Beyond The Surface

Samantha Sellers
  • 5.0 (3)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Beyond the Surface, where being seen means being understood. Here, we explore the ups and downs of exploring and sometimes losing faith and community, and the healing power of shared stories. This is a safe space to connect, share, and find support in our common experiences of religious trauma and leaving fundamental communities. Join us as we build a community of understanding and connection. Host - Sam Sellers; Therapist specialising in Religious Trauma and the Queer Community Links: Website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/anchoredcounsellingservices Instagram - www.instagram.com/anchoredcounsellingservices Monthly Newsletter - https://anchored-counselling-services.ck.page/e912816a5d

  1. The Cult Survivor Who Wont Be Silenced

    3D AGO

    The Cult Survivor Who Wont Be Silenced

    In this powerful episode, Cheryl shares her courageous journey of escaping the Exclusive Brethren, a high-control religious community marked by isolation and fear. Born into a life defined by strict rules and emotional repression, Cheryl recounts her childhood in rural Saskatchewan, revealing experiences of sexual abuse, indoctrination, and deep psychological control. Leaving the group at just 17, she began the long, painful process of reclaiming her freedom and sense of self. Through raw honesty and reflection, Cheryl offers insight into the emotional toll of religious trauma, the importance of community in recovery, and the transformative power of therapy. Her story stands as a moving testament to resilience, healing, and the human capacity to rebuild after unimaginable loss. Who Is Cheryl? Cheryl Bawtinheimer (née Hope) is a survivor of child sexual abuse who escaped the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church at 17. She now speaks internationally about the hidden harms of high-control religious groups and works to support and empower other survivors and insiders still stuck in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Connect With Us You can connect with Cheryl over on Facebook or Instagram For a one-stop shop for the Get A Life Podcast head to their website - https://www.get-a-life.net/ You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

    1h 14m
  2. The Ex-Mormon Therapist

    OCT 22

    The Ex-Mormon Therapist

    Raised in an unorthodox Mormon family, Ashley shares her journey of navigating faith, identity, and the pressures of patriarchal religious structures. In this conversation, she reflects on the tension of growing up with a non-Mormon father, the weight of expectations within her community, and the shame that often accompanied rigid doctrine. Now a therapist specialising in religious trauma, Ashley offers candid insight into the process of deconstructing harmful beliefs, reclaiming identity, and finding empowerment beyond the confines of Mormonism. Who Is Ashley? Ashley Buckner is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Utah and California. Specialising in a form of trauma therapy called Brainspotting that works to help people find more regulation in their nervous system. She has the additional speciality of religious trauma and faith transitions. Ashley was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (aka: the Mormon Church) and later left in 2008. Connect With Us Find out more about Ashley via her website - https://www.ashleybucknerlmft.com/aboutYou can also connect over on Instagram You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

    1h 22m
  3. The One Who Went From Being A Blessing To Being Shunned

    OCT 15

    The One Who Went From Being A Blessing To Being Shunned

    Shunned after leaving the Geelong Revival Center, Jodie shares her journey from the insular world of fundamentalist faith to a more expansive and authentic sense of self. She reflects on the love and community she once knew, alongside the rigid expectations and lack of critical thought that shaped her childhood. Candidly exploring the pain of shunning and the challenge of rebuilding relationships, Jodie offers a powerful story of resilience, healing, and the courage it takes to reclaim identity beyond the confines of a high-control church. Who Is Jodie? Born & raised in high control pentecostalism (GRC, of 'pray harder' and Vic Inquiry fame!), 4 generations deep. Jodie left in her 40s with her family. Her dad was a pastor who spoke up about bullying within ministry, and they got kicked out because they had them stay in their home. They suffered some extreme shunning & witnessed some impressive hypocrisy in the church. Now out for almost 3 years and thriving. Connect With Us Connect with Jodie over on Instagram You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

    1h 22m
  4. The One Who Went From Golden Child To Scapegoat

    OCT 8

    The One Who Went From Golden Child To Scapegoat

    Lauren’s story begins with the role of golden child, expected to keep the peace in a high-control family by silencing her own needs and striving for parental approval. Over time, this weight collided with her growing awareness of politics and social justice, sparking questions that clashed with her upbringing and eventually led to estrangement. Her journey captures both the grief of losing family ties and the strength found in choosing authenticity, offering hope to anyone navigating the painful, but liberating, path of self-discovery. Who Is Lauren? Lauren Smallcomb is a certified Mind-Body Practitioner whose journey as a healer began at 20 when she became a registered nurse, dedicating a decade to caring for patients in the ER. She later expanded her expertise to become a birth doula and, eventually, a nutritional therapist. In 2020, after making the difficult decision to walk away from a dysfunctional family system, Lauren embarked on a transformative process of rebuilding her mind and body through brain retraining and trauma healing. This journey inspired her to become a certified Mind-Body Practitioner. Her newfound sense of empowerment prompted Lauren and her therapist husband to establish Flourish Therapy, with the intention of helping others heal and thrive after childhood trauma. Born and raised in upstate New York, they now make their home in Northern Thailand with their children, two dogs, and a cat. Connect With Us Find out more about Lauren via her website - flourishtherapy.kartra.com/page/goldenchildYou can also connect on Instagram, Facebook, and Substack You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

    1h 20m
  5. The Suburban Witch

    OCT 1

    The Suburban Witch

    Hana, known online as the Suburban Witch, shares her journey of deconstructing a Pentecostal upbringing in Australia and the lasting impact of religious trauma. The conversation explores her childhood experiences of indoctrination, including purity culture, conformity, and the pressure to tie self-worth to rigid belief systems. Hana reflects on the psychological toll of growing up in a high-control religious environment and the courage it takes to reclaim identity beyond it. Through her story, listeners are invited into a deeper understanding of the resilience and healing that comes with unlearning harmful teachings and embracing authenticity, making this episode a powerful offering for anyone navigating faith, identity, and recovery. Who Is Hana? Hana is a professional Tarot reader, Astrologer & Witch who helps spiritual seekers go from feeling confused, blocked and overwhelmed to feeling confident, connected and clear in their path through a variety of mediums. She hosts the podcast ‘Witch Talks’ interviewing key Witches in the community, has a thriving YouTube channel with content from Spellcrafting, Tarot tutorials, Witchcraft basics and even details her own journey from Pentecostal Christian to proud Witch. Connect With Us Find out more about Hana and her work via her website - https://www.suburbanwitchery.com Connect via Facebook, Instagram & Youtube You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

    1h 16m
  6. The One Who Survived IBLP

    SEP 24

    The One Who Survived IBLP

    In this episode, Rachel shares her story of being immersed into the IBLP (Institute in Basic Life Principles), where the teachings of Bill Gothard shaped her understanding of faith, identity, and community in deeply controlling ways. She reflects on how the subtle mechanisms of spiritual abuse left lasting impacts on her ability to trust, belong, and feel secure in herself, even after leaving. As Rachel traces her gradual disentanglement from the IBLP framework, she sheds light on the resilience required to unlearn harmful teachings and rebuild a life outside of rigid religious control. Her honesty offers listeners both insight into the lingering effects of spiritual abuse and hope in the possibility of healing, as she speaks to the ongoing process of reclaiming identity, truth, and freedom on her own terms. Who Is Rachel? Rachel Lees is an award-winning New Zealand writer in Tauranga and the author of “Sacred Grooming”. The online memoir details her experience of being hand selected at 20 and groomed over years by American fundamentalist cult leader Bill Gothard of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). As one of the whistle-blowers which led to the downfall of the Christo-fascist organisation and resignation of the leader, and then filing a lawsuit against Gothard in 2015, Rachel withstood many personal attacks against her. She is passionate about speak more on predatory grooming and the healing that comes from the pursuit of justice. Connect With Us You can connect with Rachel on Instagram or Substack You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

    1h 5m
  7. The Asian American Apostate

    SEP 17

    The Asian American Apostate

    In this episode, Scott, a Japanese American, reflects on his journey of navigating faith, race, and identity within evangelical Christianity. His parents adopted the church as a path to assimilation after the trauma of their own internment during World War II, a legacy that shaped his childhood in predominantly white spaces where he often felt alienated. While evangelicalism offered belonging, it also demanded conformity, leading Scott to eventually question its contradictions and begin the hard work of deconstruction. He shares the emotional labor of disentangling belief from dogma, and how cultural trauma, racial identity, and political realities like Christian nationalism complicate that process. Scott speaks candidly about the loneliness and struggle of leaving faith, but also about the healing found in community and the freedom of embracing uncertainty. His reflections point toward a spirituality grounded not in rigid certainties but in authenticity, compassion, and the courage to hold space for mystery. Who Is Scott? Scott is a 4th generation Japanese American author, musician, and podcaster. Creator/host of Chapel Probation and co-host of The Horny Chapel, Asians in Baseball, and Let's Talk About Text with Blake Chastain. Author of Asian American Apostate: Losing Religion and Finding Myself at an Evangelical University. Composer and editor at Axis Mundi Media with Brad Onishi. Connect With Us Scott's Website - http://rscottokamoto.comConnect via Facebook or Instagram You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

    1h 17m
  8. The One Who Escaped Providence

    SEP 10

    The One Who Escaped Providence

    Sally shares her journey of recovering from her time in Providence, a high-control cult that exploited her search for belonging. From her childhood as a Vietnamese immigrant to the manipulative dynamics that drew her into the group, Sally reflects on how cults prey on vulnerability and maintain control through fear and psychological tactics. Her story sheds light on both the personal cost of spiritual abuse and the broader patterns of coercion within such movements. Through honesty and courage, Sally also speaks to the process of healing, finding community, rebuilding identity, and reclaiming hope after trauma. Who Is Sally? Sally is a Vietnamese-Chinese-Australian counsellor with lived experience of cult trauma, supporting ex-Providence and Shincheonji members for over five years. She offers trauma-informed counselling and exit support to help people rebuild safety, reconnect with themselves, and rediscover their own values. Connect With Us You can connect with Sally via her website - https://www.ahavacounselling.com.au/ You can find out more about Sam on her website – www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram – @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective

    1h 31m
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Beyond the Surface, where being seen means being understood. Here, we explore the ups and downs of exploring and sometimes losing faith and community, and the healing power of shared stories. This is a safe space to connect, share, and find support in our common experiences of religious trauma and leaving fundamental communities. Join us as we build a community of understanding and connection. Host - Sam Sellers; Therapist specialising in Religious Trauma and the Queer Community Links: Website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au Facebook - www.facebook.com/anchoredcounsellingservices Instagram - www.instagram.com/anchoredcounsellingservices Monthly Newsletter - https://anchored-counselling-services.ck.page/e912816a5d

Information

  • Creator
    Samantha Sellers
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Samantha Sellers
  • Show Website
    Beyond The Surface

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