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Do you love God—but feel like you’re slowly drifting away from Him, and you don’t know why? Are you scared that questioning your church—or your faith—might mean losing everything you love? Do you constantly second-guess your emotions, your voice, even your own intuition—wondering if you’re the problem? Are you exhausted from trying to be good enough, faithful enough, spiritual enough… and still feeling like you fall short? Do you feel spiritually homeless—longing for a safe space where you can be honest, messy, and still welcomed with open arms?
If that all sounds a little too familiar, take a deep breath. You’ve found a place to land.
Healing Religious Trauma is a podcast designed to help you:
1. Rebuild your relationship with a safe, loving God.
2. Feel emotionally and spiritually safe enough to ask honest questions.
3. Hear God’s voice for yourself—without fear, shame, or outside filters.
4. Let go of guilt and reclaim your voice, your worth, and your inner peace.
5. Find a gentle, supportive space where spiritual transformation and healing are real and faith still matters.
Hi, I’m Debra.
A woman of faith who spent decades trying to earn God’s love by doing everything “right.” I was the helper, the volunteer, the spiritual overachiever. But underneath all the striving, I felt disconnected—from God, from myself, and from the woman I longed to be.
Like so many of the women I now serve, I kept trying to pray harder, serve more, and fix myself—hoping the fog would lift, the guilt would fade, and I’d finally feel close to God’s love again. But none of it worked.
What changed?
I finally realized that it wasn’t my faith that was failing—it was the version of it I’d been handed. The one rooted in fear, control, and silence. So I started to untangle the lies, listen for God’s true voice, and walk in the kind of healing that leads to spiritual freedom—not fear.
And the outcome?
I created the kind of compassionate, honest, Spirit-led healing journey I couldn’t find anywhere else. One that doesn’t ask you to throw everything away—just to lay down what was never yours to carry. And that’s exactly why this podcast was born.
If you’re ready to untangle what’s been keeping you stuck—and find real, spiritual healing that doesn’t ask you to lose your faith in the process—this podcast is for you.
Each episode will help you rebuild your trust in God, rest from spiritual performance, and rediscover the voice you were never meant to silence.
You’ll hear real stories, soul-grounded teaching, and healing truths rooted in compassion and true connection.
You can't heal what you can't name.
Take the Quiz – Uncover which of the 12 Hidden Aftershocks of religious trauma are keeping you stuck—and get your FREE Essentials Starter Kit: my book, mini-course, reading circle, and community of women who get it. ReligiousTraumaQuiz.com
Join the Coming Home Journey – Go from stuck to free. From exile to home. Find your voice, heal your faith, and finally feel close to God again. Six months of group coaching through the 5 Phases of Healing. TheComingHomeJourney.com
No perfection required. Just bring your questions and your favorite tea. This space was made to feel like home.
ABOUT
Debra Shafer is a spiritual healing coach for Christian women and the creator of the Coming Home Journey—a gentle, soul-level pathway to help women untangle religious trauma, rebuild trust in God, and find peace without walking away from their faith. As the founder of the Healing Religious Trauma Circle, Debra brings together decades of experience in personal ministry, Biblical psychology, and trauma-informed mentoring. She knows what it’s like to love God deeply while wrestling with fear, shame, and silence. Known for her voice of gentle clarity, healing, and truth, she now walks women home to the God they always hoped was real. Around here, the tea is hot, the wisdom is hard-won, and no question is off limits.
Episodes
Wednesday Aug 13, 2025
Wednesday Aug 13, 2025
Have you ever walked away from church feeling heavy and confused—then immediately told yourself, "I'm probably just being too sensitive?"
If you've ever felt that spiritual discomfort but didn't have words for it, this episode is your gentle awakening call.
In this foundational conversation, Debra shares her own powerful story of finally finding language for her experience—that life-changing moment when her daughter sent a video that made everything click. Through tender storytelling and compassionate teaching, you'll discover why one in three adults carry religious trauma, yet most Christian women don't even recognize it's what they're experiencing.
This isn't about extreme cases you see on the news. It's about the subtle, quiet ways spiritual harm can happen—and why your sensitivity might actually be picking up on something that really was wrong.
In this episode, you'll discover: → What religious trauma actually looks like for faithful Christian women
→ Why we've been taught to blame ourselves instead of recognizing harmful patterns
→ The difference between God's loving conviction and the voice of condemnation
→ How to start trusting your inner compass again—without fear
→ Why questioning doesn't make you rebellious (it makes you brave)
The truth that will change everything: You can't heal what you can't name. Once you have language for your experience, everything can start to shift.
Action Step: Pay attention to how different spiritual messages make you feel in your body. Does this make you feel closer to God or farther away? Does it leave you with hope or with shame?
Healing Truth: Your confusion isn't rebellion. Your questions aren't lack of faith. Often, it's your soul recognizing that something claiming to represent God was actually misrepresenting Him.
🎧 Ready to go deeper?
→ Take the free quiz at ReligiousTraumaQuiz.com to discover your personalized healing path and get a bonus 3-part audio series
→ Grab your copy of He Is Enough at HeIsEnoughBook.com — your redemptive memoir and healing guide plus audiobook, mini-course, weekly reading circles, and support community for just $17
Have questions or want to connect?
Email Debra at: debra@healingreligioustrauma.org
Listener Love: If this episode helped you feel less alone, would you share it with someone who needs this gentle truth? And a quick review on Apple Podcasts is like a virtual hug that helps more women find their way here.
This isn't surface-level faith advice. It's soul-level restoration—designed for Christian women healing from religious trauma who long for inner peace, true connection with God, and the freedom to ask honest questions without fear.
Research Referenced: Slade, D., Smell, A., Wilson, E., & Drumsta, R. (2023). Percentage of U.S. adults suffering from religious trauma: A sociological study. Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry, 5(1), 1-28.
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Have you ever felt like healing made you the problem?
Like setting a boundary, asking a question, or even just taking a breath for yourself meant you were somehow being disloyal—to your church, your family, or even to God?
If so, this episode was made for you.
In today’s conversation, Debra shares a personal story of what it felt like to begin healing in an environment that didn’t make space for her needs, her grief, or her voice—and how she overcame the fear that her healing would cost her everything. Through heartfelt storytelling and gentle teaching, you’ll discover why this tug-of-war between guilt and growth is so common for women of faith… and why it’s not a sign that you’re falling away—but a sign that you’re waking up.
You’re not betraying your roots.
You’re returning to the truth of who God created you to be.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
→ Why obedience was often equated with silence—and how to reclaim your voice
→ How “faithfulness” was distorted into self-abandonment
→ Why healing doesn’t mean dishonoring the people you love
→ What Jesus actually modeled about restoration, boundaries, and love
→ How to begin trusting your own inner compass—without fear
Journal Prompt:
What part of me is afraid that healing will cost me love or approval?
🎧 Mentioned in this episode:
→ Take the free quiz at ReligiousTraumaQuiz.com to discover where you are in your healing journey and what’s been holding you back
→ Grab your copy of He Is Enough at HeIsEnoughBook.com — and get instant access to the audiobook, healing mini-course, weekly reading circles, and our support community for just $17
Listener Love:
If this episode spoke to your heart, would you share it with someone else who needs it?
And if you’re willing, a quick review on Apple Podcasts helps more women find this space and feel a little less alone. 💛
This isn’t surface-level faith advice.
It’s soul-level restoration — designed for Christian women healing from religious trauma who long for inner peace, true connection, and a safe, loving relationship with God.
Wednesday Jul 30, 2025
Wednesday Jul 30, 2025
What do you do when the very place that taught you to trust God…
is also the place that made you afraid of Him?
If you’ve ever felt torn between your love for God and your fear of being hurt again — this episode is for you.
In today’s conversation, we’re stepping into one of the most tender questions:
Can I trust God again… after what happened?
You’ll hear a deeply personal moment from my own journey — a time when I couldn’t pray, couldn’t open my Bible, and didn’t know who I was anymore. But it was in that quiet wilderness that something sacred began to shift. One raw, honest prayer became the doorway to restoration.
You’ll learn:
– Why spiritual trauma doesn’t mean you’ve lost your faith — but it may have damaged your sense of safety with God
– The 3 gentle steps that helped me begin rebuilding trust without pressure, performance, or pretending
– How to create space for spiritual connection that honors your emotions, your pace, and your healing
– A journal prompt to help you begin separating God’s true voice from the voices that wounded you
Then we’ll explore three key steps for rebuilding trust in God after spiritual harm:
Step 1: Separate God from those who misrepresented Him
Step 2: Reconnect through safe, non-performative rhythms
Step 3: Let your emotions become part of your faith — not barriers to it
This isn’t about returning to old patterns or forcing belief you no longer feel.
It’s about creating a new foundation — one rooted in truth, tenderness, and spiritual safety.
And by the end, I’ll share three healing truths to carry into your week:
✨ You don’t have to rush trust.
✨ You’re allowed to bring your grief into your faith.
✨ God never asked you to shrink to be loved.
🎧 Mentioned in this episode:
→ Take the free quiz at ReligiousTraumaQuiz.com to discover where you are in your healing journey and what’s been holding you back
→ Grab your copy of He Is Enough at HeIsEnoughBook.com — and get instant access to the audiobook, healing mini-course, weekly reading circles, and our support community for just $17
This isn’t surface-level faith advice.
It’s soul-level restoration — designed for Christian women healing from religious trauma who long for inner peace, true connection, and a safe, loving relationship with God.
Tuesday Jul 22, 2025
Tuesday Jul 22, 2025
You love God. You've stayed faithful.
But something inside still feels broken, heavy… or lost.
And no one ever told you why.
In this episode, we're naming it.
This is the conversation so many Christian women never knew they needed — the one that finally gives you language for the silent struggles shaping your faith, your voice, and your sense of self.
You'll hear a raw, honest story about what happens when the life you built around service, devotion, and faithfulness… suddenly collapses. When everything you believed gets shattered — and you begin to wonder: Did I ever really matter?
Through lived experience and heart-centered teaching, Debra introduces a powerful framework called the 12 Hidden Barriers of Religious Trauma — the invisible beliefs that take root when spiritual harm is internalized as personal failure.
Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
– What the Hidden Barriers actually are — and how they silently form through shame, silence, and fear
– Why being “faithful” hasn’t healed the ache underneath
– How to recognize the invisible beliefs keeping you stuck in spiritual self-doubt
– And why naming what’s been true for you is the first step toward freedom
Then we’ll take a gentle, powerful look at three of the most common hidden barriers women carry:
💔 “I’m Invisible” — the feeling that your worth is tied to how well you serve, not who you are
💔 “I Don’t Matter” — the belief that your pain is a burden, and your needs come last
💔 “I Don’t Belong” — the ache of feeling spiritually homeless, even in a place that preaches belonging
If you’ve ever wrestled with those messages quietly in your heart — wondering if it was just you — this episode will help you name what’s actually been happening underneath your faithfulness.
And it will leave you with this:
A new question to explore in your journal
A deeper truth to plant in your spirit
And the hope that your healing is not the loss of your faith — it’s the recovery of everything it was always meant to be
You are seen.
You do matter.
You do belong.
🎧 Mentioned in this episode:
→ Take the free quiz at ReligiousTraumaQuiz.com to discover where you are in your healing journey and what’s been holding you back
→ Grab your copy of He Is Enough at HeIsEnoughBook.com — and receive the audiobook, mini-course, weekly reading circles, and private support community for just $17
This isn’t surface-level faith advice.
It’s soul-level restoration—designed for Christian women healing from religious trauma who long for inner peace, true connection, and a safe, loving relationship with God.
Thursday Jul 10, 2025
Thursday Jul 10, 2025
Have you ever walked out of a church service feeling anxious, heavy, or deeply unsettled—then immediately told yourself, “Maybe I’m just too sensitive?”
In this very first episode, I share a tender piece of my own story—about being shamed for my God-given enthusiasm—and the moment I finally realized I didn’t need to become smaller… I needed a bigger container.
We’ll unpack how spiritual sensitivity can actually be a sign of past religious trauma—not a flaw in your faith. I’ll walk you through 3 subtle but powerful signs that what you’re carrying may be more than just overreacting:
– When your emotions feel too big, even in “safe” spiritual spaces
– When you blame yourself for not having enough faith
– When rest, boundaries, or honest questions trigger fear or shame
By the end, you’ll understand the difference between spiritual conviction and internalized shame—and begin to gently name what’s been hurting underneath it all.
Journal Prompt: What have I been blaming on my sensitivity… that might actually be a wound?
Healing Truth: You are held, seen, and protected by a God who never needed you to shrink.
Grab your copy of He Is Enough — my redemptive memoir and workbook-style healing guide for Christian women recovering from religious trauma: HeIsEnoughBook.com
Take the free From Pain to Possibility Quiz and discover your personalized healing path (plus get a bonus 3-part audio series): ReligiousTraumaQuiz.com
This isn’t surface-level faith advice.
It’s soul-level restoration—designed for Christian women healing from religious trauma who long for inner peace, true connection, and a safe, loving relationship with God.
Wednesday Jun 25, 2025
Wednesday Jun 25, 2025
Do you love God… but still feel anxious, disconnected, or confused around your faith? Are you a Christian woman who’s stayed faithful—but deep down, something still feels off?
You’re not alone.
In this heartfelt introduction to Healing Religious Trauma, spiritual healing coach Debra Shafer shares why this podcast was created—and what it means to begin healing without walking away from your faith.
This trailer isn’t just a preview. It’s a personal welcome. A soft place to land. A reminder that you're not crazy, not rebellious, and not broken for wanting more from your relationship with God.
Debra shares her own story of feeling spiritually homeless, holding it all together on the outside while unraveling on the inside—and what helped her finally begin to heal.
She also introduces some of the powerful tools you’ll hear more about in future episodes, including:
→ The 12 Hidden Barriers of Religious Trauma that keep even the most faithful women stuck
→ The 3 Healing Pillars and 12 Milestones of the Coming Home Journey
→ The 5 Stages of Spiritual Healing—from safety and self-awareness to breakthrough and wholeness
→ And a compassionate path forward rooted in Scripture, trauma-informed coaching, and embodied grace
Take a deep breath. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Start Here →Take the free quiz: From Pain to Possibility – Unraveling Religious Trauma Quiz
or go to RELIGIOUSTRAUMAQUIZ.COM
Discover how religious trauma may be affecting your life—and receive your personalized healing blueprint + bonus 3-part audio series.
Want to go deeper?
Do you want to unravel your trauma, instill the real truth, and create a new story for your life—one that finally brings peace with God, yourself, and your faith?
He Is Enough is my transformational memoir and spiritual healing workbook, created for Christian women who are tired of pretending, shrinking, or performing their way to peace.
Inside, I share my own story of healing from religious trauma and spiritual abuse—while gently guiding you through your own.
This 168-page full-color book includes:
→ Reflective journal prompts to help you process what you’re feeling
→ Personal self-assessments to uncover how trauma has shaped your faith
→ Real-life case studies from other women on the path to restoration
→ And a tender but powerful invitation to begin healing, one layer at a time
You’ll also learn about the 12 Hidden Barriers of Religious Trauma that kept me stuck for years—and how God led me step-by-step to reclaim truth, peace, and a deeper relationship with Him.
🎁 For just $17, you’ll receive:
→ He is Enough Digital E-Book
→ The complete audiobook (read by me)
→ A 3-part mini-course: Truth Over Tradition
→ Live Reading Circle invites + bonus healing tools
→ Access to the Healing Religious Trauma Circle—a private community of women walking this journey together
Get the book & bonuses for $17
or go to: HEISENOUGHBOOK.COM
You don’t have to heal alone.
This is a safe place to begin.
This isn’t surface-level faith advice.
It’s soul-level restoration—designed for Christian women healing from religious trauma who long for inner peace, true connection, and a safe, loving relationship with God.