Re-Creation Podcast

Heads up: this episode discusses sexual abuse and spiritual abuse within the Church. Please be kind to yourself. Today we sit down with neuroscientist Dr. Hermina Nedelescu for a wide-ranging and deeply important conversation about clergy sexual abuse, spiritual abuse, institutional complicity, and what healing and accountability might look like within the Orthodox Church. We discuss the neurological relationship between abuse and addiction, and why traumatic experiences often shape behaviors in ways that are misunderstood morally, pastorally, and spiritually.Hermina also shares about her path toward advocacy for survivors of clergy sexual abuse and the founding of Prosopon Healing, an organization devoted to survivor support, education, accountability, and cultural change within Orthodox contexts.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.We also talk about:* Neuroscience and the evolving theological conversation on what it means to be human* The neurological connections between abuse and addictions* Hermina’s path to advocacy for survivors of clergy sexual abuse and the founding of Prosopon Healing* Why is disclosure so extraordinarily difficult for sexual abuse survivors* How does the narrative of “one bad apple” diminish our solidarity and shared responsibility to prevent abuse and protect each other* Spiritual abuse and how it paves the way for other kinds of abuse, including sexual abuse, within church communities* The use of power in church communities and how Christ described the appropriate use of power* “Seeing the plank” in our own eye – Becoming more aware to our own complicity and choosing differentlyResources and links mentioned:* Nicole Lyon Roccas, “Not Everything is Beneficial: Fr. Seraphim Rose and the Nature of Complicity” (May 12, 2026)* Article: Emily M. Hicks et al., “Decoding the Transcriptomic Signatures of Psychological Trauma in Human Cortex and Amygdala,” October 23, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.23.619681.* Prosopon Healing: https://www.prosoponhealing.com/* The Betrayal Bond by Patrick Carneshttps://www.drpatrickcarnes.com/the-betrayal-bond* The Milgram Experimentshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment* “Descent Into Light” Podcast by the Sisters of the Little Wayhttps://www.sistersofthelittleway.com/podcast* Predators by Anna Salterhttps://enoughabuse.org/get-the-facts/predators-pedophiles-rapists-and-other-sex-offenders/* Poem: Please Call Me By My True Names By Thich Nhat HanhOther resources about spiritual abuse and clergy sexual abuse:Some of these resources pertain to these issues in broader Christian or religious contexts. Those produced by/for Orthodox contexts are listed first and marked with an asterisk (*). * “Resources for Survivors.” Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) website. (https://snapnetwork.org/resources-for-survivors/). May 11, 2026.** “Services for Survivors,” Prosopon Healing.* * “Ongoing Research: Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse in the Orthodox Church,” Prosopon Healing (2024).** “Parish Ministry Resources - When The Unspeakable Happens,” Ellen Gvosdev, OCA.org (1994).** For Orthodox clergy: “Role of Leadership in Clergy Sexual Misconduct Cases.” Prosopon Healing.** “The Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse Perpetrated by Leaders or Other Adults in Religious Organizations in Australia,” Gabrielle R. Hunt et al., Child Abuse & Neglect 155 (September 2024).* Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church, Diane Langberg (2020).* “Researchers Reveal Patterns of Sexual Abuse in Religious Settings,” Ualberta.ca (2020).* Suffering and the Heart of God: How Trauma Destroys and Christ Restores, Diane Langberg (2015).* “What Is Clergy Sexual Misconduct? - MCC Abuse Response & Prevention,” Abuse Response & Prevention (March 6, 2025).All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodes Connnect with Nicole and Eleni:* Find Nicole on Substack Nicole M. Lyon Roccas or her website (www.nicoleroccas.com)* Find Eleni at https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/ * Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflectionsThe Re-Creation podcast is a show about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

What can we learn from veterinary science about healing the fragmentation between humanity and creation?In the second installment of this two-part episode (Part 1 here), we sit down with Jesse Alexis Blum Vallecillo, a veterinary doctor based in Arizona, to discuss how her work gives her a unique vantage point on the broken and blessed interrelationships between humanity, creation, and all the creatures God has made to play therein.Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* How Jesse wound up an Orthodox Christian and practicing veterinary doctor* The mysterious nature of how creation unfolded in the beginning* Telling the bees and other ancient traditions that remind us of man’s interrconnection with other creatures* Examples of brokenness in the behaviour patterns of animals (and their human caretakers) and what to do with them emotionally and spiritually* Examples of how humans have laboured lovingly with animals to make the most of God’s gift of creationOther resources and links mentioned:* Nicole’s Weekly Writing Circle (Spring/Summer 2026): https://nicoleroccas.gumroad.com/l/iyqurh* Poem: “The Two-headed Calf,” by Laura Gilpin* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:Find Nicole at www.nicoleroccas.comFind Eleni at www.eleniopperwallcounselling.comSubscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

What can we learn from veterinary science about healing the fragmentation between humanity and creation?In this two-part episode, we sit down with Jesse Alexis Blum Vallecillo, a veterinary doctor based in Arizona, to discuss how her work gives her a unique vantage point on the broken and blessed interrelationships between humanity, creation, and all the creatures God has made to play therein. Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* How Jesse wound up an Orthodox Christian and practicing veterinary doctor* The mysterious nature of how creation unfolded in the beginning* Telling the bees and other ancient traditions that remind us of man’s interrconnection with other creatures* Examples of brokenness in the behaviour patterns of animals (and their human caretakers) and what to do with them emotionally and spiritually* Examples of how humans have laboured lovingly with animals to make the most of God’s gift of creation Other resources and links mentioned:* Nicole’s Weekly Writing Circle (Spring/Summer 2026): https://nicoleroccas.gumroad.com/l/iyqurh * Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, by Alexandra Horowitz* Temple Grandin (mentioned) has many books on the intersection of autism, neurodivergence in humans, and animal behaviouralism. A good pace to start is Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals (2010) or Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism (1995)* All Creatures Great and Small book series, James Herriot (1970-1992)* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:Find Nicole at www.nicoleroccas.comFind Eleni at www.eleniopperwallcounselling.comSubscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Unseasonable weather patterns, natural disasters, and accelerating climate shifts are increasingly common. Alongside these changes, more people are experiencing environmental anxiety and even ecological trauma.Contemporary environmental discourses can sometimes frame human beings as little more than a parasite on the planet. One notorious bumper even put it bluntly: “Care for the earth—commit suicide!” But what if the way forward requires more humanity rather than less?What if healing our fragmented relationship with the natural world begins with reclaiming what it truly means to be human creatures living in communion with God and His creation?In this episode, we explore the fragmented relationship between humanity and the environment with Dr. Elizabeth Theokritoff, a theological writer and translator whose work sits at the intersection of Orthodox theology, liturgy, and ecology.Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* Eden as eschatology—what it was like in the beginning according to various patristic views* What we can learn from monastic communities about creation care and stewardship* Different threads of ancient Christian tradition regarding human connection with home and creation—indigeneity (dwelling in the same place as your ancestors lived) vs. the asceticism of exile* Ecological trauma, environmental anxiety, and Christian anthropology* Why does a theological approach to ecology matter to us as ChristiansMore about Dr. Elizabeth Theokritoff’s work:* Website: https://saltalas.com/members/dr-elizabeth-theokritoff/* Living in God’s Creation: Orthodox Perspectives on Ecology (SVS, 2009)* Article: Elizabeth Theokritoff, “Keeping This Place: Contemplative Vision and Ecological Living as Christian Witness: An Orthodox View,” Mission Studies 41 (2024), 388–411.* “Keeping This Place: An Interview with Dr. Elizabeth Theokritoff,” Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery’s Essays & Notes 22-2 (Fall 2025), 7-11.Other resources and links mentioned:* John Zizioulas, Remembering the Future: Toward an Eschatological Ontology (Sebastian Press, 2023)* Olivier Clement, On Human Being: A Spiritual Anthropology (New City Press, 2002)* Chrysopigi (Golden Font) Convent (Chania, Crete)* Monastery of Timios Prodromos (Anatoli of Larissa, Greece)* Gerard Manley Hopkins, “As Kingfishers Catch Fire”* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:Find Nicole at www.nicoleroccas.comFind Eleni at www.eleniopperwallcounselling.comSubscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Eleni takes us on a late winter’s journey through one of her favourite poems, “Nous,” by Scott Cairns ( Scott Cairns) and the post-traumatic experience. What is a nous? How is learning to re-inhabit our ensouled body holy work? Why does it matter?Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.Resources and links mentioned:* “Nous,” by Scott Cairns* This poem comes from the book-length collection Lacunae: New Poems, by Scott Cairns (Iron Pen, 2023).* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* Find Nicole at Nicole M. Roccas and www.nicoleroccas.com* Find Eleni at Eleni Opperwall andwww.eleniopperwallcounselling.com* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/ Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Vladimir Miskovic—neuroscientist, Orthodox Christian thinker, and co-author of Dreaming Reality—for a wide-ranging conversation on the nature of the human person. Together we explore how contemporary neuroscience and ancient Christian tradition converge in their understanding of consciousness, attention, and the layered or “nested” self, and what this might reveal about fragmentation, harmony, and healing. From St. Paul’s inner and outer self to the provocative “filter theory” of consciousness, this discussion challenges reductive materialism and invites us into a more spacious, mystical vision of what it means to be human.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* What understandings of human personhood modern neuroscience and ancient Christian anthropology share in common* St. Paul’s language of the “inner” and “outer” self* The model of “nested selves” and layered consciousness* Attention, perception, and how they shape who we become* Intrapersonal harmony as an icon of Trinitarian lifeResources and links:* Book: Dreaming Reality: How Neuroscience and Mysticism Can Unlock the Secrets of Consciousness, by Vladimir Miskovic and Steven Jay Lynn (Harvard University Press, 2025)* “Behind the Book” with Vladimir Miskovic* Eleni’s article about forgiveness (here)* Dick Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems (IFS) model* The synergistic anthropology of Russian theologian Sergey Horujy (1941–2020)* “Poetry” by Neruda* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* More about Nicole: https://www.nicoleroccas.com/* More about Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we sit down with Fr. Stephen Freeman to explore the complex and often misunderstood emotion of shame, drawing from his book Face to Face. Together we examine the crucial distinction between toxic and healthy shame, its relationship to humility and communion, and why the capacity to “bear a little shame” may be essential to becoming fully human. From the Genesis story to the Cross, from personal and pastoral experiences to contemporary therapeutic insight, this conversation asks what shame reveals about God’s intentions for us—and how it can move from rigid armor and isolation toward healing and love.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* Is there a such thing as helpful shame?* Shame in the life of the Christian* How shame relates to humility and repentance* Boundaries and the nature of GodResources and links mentioned:* Fr. Stephen’s book, Face to Face: Knowing God Beyond Our Shame (Ancient Faith, 2023)* Fr. Stephen’s blog: https://glory2godforallthings.com/* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

After deeply wounding experiences, the language of sin and repentance can feel fraught—or even harmful. How can we relate to our “sinner status” in a way that’s freeing rather than self-destructive? What does humility look like when it supports wholeness instead of self-erasure, and how do we discern what we are truly responsible for versus what belongs to others?In this episode, we explore these questions and more with Dr. Peter Bouteneff, Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, author of How to Be a Sinner: Finding Yourself in the Language of Repentance, and host of the podcast Luminous: Conversations on the Sacred Arts.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.Resources and links mentioned:* Website: Dr. Peter Boutneff https://www.peterbouteneff.com/home/ * Book: How to be a Sinner * Podcast: Luminous: Conversations on the Sacred Arts* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* Connect with Nicole: www.nicoleroccas.com* Connect with Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In this first episode of season 2, we reconnect after some restorative recreational time to talk about what we have been up to during our break and what we have in store for Season 2. Each of us share our favorite memories from this past Christmas season, and a couple good books that stuck with us. We also name some of our upcoming guests on the podcast, and together we look ahead to some edifying and illuminating conversations coming up in this new season of Re-Creation.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.Resources and links mentioned:* Books Eleni mentioned:* Sunlilies: Eastern Orthodoxy as a Radical Counterculture, by Graham Pardun* Frida Kahlo and My Left Leg, by Emily Rapp Black* Books Nicole mentioned:* Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other Inconveniences, by Gila Pfeffer* Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life, by Dani Shapiro* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* Connect with Nicole: www.nicoleroccas.com* Connect with Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/ Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our extra special “Ask Us Anything” Season 1 Finale episode! We received so many questions that we were unable to answer them in one episode, so we hope to feature a more regular “listener question” segment in future episodes to answer them all—and any others you may have in the meantime! Thank you to everyone who shared their questions and who have supported us in our first season of The Re-Creation Podcast. Have a merry Christmas and see you back here in mid to late January 2026!Please also check out our follow up resource to the last question in this episode: “Beyond Trauma as Social Currency: A Guide to Talking about Trauma for Survivors and Helping Professionals.”Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.Question topics we respond to in this episode:* How inter-generational trauma relates to the ongoing work of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and histories* Saints we look to as a source of comfort in our personal experiences and professional work surrounding trauma* Approaching questions around donor-conceived IVF sensitively and with grief in mind, while also trying to understand the human-centered concerns behind the Church’s stance it on this issue* How to approach vicarious trauma/secondary traumatic stress as parents and spouses, including birth trauma, in a life-giving way* How useful is the concept of trauma when it’s frequently generalized—or even exploited—as social currency?Resources and links mentioned:* Fr. Michael Oleksa, Orthodox Alaska: A Theology of Mission (2002)* Nicole’s posts on saints: https://nicoleroccas.substack.com/t/saints* Mary Undoer of Knots - Byzantine Catholic Akathist and Catholic Novena* Gayle E. Woloschak, “In Vitro Fertilization and the Beginning of Human Life” (The Wheel, 2017)* You Look Like Me podcast series, a journalist explores the issues surrounding donor conceived people while trying to find the man who, presumably, looks like her* Nicole’s Winter 2026 weekly writer meetups start January 8 (learn more here)* Book rec from Nicole: Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others, by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky* Our follow up resource to the last question in this episode: “Beyond Trauma as Social Currency: A Guide to Talking about Trauma for Survivors and Helping Professionals.”* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:More about Nicole:https://www.nicoleroccas.comMore about Eleni:https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

**(12/16/2025) ETA: Audio file corrected at 8:15AM ET**Wrapping up our miniseries on Genesis 1-3 and the origins of trauma! When humanity fell, it sent ripples of fragmentation through the world. What was once whole and interconnected became fractured, scarce, and out of tune. In this episode, we continue tracing the lines of fragmentation that flow from the Fall by taking a closer look at the breakdown of man’s relationship to nature and to God.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* St. Jerome’s difficult personality* More on four-fold fragmentation following the Fall (alliteration unintentional)* Man vs. Nature: fragmentation between humanity and creation* Nature thoughts with Werner Herzog* Creation and its involvement in the Fall* Man vs. God: fragmentation between humanity and GodResources and links mentioned:* Christopher A. Hall, Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers (IVP Academic, 1998)* Christos Yannaras, “Man,” In: Elements of Faith (T&T Clark: Edinburgh, 1991), pp. 53-88.* Elizabeth Theokritoff, Living in God’s Creation: Orthodox Perspectives on Ecology (SVS Press, 2009)* Katherine Compitus, “The Mental Health Crisis Engulfing Veterinarians,” PsychologyToday.com (November 17, 2023)* Constantine Tsirpanlis, Introduction to Eastern Patristic Thought and Orthodox Theology (Michael Glazier, 1990), p. 50* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:More about Nicole:https://www.nicoleroccas.comMore about Eleni:https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care.Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

When humanity fell, it sent ripples of fragmentation through the world. What was once whole and interconnected became fractured, scarce, and out of tune. In this episode, we continue tracing the origins of trauma in Genesis 1–3 by introducing the four kinds of fragmentation that flow from the Fall. We take a closer look at the first two—intra-personal and inter-personal fragmentation—exploring how we become alienated both within ourselves and in our relationships with others.Ask us anything HERE. Send us your questions by Dec 13 and we’ll include them in the last episode of this season, airing December 23, 2025!In this episode, we talk about:* The four-fold fragmentation following the Fall (alliteration unintentional)* Intra-personal fragmentation - man vs. self (alienation with and within ourselves)* Inter-personal fragmentation - man vs. man (and woman)* Buber’s notion of I-Thou vs. I-it relationships* St. Basil on women’s equal worthResources and links mentioned:* Pseudo-Macarius, Homily 43 in The Fifty Spiritual Homilies and the Great Letter, tr. George A. Maloney, S.J. (New York: Paulist Press, 1992), 219-222.* Kyriaki Karidoyanes Fitzgerald, Persons in Communion: A Theology of Authentic Relationships (InterOrthodox Press, 2006)* Meghan Hyatt Miller, “The Only Question That Matters About AI,” (December 6, 2025)* St. Basil, “On the Origin of Humanity, Discourse 1,” in On The Human Condition: St Basil the Great (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2005)* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Our AMA episode airs on December 23! You have until Dec 13 to as anything—just fill out the handy form HERE. It’s quick, easy, and anonymous.AboutRe-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

What’s up with those nice fur coats God gives Adam and Eve before they’re exiled from the Garden? Who was really cursed in the so-called curses He dishes out after the Fall? This week we’re back to the Genesis narrative, exploring what it means in the light of trauma, healing, and what it means to be human in a broken world.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.Ask us anything HERE. Send us your questions by Dec 13 and we’ll include them in the last episode of this season, airing December 23, 2025!In this episode, we talk about:* Winter blues* The profound significance of the garments of skin (Genesis 3:21) for our lives, deaths, and healing* Did women get leg hair before or after the Fall? A theological inquiry.* The curses aka the punishments aka the consequences spelled out by a loving God.* Introducing the fourfold fragmentation the Fall enacted: within ourselves (intra-personal); between us and one another (intra-personal); between humanity and creation; between humanity and God.Resources and links mentioned:* Jean Danielou, From Glory to Glory: Texts from Gregory of Nyssa’s Mystical Writings (St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1979)* Gregory of Nyssa, Catechetical Discourse, Popular Patristics Series (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2019)* Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos, Life after Death (Birth of the Theotokos Monastery, 1996)* Fr. Steven Freeman, Face to Face: Knowing God beyond Our Shame (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2023)* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:More about Nicole:https://www.nicoleroccas.comMore about Eleni:https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care.Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In today’s episode, we’re still in the Garden—reflecting on the role shame and blame play after trauma, loss, and other rupture experiences in our lives.Ask us anything HERE and we may answer your questions in the last episode of this season, airing December 23, 2025!Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* Adam and Eve’s participation in the fall and their immediate response in the aftermath* Shame: is it ever a helpful emotion?* Don’t conduct Zoom calls naked* The necessity of facing our shame in community with others* Co-regulation 🤝 self-regulation* Fig leaves = our desperate attempt to avoid the distress of shame, guilt, and blameResources and links mentioned:* Ask us anything HERE for our final episode of the season, airing Dec 23, 2025.* Definition of shame and moral emotions found in: Piretti et al. (2023). The Neural Signatures of Shame, Embarrassment, and Guilt: A Voxel-Based Meta-Analysis on Functional Neuroimaging Studies* Fr. Stephen Freeman, Face to Face: Knowing God beyond Our Shame (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2023)* Eleni’s Substack article, “Winnicott, Eden, and the Relational Ground of Self: A few extra thoughts”* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:More about Nicole:https://www.nicoleroccas.comMore about Eleni:https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Back to humanity’s Ground Zero. How do we understand Adam and Eve’s human nature before the Fall, and how does that shape the way we view both humanity and God? In this episode, we revisit this ancient story through the lens of human development and the parental love of God.Join us as we explore the deeper meanings of the Fall – not merely a story of sin, but also a story of growth, maturity, rupture and repair.Ask us anything HERE and we may answer your questions in the last episode of this season, airing December 23, 2025! Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* Reviewing the Genesis narrative in chapter 2: protection, connection, and freedom* What Adam and Eve are like before the fall—and why this matters* Adam and Eve as culpable adults vs. Adam and Eve as childlike and not yet ready* Nicole’s thought experiment, or “don’t take candy from strangers”* “The tree of knowledge itself was good”* This was not God’s plan B: the Lamb slain before the foundations of the earth* Holding two views in tensionResources and links mentioned:* Ask us anything google form HERE* St. Basil the Great, On the Human Condition, edited by Nonna Verna Harrison (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2005), quoted p. 51* Irenaeus, Proof of the Apostolic Preaching 11-14* Apocryphal text, The Life of Adam and Eve* Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus, Book II Ch. 25* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

We return to Eden, our original home, and explore the world for which human beings were created. Coming back to the three elements of safety (protection, connection, and freedom), we talk about how the last two—connection and freedom—are crucial elements of our original human nature. Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* How connection shows up in the garden* Radical trust* What a fetus’s favorite shape is* Why freedom is the foundation of all love, both human and divine* The reason ai therapists make no sense* Fear of freedom and why risk is unavoidable in healing and growthResources and links mentioned:* Part 1 of this series* Orthodox creation icons, an example here* Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh, Essential Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters) (Orbis Books, 2010)* Ronga et al., At First Sight: Fetal Eye Movements Reveal a Preference for Face‐Like Configurations From 26 Weeks of Gestation. Developmental Science, 28 (2), 2025* D.W. Winnicott, The Theory of the Parent-Infant Relationship (London Press, 1960)* Ainsworth, M., The Infant-Mother Relationship. American Psychologist, 34 (10), 1979 * Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005)* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodes Let’s Connect:More about Nicole:https://www.nicoleroccas.comMore about Eleni:https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/ Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

If trauma has shaped our world, what did the world look like before trauma?Join us as we begin our Genesis 1–3 series and discover how creation itself might be a blueprint for healing—one built on safety, connection, and freedom. Maybe the story of “the before times” can help us better understand how to reclaim what’s been broken.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* A new miniseries about Genesis 1-3* How Genesis 1 “starts with safety” — a world structured, ordered, and ready before humans ever arrive.* God’s boundaries—light from darkness, sea from land—as acts of protection and containment, not division.* Humans don’t have claws and that’s a good thing. Also parenting + relationships with our caregivers.* Sabbath as the ultimate expression of safety: rest as a sign of a world secure enough to stop, delight, and dwell.* What Genesis 1 might reveal about a God who creates from calm, not chaos—and what that tells us about safety as the foundation of healing.Resources and links mentioned:* Genesis 1-2:3 (NRSVCE)* Donald Winnicott and object relations theory* Gregory of Nyssa, On the Making of Man* Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* More about Nicole: https://www.nicoleroccas.com* More about Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Going in circles? Maybe that’s a good thing. Find out why as we talk about how time and healing play out in Eugene Vodolazkin’s 2012 historical novel, Laurus.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* Laurus, by Eugene Vodolazkin* Interesting side-quests: premodern notions of healing, homeopathy, and how Eleni’s grandmother made soap with a rock* How trauma can affect our experience of time* What the theology of trauma can teach us about the problem of evil* Healing as upward spiral rather than vicious circle (see diagram similar to the one we discussed here)Resources and links mentioned:* “Time in Trauma” podcast miniseries - Episode 1 (of 8)* Nicole’s Book - Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2017)* The Way of a Pilgrim* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* More about Nicole: https://www.nicoleroccas.com* More about Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

A friendly shoutout to the skeptics, curious, and those who are hesitant to attach labels like “trauma” to people’s core identity. Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* Valid and less valid reasons why people may be skeptical of the entire concept of trauma* How Christian communities may be particularly prone to minimize the reality of trauma* DSM-5 criteria for PTSD and other addendums to episodes 3-4 (“What is Trauma” Parts 1-2)Resources and links mentioned:* Gary Greenberg, The Book of Woe: The DSM and the Unmaking of Psychiatry* Allen Frances, Saving Normal: An Insider’s Revolt Against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life* The tradition of consuming blessed apples of St. Irene for women struggling to get pregnant* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* More about Nicole: https://www.nicoleroccas.com* More about Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

A reflection on Rilke’s poem “I am praying again, You Awesome One,” which paints a powerful picture of brokenness and the sacred work of becoming whole.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* Read Nicole’s translation of “I am praying again, You Awesome One” here* The rhythms of gathering and scattering our fragmented selves* Traumatic elements of Rilke’s upbringing* Why do we gather our selves if God is only going to scatter them in the end?* The poetics of the PsalterResources and links mentioned:* A good English translation of The Book of Hours by Anita Barrows: Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God (2005)* Philip Yancey, What’s so Amazing about Grace? (1997)* Ralph Freedman, Life of a Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke (New York: Northwestern University Press, 1998)* Psalm 102* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* More about Nicole: https://www.nicoleroccas.com* More about Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Following up on last week’s episode, we discuss two more lenses for understanding what trauma is and offer some hope for those healing.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* Trauma as lasting imprint* Why trauma memories just feel and act differently* Trauma as fragmentation of the self* What Internal Family Systems (IFS) and the perichoresis of Trinitarian theology have in common* Where we’re hoping to take the rest of this seasonResources and links mentioned:* CAMH definition of trauma found here* Not mentioned by useful: NICABM’s infographic on how trauma affects the four kinds of memory* Richard Schwartz, No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model (2021)* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:More about Nicole: https://www.nicoleroccas.comMore about Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Join Eleni and Nicole for an webinar and Q&A hosted by Axia Women on the ways we find healing and transformation through our wounds. Together, we’ll explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest, hopeful conversations. If you’re a woman who enjoys listening to the Re-Creation Podcast, you’ll love this webinar. Registration and more information on the Axia Women website: https://www.axiawomen.org/node/2252 Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Trauma is a vast concept. In this two-part episode, we try to understand it with both simplicity and depth. Here we anchor ourselves in the idea of trauma as whole-person wound.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations.In this episode, we talk about:* Trauma as whole-person wound (τραῦμα)* Trauma is the experience of an event (or events), not the event itself* Some terms: complex trauma, acute/single incident trauma, and the role of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences)* Trauma as an experience that is “too fast, too much, too little, too soon” (or too long) to process in our nervous systems* “Bottom up” approaches to trauma work like polyvagal theory and EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Re-Processing)* Trauma and the bodyRelevant resources and links:* Gabor Maté’s definition of trauma found here and in The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture (2022)* “Too much, too soon, to little” to process definition of trauma: Duros, R., & Crowley, M. (2014). “The Body Comes to Therapy Too.” Clinical Social Work Journal, 42(3), 238.* Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (Penguin Books, 2015)* Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., et al. (1998). “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine.* Straethern, L., et al. (2020). “Long-term Cognitive, Psychological, and Health Outcomes Associated With Child Abuse and Neglect.” Pediatrics.* Brassard, M. R. (2019). “Is Psychological Maltreatment as Harmful as Other Forms of Child Abuse and Neglect? A Research Review.” APSAC Advisor.* Mercer, S., et al. (2023). “Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Associations With Personal and Professional Factors in Health and Social Care Workers: A Systematic Review.” Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.* Yang, X., et al. (2025). “Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Medical Students’ Interest in Careers: A Single-Setting Study.” Frontiers in Psychiatry.* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* More about Nicole: https://www.nicoleroccas.com* More about Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/ * Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Every other episode, we step back from the darkness of trauma and explore a work of beauty. Hosted by Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.In this episode, we talk about:* “Diving into the Wreck,” a poem by Adrienne Rich (https://poets.org/poem/diving-wreck)* The importance of stepping back from the intellectual work of healing and engage our creative, right-brain selves through story and beauty* The tension between baptism/initiation/re-creation and death* The parts of us that die when we begin to work through the past, and the parts that find new lifeResources and links mentioned:* Adrienne Rich’s poem, “Diving into the Wreck”* Quotes on baptism and recreation found in: Olivier Clément, Roots of Christian Mysticism: Texts from Patristic Era with Commentary (1995)* Final quote from St. Isaac the Syrian about being at peace with your own soul was found in: Arent Jan Wensinck, trans., Mystic Treatises by Isaac of Nineveh (1923)* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: * More about Nicole here * More about Eleni here Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Listen on Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS wherever you get podcasts.Re-Creation is a podcast about trauma, faith, and mental health from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Hosts Nicole Roccas, a trauma-informed coach and author, and Eleni Opperwall, a registered therapist, explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest and hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox tradition, professional insights, and personal stories, they share reflections to support healing, wholeness, and spiritual growth.In this episode, we talk about:* Who we are, what we do, and how faith informs our work as helping professionals* What we’re hoping to do on the Re-Creation PodcastResources and links:* Dr. Stephen Muse, When Hearts Become Flame: An Eastern Orthodox Approach to the Dia-Logos of Pastoral Counseling (Orthodox Research Institute, 2011)* All music featured on this podcast is used in accordance with Creative Commons licenses. For a full list of the tracks we use, visit https://recreationpodcast.substack.com/p/music-featured-in-our-episodesLet’s Connect:* Subscribe to our Substack for show notes + behind-the-scenes reflections: * More about Nicole: https://www.nicoleroccas.com* More about Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/ Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional mental health care. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Re-Creation, a podcast about trauma, faith, and wholeness. Hosts Eleni Opperwall (a licensed therapist) and Nicole Roccas (a certified trauma-informed coach and author) explore what it means to be human after trauma through honest, hopeful conversations. Drawing on Orthodox Christian tradition, personal experiences, and our professional work, we share insights and stories to support healing and spiritual integration around the wounds of life.Full episodes start in September!Listen wherever you get podcasts.Follow us on Substack for added show notes and resources.Learn more about Nicole: www.nicoleroccas.comLearn more about Eleni: https://www.eleniopperwallcounselling.com/Please take a moment to read our disclaimer and special note to our clients. Get full access to The Re-Creation Podcast at recreationpodcast.substack.com/subscribe