s 📩 Be a guest: theawakeningpod@gmail.com Democracy is not a spectator sport. It never was. Show up. Vote. Volunteer. Knock on doors. Make calls. Check on your neighbors. The people who want to dismantle what we have are counting on your silence. Don't give it to them. You belong here — and so does your vote. If you like what you here, check out other great pods on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! Barrett and Zac host The All About Nothing: Podcast, discussing everything from news and politics to entertainment and sports! All About Nothing, but All About Something too! Zac and Barrett host What The Pod Was That with Cari Simmons, available everywhere you listen to podcasts. Take a deep dive down the rabbit hole with Amii on the pod Welcome to Wonder Land. Check out Black White and Blue In the South, With Dr. Jumelle Brooks and Bill Kimler! Politically Speaking with Erica Sampson, Kirsten Pruitt, and Emily Mayer is a sharp, engaging podcast breaking down politics with insight, wit, and a fresh perspective. The Preach Jacobs Podcast is hosted by Columbia South Carolina's very own Ambassador, Hiphop Artist, Columnist and Owner of SoulHAUS Art Gallery, Preach Jacobs! All of these fantastic podcasts can be found on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! FAIR USE COPYRIGHT NOTICE The Copyright Laws of the United States recognize a "fair use" of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 106 AND 106A, THE FAIR USE OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK, INCLUDING SUCH USE BY REPRODUCTION IN COPIES OR PHONO RECORDS OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS SPECIFIED BY THAT SECTION, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING (INCLUDING MULTIPLE COPIES FOR CLASSROOM USE), SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH, IS NOT AN INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. This Video/Audio in general may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyright holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above. If you have any specific concerns about this usage, or our position on the Fair Use Defense, please contact us at preachjacobs@gmail.com so we can discuss amicably. Thank you. Mentioned in this episode: BIG Media LLC Copyright 2026 BIG Media

  5. Sep 30

    Joe Smith on Deconstruction, Social Justice, and Fighting Christian Nationalism From The Inside

    ⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of religious deconstruction, Christian Nationalism, LGBTQIA+ affirming faith, and immigration justice. This week on The Awakening, Tamara and I sit down with Pastor Joe Smith — open and affirming pastor, social justice advocate, podcast host, and one of the most refreshingly unafraid voices in the post-evangelical space. Joe grew up steeped in conservative, fundamentalist Christianity. Today he pastors Meizon Church in Gainesville, Florida — a progressive, open and affirming congregation — and spends the rest of his time doing exactly what the institution he came from told him not to do: asking hard questions, fighting for the marginalized, and calling Christian Nationalism out by name. Joe hosts The Reasoned Reality Podcast and is part of the Post-Evangelical Collective. He advocates loudly for LGBTQIA+ rights, immigrant communities, and anyone the church has historically left behind. He even launched Slippery Slope Shirts — because if they're going to accuse you of being on the slippery slope, you might as well own it. This conversation is fired up, funny, and exactly the kind of talk we love having on this show. In This Episode, We Discuss: • Joe's journey from fundamentalist Christianity to progressive open and affirming pastor • What deconstruction looks like when you stay in ministry • Fighting Christian Nationalism from inside the church • Advocating for LGBTQIA+ communities and immigrant rights • The Reasoned Reality Podcast and the Post-Evangelical Collective • Why asking too many questions is always worth the risk Connect with Pastor Joe Smith: 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealjoesmith 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealjoe.smith 🧵 Threads: https://www.threads.net/@therealjoe.smith ✍️ Substack: https://substack.com/@therealjoesmith 🎙️ The Reasoned Reality Podcast: https://reasonedrealityproject.com ⛪ Meizon Church: https://youtube.com/@meizongnv 🌐 Post-Evangelical Collective: https://www.postevangelicalcollective.org 👕 Slippery Slope Shirts: https://slipperyslope.shop 🔗 Full Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therealjoesmith Connect with Your Hosts: Heather: https://linktr.ee/Happyheathersmiles Tamara: TikTok @feralatheistjezebel321 | Instagram @tamarajo321 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningPodcast-w6s 📩 Be a guest: theawakeningpod@gmail.com If you've ever been told that asking questions puts you on a slippery slope — good. Keep sliding. The view from the bottom is a whole lot clearer. You belong here. If you like what you here, check out other great pods on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! Barrett and Zac host The All About Nothing: Podcast, discussing everything from news and politics to entertainment and sports! All About Nothing, but All About Something too! Zac and Barrett host What The Pod Was That with Cari Simmons, available everywhere you listen to podcasts. Take a deep dive down the rabbit hole with Amii on the pod Welcome to Wonder Land. Check out Black White and Blue In the South, With Dr. Jumelle Brooks and Bill Kimler! Politically Speaking with Erica Sampson, Kirsten Pruitt, and Emily Mayer is a sharp, engaging podcast breaking down politics with insight, wit, and a fresh perspective. The Preach Jacobs Podcast is hosted by Columbia South Carolina's very own Ambassador, Hiphop Artist, Columnist and Owner of SoulHAUS Art Gallery, Preach Jacobs! All of these fantastic podcasts can be found on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! FAIR USE COPYRIGHT NOTICE The Copyright Laws of the United States recognize a "fair use" of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 106 AND 106A, THE FAIR USE OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK, INCLUDING SUCH USE BY REPRODUCTION IN COPIES OR PHONO RECORDS OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS SPECIFIED BY THAT SECTION, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING (INCLUDING MULTIPLE COPIES FOR CLASSROOM USE), SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH, IS NOT AN INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. This Video/Audio in general may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyright holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above. If you have any specific concerns about this usage, or our position on the Fair Use Defense, please contact us at preachjacobs@gmail.com so we can discuss amicably. Thank you. Mentioned in this episode: BIG Media LLC Copyright 2026 BIG Media

  6. Sep 23

    Dean Kreuger - Community Doesn't Belong To The Church

    ⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of religious deconstruction, atheism, and leaving faith communities. 🎉 Episode 50. We made it here because of every single one of you — and we couldn't think of a better way to mark this milestone than with a conversation that reminds us why we started. This week on The Awakening, Tamara and I sit down with Dean Krueger — atheist, community builder, and founder of Atheist Republic South Africa — joining us all the way from South Africa for a conversation about what it means to leave faith behind and build something real in its place. Dean's deconstruction journey took him out of religion entirely and into a question that doesn't get asked enough: where do atheists go to find community? Church gave people belonging, ritual, and a place to show up together. When you leave, you don't just lose the theology — you lose the infrastructure. Dean decided to do something about that. He founded a local chapter of Atheist Republic in South Africa, creating space for people who have left faith to find one another, ask hard questions, and build community without the baggage of belief. His story is one of courage, clarity, and the very human need to belong somewhere — even after the institution that once held you is gone. In This Episode, We Discuss: • Dean's personal deconstruction journey and leaving faith • What it's like to deconstruct in South Africa's deeply religious culture • The loneliness of leaving — and why community still matters after faith • Founding Atheist Republic South Africa and what it offers members • What Atheist Republic is and the global resources they provide • Building belonging outside of religious structures Connect with Dean & Atheist Republic: 🌐 Atheist Republic Resources: https://www.atheistrepublic.com/atheist-resources ▶️ Atheist Republic South Africa on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@atheistrepublicsouthafrica Connect with Your Hosts: Heather: https://linktr.ee/Happyheathersmiles Tamara: TikTok @feralatheistjezebel321 | Instagram @tamarajo321 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningPodcast-w6s 📩 Be a guest: theawakeningpod@gmail.com If you've left faith and found yourself standing in the silence wondering where you belong now — you are not alone. Community is not the property of the church. It never was. There are people all over this world — including halfway across the globe — building something new. You belong here. If you like what you here, check out other great pods on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! Barrett and Zac host The All About Nothing: Podcast, discussing everything from news and politics to entertainment and sports! All About Nothing, but All About Something too! Zac and Barrett host What The Pod Was That with Cari Simmons, available everywhere you listen to podcasts. Take a deep dive down the rabbit hole with Amii on the pod Welcome to Wonder Land. Check out Black White and Blue In the South, With Dr. Jumelle Brooks and Bill Kimler! Politically Speaking with Erica Sampson, Kirsten Pruitt, and Emily Mayer is a sharp, engaging podcast breaking down politics with insight, wit, and a fresh perspective. The Preach Jacobs Podcast is hosted by Columbia South Carolina's very own Ambassador, Hiphop Artist, Columnist and Owner of SoulHAUS Art Gallery, Preach Jacobs! All of these fantastic podcasts can be found on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! FAIR USE COPYRIGHT NOTICE The Copyright Laws of the United States recognize a "fair use" of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 106 AND 106A, THE FAIR USE OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK, INCLUDING SUCH USE BY REPRODUCTION IN COPIES OR PHONO RECORDS OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS SPECIFIED BY THAT SECTION, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING (INCLUDING MULTIPLE COPIES FOR CLASSROOM USE), SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH, IS NOT AN INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. This Video/Audio in general may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyright holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above. If you have any specific concerns about this usage, or our position on the Fair Use Defense, please contact us at preachjacobs@gmail.com so we can discuss amicably. Thank you. Mentioned in this episode: BIG Media LLC Copyright 2026 BIG Media

  7. Sep 9

    Jen Smith - When The Holiest Thing You Can Do Is Leave

    ⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of religious manipulation, abuse, and leaving high-control religious environments. This week on The Awakening, Tamara and I sit down with Jen Smith — host of the Unholier Podcast — for a conversation that feels like sitting down with a friend who finally says the thing everyone else was too afraid to say out loud. Jen's deconstruction story is one of survival. She navigated manipulation and abuse inside religious spaces, found her way out, and is now doing the slow, sacred work of figuring out what faith actually means to her on her own terms — outside the walls, outside the rules, outside the fear. But Jen didn't just heal quietly. She picked up a microphone. The Unholier Podcast was born out of her own journey and her conviction that women need spaces where they can be honest, messy, and real with each other. We talk about what led her to start the show, what she hopes it does for the women who find it, and why community — real, honest, woman-centered community — is one of the most powerful tools for healing there is. This conversation is warm, fierce, and full of the kind of honesty that makes you feel less alone. In This Episode, We Discuss: • Jen's personal deconstruction story • Manipulation and abuse inside religious spaces — and how she got out • Rediscovering faith on her own terms • The power of women coming together in honest community • What led Jen to start the Unholier Podcast • What she hopes her show does for the women who find it Connect with Jen Smith & the Unholier Podcast: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholier_podcast 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unholier_pod Connect with Your Hosts: Heather: https://linktr.ee/Happyheathersmiles Tamara: TikTok @feralatheistjezebel321 | Instagram @tamarajo321 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningPodcast-w6s 📩 Be a guest: theawakeningpod@gmail.com If you've ever sat in a room full of people who all agreed on the same thing and felt completely alone — this episode is for you. You are not too much. You are not too broken. And the women who have walked this road before you are holding the door open. You belong here. If you like what you here, check out other great pods on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! Barrett and Zac host The All About Nothing: Podcast, discussing everything from news and politics to entertainment and sports! All About Nothing, but All About Something too! Zac and Barrett host What The Pod Was That with Cari Simmons, available everywhere you listen to podcasts. Take a deep dive down the rabbit hole with Amii on the pod Welcome to Wonder Land. Check out Black White and Blue In the South, With Dr. Jumelle Brooks and Bill Kimler! Politically Speaking with Erica Sampson, Kirsten Pruitt, and Emily Mayer is a sharp, engaging podcast breaking down politics with insight, wit, and a fresh perspective. The Preach Jacobs Podcast is hosted by Columbia South Carolina's very own Ambassador, Hiphop Artist, Columnist and Owner of SoulHAUS Art Gallery, Preach Jacobs! All of these fantastic podcasts can be found on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! FAIR USE COPYRIGHT NOTICE The Copyright Laws of the United States recognize a "fair use" of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 106 AND 106A, THE FAIR USE OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK, INCLUDING SUCH USE BY REPRODUCTION IN COPIES OR PHONO RECORDS OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS SPECIFIED BY THAT SECTION, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING (INCLUDING MULTIPLE COPIES FOR CLASSROOM USE), SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH, IS NOT AN INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. This Video/Audio in general may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyright holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above. If you have any specific concerns about this usage, or our position on the Fair Use Defense, please contact us at preachjacobs@gmail.com so we can discuss amicably. Thank you. Mentioned in this episode: BIG Media LLC Copyright 2026 BIG Media

  8. Sep 2

    David Deane Haskell - The Truth Behind The Fiction

    ⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of religious deconstruction, trauma, addiction, and inner child healing. This week on The Awakening, Tamara and I sit down with David Deane Haskell — author, storyteller, and someone who has spent a lifetime learning how to tell the truth about what happened to him. David writes across two very different worlds — speculative science fiction that explores systems of control, power, and consequence, and raw, deeply personal memoir about trauma, addiction, and healing. But at the center of both is the same question: what does it cost us when systems demand appearance over truth? His healing memoir Wounded Angels is the book behind the fiction — the story he had to write before anything else could be written. After forty years buried under trauma and grief, cycling through creativity and addiction trying to escape, David found a path forward through inner child work, introducing the many suppressed parts of himself and watching them heal each other in real time. A revised edition is in the works, and in this conversation he gives us a glimpse of what that revision holds and why he felt called to return to it. We also get into his deconstruction story — what it looked like, what it cost, and what it opened up on the other side. This is a conversation about the courage it takes to stop performing and start healing. In This Episode, We Discuss: • David's personal deconstruction journey • Forty years of trauma, grief, and the path through it • Inner child work as a tool for healing and recovery • Wounded Angels — what the book is and why he wrote it • The upcoming revision and what's new in it • Writing speculative fiction as a way of telling the truth about control and power • What hopeful futures require of us first David's Books: 📖 Wounded Angels (healing memoir): https://mybook.to/woundedangels 📖 The Solarian Deep (sci-fi novel): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GPN8DBJS 📖 Emergence (free standalone novel): https://dl.bookfunnel.com/k7osg3nq37 Connect with David Deane Haskell: 🌐 Website: https://daviddeanehaskell.com Connect with Your Hosts: Heather: https://linktr.ee/Happyheathersmiles Tamara: TikTok @feralatheistjezebel321 | Instagram @tamarajo321 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningPodcast-w6s 📩 Be a guest: theawakeningpod@gmail.com If you've spent decades carrying something you were never meant to carry alone — David's story is proof that it is never too late to put it down and pick up something true. Healing is not linear and it is not tidy. But it is possible. You belong here.If you like what you here, check out other great pods on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! Barrett and Zac host The All About Nothing: Podcast, discussing everything from news and politics to entertainment and sports! All About Nothing, but All About Something too! Zac and Barrett host What The Pod Was That with Cari Simmons, available everywhere you listen to podcasts. Take a deep dive down the rabbit hole with Amii on the pod Welcome to Wonder Land. Check out Black White and Blue In the South, With Dr. Jumelle Brooks and Bill Kimler! Politically Speaking with Erica Sampson, Kirsten Pruitt, and Emily Mayer is a sharp, engaging podcast breaking down politics with insight, wit, and a fresh perspective. The Preach Jacobs Podcast is hosted by Columbia South Carolina's very own Ambassador, Hiphop Artist, Columnist and Owner of SoulHAUS Art Gallery, Preach Jacobs! All of these fantastic podcasts can be found on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! FAIR USE COPYRIGHT NOTICE The Copyright Laws of the United States recognize a "fair use" of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 106 AND 106A, THE FAIR USE OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK, INCLUDING SUCH USE BY REPRODUCTION IN COPIES OR PHONO RECORDS OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS SPECIFIED BY THAT SECTION, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING (INCLUDING MULTIPLE COPIES FOR CLASSROOM USE), SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH, IS NOT AN INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. This Video/Audio in general may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyright holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above. If you have any specific concerns about this usage, or our position on the Fair Use Defense, please contact us at preachjacobs@gmail.com so we can discuss amicably. Thank you. Mentioned in this episode: BIG Media LLC Copyright 2026 BIG Media

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About

Join our Hosts, Heather and Tamara as they feature guests that have survived 'Religious Trauma' and the stories about that trauma and how they survived.

Information

  • Creator
    Heather Foy
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Heather Foy
  • Show Website
    The Awakening Podcast