PODCAST · business
Reclamation: A beEmboldened Initiative
by beEmboldened
We exist for those impacted by religious trauma by providing support for prevention of victimization and revictimization, creating a safe space to ask questions and to heal.
Episodes
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101. How the Fear of the Lord Protects Against Spiritual Abuse
What does the Bible mean by “the fear of the Lord”? And how can a right understanding of it protect against spiritual abuse instead of enabling it? In this conversation, Lee Anderson and Naomi Wright discuss how abusive leaders misuse spiritual authority, why fear of the Lord should lead to...
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100. Spiritual Abuse & Cover-Up Culture: Warning Signs Every Christian Should Know
What does cover-up culture in churches actually look like—and how can survivors recognize it? In this conversation, 3 of beEmboldened's mentoring team – Naomi Wright, Anna Kitko, and Therese Grieco – come together to discuss the warning signs of spiritual bypassing, NDAs in ministry settings,...
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99. Escaping Narcissistic Systems: How to Identify and Heal from Toxic Organizations w/ Josh Berger
Can a church or an organization become a narcissistic system? This eye-opening episode dives into how to recognize, confront, and heal from spiritual and emotional abuse inside communities that control, manipulate, and harm in the name of faith or “purpose.” Together with Josh Berger, we explore:...
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98. Should Christians Keep the Torah? Hebrew Roots Movement & Spiritual Abuse w/ R. L. Solberg
Should Christians Keep the Torah? In this episode of Reclamation, Naomi talks with apologist and professor R. L. Solberg about the Hebrew Roots Movement (Torahism)—what it teaches, why it’s spreading, and how it can slip into high-control or spiritually abusive patterns. Together, they consider…
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97. Narcissism, Spiritual Abuse, and Healing: A Deep Dive with Josh Berger
In this powerful conversation, Naomi sits down with licensed counselor Josh Berger from Rivers Edge Counseling and Wellness to unpack narcissism, spiritual abuse, and the path toward healing. Together, they explore how narcissism develops, the difference between traits and diagnosable NPD, the...
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96. Exposing Deliverance Ministry: Clinical Harm, Spiritual Confusion, and a New Path Forward
Deliverance ministries promise freedom—but at what cost? In this eye-opening conversation, Naomi sits down with clinical apologist Anna Kitko to unpack the real damage caused by deliverance ministries and the flawed theology behind them. Anna shares insights from her UK-based master's research,...
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95. Forgiveness Without Repentance? Rethinking What the Bible Really Says
Is forgiveness without repentance biblical? What if someone never says they’re sorry? What if you’re told to “just forgive” and move on? In this bold and deeply clarifying conversation, Naomi sits down with author and Bible teacher Vee Chandler to discuss what Scripture actually teaches about...
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94. From Cult Control to Freedom: Blake’s Story of Leaving Spiritual Abuse
In this deeply personal survivor story, Naomi Wright sits down with Blake, who opens up about his journey through spiritual abuse, cult dynamics, and finding freedom after leaving a high-control religious group. From his upbringing in the Worldwide Church of God to a more radical offshoot with...
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93. Mental Health, Faith, and the Church | A Conversation with Bobby Conway.
Bobby Conway has been a voice in apologetics for years, but did you know he also prioritizes mental health in his church? In this conversation, we discuss his journey, the role of mental health in the church, and the misconceptions many have—especially for those who have experienced spiritual...
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92. bE 2024 Impact & 2025 Vision
Join Founder & Executive Director Naomi Wright and Board Chair Natasha Fish as we share about the impact of 2024 and vision for 2025. ----------------- Support this work by visiting...
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91. Systemic Failure: David Platt and the Hijacking of McLean Bible Church
Join Found & Executive Director Naomi Wright, author/apologist Lindsey Medenwaldt, and Board Chair Natasha Fish as we discuss the systemic failing of David Platt and McLean Bible Church, recently exposed in a free two-part documentary. This documentary explores the currently active, influential,...
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90. Back to School: How to Protect Against Cults Recruiting on College Campuses
Did you know that cults and unhealthy religious groups intentionally target college campuses to recruit followers? If you are a college student or have students going to college this fall, join Founder and Executive Director, Naomi Wright, and author/apologist, Lindsey Medenwaldt, for this back…
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89. From Cult Leader to Truth Teller: Charles' Journey of Courage and Transformation
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we explore the powerful story of leaving a cult through the eyes of a former leader. Charles, a leader who has shown remarkable courage and integrity, steps forward to share his journey of truth and transformation. His story offers hope, illustrating…
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88. Word of Faith Unmasked: The Unbiblical Dangers You Need to Know
Join me in a follow-up conversation with Nakita to delve deeper into the theology of the Word of Faith movement. Nakita joined us to discuss the abuse she experienced in a hyper-charismatic church, where Word of Faith theology is common. Explore with us how this belief system impacted her and...
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87. Prophesy & Spiritual Abuse: A Deep Dive with Holly Pivec.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we will talk in-depth about a topic that has been on my mind for some time: prophecy. After reflecting on the subject and ongoing conversations with clients, mentoring participants, and course members, I realized there is much confusion about prophecy…
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86. Considering the Mental Health, Diet, and Exercise Relationship as You Heal
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we welcome back Dr. Robert Dahl for part two of our discussion on the intersection of physical and mental health! 🧠💪 This time, we're diving into the crucial roles of diet and exercise. 🍏🏋️ ----------------- Support this work by visiting...
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85. How Sleep Shapes Your Mental Health: The Essential Connection.
In this insightful two-part series, Dr. Robert Dahl joins us to explore the deep connections between physical and mental health. In this episode, we delve into the critical role of sleep in emotional regulation and discuss essential sleep hygiene practices, especially in our digitally driven…
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84. When MLM Meets the Church: Tami’s Powerful Story.
Today, we're diving into a unique and compelling story that merges faith and business. Our guest shares her experience with a multi-level marketing (MLM) organization intertwined with her church community. 🕊️💼 This conversation illuminates those intersections and offers insights into potential...
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83. Surviving Spiritual Abuse: Erin’s Experience in a Christian Organization.
In this episode of Reclamation Podcast, Naomi is joined by Erin, a courageous survivor sharing her deeply personal story of spiritual abuse within a Christian organization. In this conversation, Erin opens up about the unique aspects of enduring abuse in a faith-based workplace, offering insight...
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82. Spiritual Abuse Survivors: Effective Ways to Offer Support.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we switch things up for a fun and insightful conversation where Naomi will be the interviewee. Join us for this critical discussion on how to effectively and respectfully support survivors of spiritual abuse. We’ll share practical advice and deepen our...
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81. Exploring The Theology of Trauma: A Chat with Laura-Lee.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we dive into Laura Lee's recent presentation on the theology of trauma. This conversation is essential for anyone exploring the complexities of defining trauma and understanding it through a biblical lens. It's a key topic for our work at bE, and we’re...
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80. Surviving poor theology: Nakita's story of Hyper-Charismatic church abuse.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we delve into Nakita's journey within the hyper-charismatic church movement. Join us to explore and learn about the profound ramifications of misguided doctrines, shedding light on their high cost on an individual's mental and spiritual well-being. Some...
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79. Considering the beauty of God's Goodness in every season of life.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, Melanie Beerda graciously shares her journey of healing from abuse as a child and the sequels that it brought to her life. Through this conversation, Melanie reveals how acknowledging and embracing God's goodness amidst life's darkest seasons has...
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78. Deconstruction after spiritual abuse: Does that have to be the outcome?
In this new episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we're honored to host Tim Barnett (@redpenlogic) and Alisa Childers (@alisachilders), authors of the book, The Deconstruction of Christianity. Join our conversation to learn more about the complexities of doubt, examine the nuanced definitions of...
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77. Josh's story: How a youth pastor lost his job for taking a stand against spiritual abuse.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, Josh Klein tells his story of the spiritual abuse he saw and experienced in his position as a youth pastor, which ended in his termination. Don't miss this conversation where he shares his experiences, warning signs, and his thoughts in retrospect....
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76. Radicalization: Is this an issue of specific groups?
In this episode of Reclamation Podcast, we welcome Richard Suttles, who has spent his career working against terrorism, to talk to us about his focus of study: radicalization. Don't miss this exciting and interesting conversation! ---------------- Support this work by visiting...
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75. How to teach our children what is true and what is not.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we are honored to bring back Elizabeth Urbanowicz who has just released her first book, “What Is Truth?” In this exciting conversation we will talk about the importance of equipping our children with critical thinking, asking questions, and being able…
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74. A view of deconstruction in our culture w/ Dr. John Marriott.
After leaving abusive communities, it’s normal to begin a process of discovering what the Bible really teaches. Some call this process "deconstruction". Others have decided to leave their faith altogether and call this process "deconstruction" as well. Who is right? To help us understand this…
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73. How to hold onto faith after a trauma.
When we experience grief and mourning from a trauma (or other situation that causes us pain), we may rethink many things about our faith, or doubts may arise, especially if our grief comes from an experience within the Church. In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we had a very insightful...
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72. Neurofeedback & Trauma: How it can help you.
Please meet Alexandra Roark of Desert Road Ministries! She and Naomi talk to us about Neurofeedback on today’s episode of Reclamation: what it is, how it works, and how it can help us to manage the consequences of trauma. You can't miss this exciting conversation! Check out the links below to…
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71. A conversation on the Old Testament w/ Dr. Rick Hess.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, Dr. Rick Hess joins Naomi to talk about the Old Testament. During this conversation, they discuss Jesus, abuse in the Old Testament, and several OT stories that are typically confusing (and concerning). Dr. Hess is a gem–we hope you enjoy hearing from…
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70. The Bowen's Story: Leaving an abusive community as a couple.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, Naomi welcomed Matt and Tracy Bowen (@thehardworkofhope) to share with us their experience of spiritual abuse, including the challenges they faced as a couple and the journey of finding a healthy community. Don't miss their vulnerable story!...
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69. What is Religious Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
In this episode of Reclamation Podcast, Ale Sanabria (@psicologaalejandrasanabria), Clinical Psychologist, joins Naomi to talk about a reality for many who have experienced spiritual abuse: Religious Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Don't miss this valuable conversation that will bring light to the...
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68. Character over Charisma with Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer.
Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer are the authors of the book Pivot: The Priorities, Practices, and Powers That Can Transform Your Church into a Tov Culture (you might remember them from their first book, “A Church Called Tov”). In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we will focus the...
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67. Holidays & Celebration (and all in the between) with Michael Jones.
Have you considered what your philosophy of celebrating is? Different religious circles can land in different places, but a common thread can be all of the do’s and don’ts (heavy on the don’ts). In this episode, Michael Jones of @InspiringPhilosophy joins us to talk about celebrations, including...
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66. Exploring tactics of abuse in the church with Dr. Wade Mullen.
Dr. Wade Mullen (@wademullen), author of the book "Something's Not Right,” has done extensive research on spiritual abuse through his Ph.D. program. In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, he shares some of what he’s discovered, as well as what he’s learned through his own personal…
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65. Teasi’s Reflections: Five years after experiencing spiritual abuse.
It has been five years since Teasi Cannon experienced spiritual abuse in the church she attended for 23 years. In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, Teasi shares her reflections on how these years have impacted her healing, what helped her through the most difficult times, and some of the...
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64. The intersection of science and faith with Dr. Melissa Cain Travis.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we will be talking about science and faith. This is a topic that I was told a lot of scary things about growing up, and I know that many have experienced similar situations where faith and science have been antagonized. Dr. Melissa Cain Travis joins us…
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63. The Dangers of Deliverance Ministries, with Anna Kitko.
In this episode of Reclamation Podcast, Anna Kitko is back to discuss the topic of mental health and how it can be harmfully affected by unbiblical and dangerous "deliverance" practices. We will discuss boundaries to safeguard against this type of harm and the next steps for someone seeking…
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62. Jennifer's Story: Leaving Extra Standards Behind.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we have a special guest, Jennifer Brallier, who shared details of her story and her experience with spiritual abuse, the journey of studying God's word personally, and the change it continues to have on her life. ---------------- Support this work by...
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61. What is real “masculinity?” with Professor Nancy Pearcey.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we are honored to welcome Professor Nancy Pearcey to talk with us about what this word should represent. Don't miss the facts, statistics, history, and biblical perspective on masculinity. Nancy Pearcey is the author of The Toxic War on Masculinity: How...
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60. Learning to love God with all your mind, with Dr. Paul Gould.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we invited Dr. Paul Gould to talk about the role of our minds in loving God and reading the Bible. If you were in a high control group, freely using your mind was probably discouraged, so this can be a totally new concept. Whether your spiritual abuse...
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59. IBLP and "Fundamentalism": Does this portray Christianity?
In this episode, Naomi and Cat join us to talk about the docuseries Happy Shiny People, created by Amazon Prime and released a few weeks ago. They took a wider lens and looked at the bigger issues present within IBLP and Bill Gothard’s teachings, which can also be found in so many other…
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58. Content Binging: A discussion about pros, cons and tips.
We keep getting hit with the docuseries about cults: new cults, past cults, both in and out of the religious arena. It’s a big area of interest for a mass number of people, and there are pros to this, but how does consuming lots of content of this nature affect you? In this conversation with Cat...
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57. Policies & Spiritual Abuse: Safeguarding our organizations.
In this episode of the Reclamation Podcast, we are honored to speak with Melodie Bissell, founder of Plan To Protect (@plantoprotect), about the importance of having proper policies in church and parachurch organizations for addressing and preventing spiritual abuse. Content Warning: Sexual Abuse...
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56. Church culture: Why it’s so important with Dr. Scot McKnight.
"I learned it, I practiced it, and then I passed it on to others." This simple line from Dr. Scot McKnight's book “A Church Called Tov” describes how culture happens in any group or organization. Sometimes individuals stick around in hopes of changing a toxic culture into a healthy one, but…
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55. A conversation about the Enneagram with Jay Medenwaldt.
The Enneagram has gained tremendous popularity, even within many churches. Some love it, while others condemn it. So, is the Enneagram something to be afraid of or is there a silver lining? In this episode of Reclamation Podcast, we invite Jay Medenwaldt (who is currently writing a book about…
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54. When holiness is distorted and taken too far.
In today's podcast, Natalie Edmonson from Berean Holiness is joining us to talk about her experience growing up in a Holiness Movement. Her journey to finding the actual teachings of the Bible that eventually led to leaving the group brings vital insights into the danger of adding teachings to…
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53. Confronting the spiritual abuse within the church with Dr. Krueger
In this Podcast, Naomi was pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Kruger to talk about his latest book, Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of spiritual abuse in the church. This book was primarily written for leadership, but it is proving helpful from every angle of the issue. In this conversation…
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52. Derek and Dulce's Story Part 2: Rebuilding after spiritual abuse.
This week Dulce and Derek from "The Honest Messy Life" return to tell us about the impact spiritual abuse had on their family and the personal challenges of leaving their toxic group. In this episode, they also tell us how they have dealt with those challenges and where they are today in their...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
We exist for those impacted by religious trauma by providing support for prevention of victimization and revictimization, creating a safe space to ask questions and to heal.
HOSTED BY
beEmboldened
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