The Awakening Podcast

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

The Awakening Podcast is a religion podcast hosted by Heather Foy, with 49 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Heather Foy hosts The Awakening Podcast, a religion show with 49 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #51

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

  Sep 30, 20261h 3mS1

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

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  Episode #50

  Dean Kreuger - Community Doesn't Belong To The Church

  Sep 23, 20261h 9mS1

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

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  Episode #49

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

  Sep 9, 20261h 14mS1

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

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  Episode #48

  David Deane Haskell - The Truth Behind The Fiction

  Sep 2, 202655 minS1

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

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• 

  Episode #47

  Ann Russo - From Seminary To Survivor Advocate, Building A Model For Healing

  Aug 26, 202658 minS1

  Content Note: This episode includes discussion of religious trauma, LGBTQIA+ religious harm, purity culture, and the psychological impact of high-control religious environments. This week on The Awakening, Tamara and I sit down with Ann Russo, LCSW — licensed therapist, theologian, founder of AMR Therapy, and creator of the Religious Trauma Treatment Model — for a conversation that is equal parts personal, clinical, and deeply necessary. Ann's story is one we haven't heard before on this show. She didn't grow up inside the church — she grew up in a non-believing, queer household and found her way into Christian faith on her own terms. But when she discovered her own queerness, the faith she had chosen rejected her. Rather than simply walk away, Ann did something remarkable — she leaned in harder. She went to seminary. She studied theology. She wanted to understand exactly what this system was, how it worked, and what it did to people. What came out of that journey wasn't a return to faith — it was a framework. Ann developed the Religious Trauma Treatment Model, a groundbreaking clinical framework that equips mental health professionals with tools to help clients heal from the psychological and spiritual wounds of high-control religious systems, reclaiming autonomy, self-worth, and meaning. (AATBS) Her forthcoming book on religious trauma recovery will be published by PESI in 2027 — and in this conversation she gives us a glimpse of what's inside it and what she hopes it will do for survivors and the clinicians who serve them. (AMR Therapy) This is a conversation about what it means to turn your own wounds into a roadmap for healing — and to build the infrastructure so no one else has to figure it out alone. In This Episode, We Discuss: • Growing up in a non-believing, queer household and choosing faith • Discovering her queerness — and having faith reject her • Going to seminary to understand the system from the inside • How that journey led to creating the Religious Trauma Treatment Model • What religious trauma actually is — and why it is valid • AMR Therapy and the work of affirming, trauma-informed care • Her forthcoming book and what she hopes it will accomplish • Resources available right now for religious trauma survivors Connect with Ann Russo: Website: https://www.annrusso.org AMR Therapy: https://www.amrtherapy.com ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@annrussolcsw Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annrussolcswtheo Forthcoming book on Religious Trauma Recovery — publishing 2027 via PESI Resources for Survivors: If you are navigating religious trauma and looking for support, Ann's work is a great place to start: https://www.annrusso.org Secular Therapy Project: https://www.seculartherapy.org Recovering from Religion Helpline: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/hotline Connect with Your Hosts: Heather: https://linktr.ee/Happyheathersmiles Tamara: TikTok @feralatheistjezebel321 | Instagram @tamarajo321 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningPodcast-w6s Be a guest: theawakeningpod@gmail.com If you have ever been told that what the church did to you wasn't that bad — this episode is your permission slip to disagree. Religious trauma is real. It lives in your body, your relationships, and the way you move through the world. And there are people who have built their entire life's work around helping you heal from it. You deserve that help. You belong here. If you like what you here, check out other great pods on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! Barrett and Zac host The All About Nothing: Podcast , discussing everything from news and politics to entertainment and sports! All About Nothing, but All About Something too! Zac  and  Barrett  host  What The Pod Was That  with  Cari Simmons , available everywhere you listen to podcasts. Take a deep dive down the rabbit hole with  Amii  on the pod  Welcome to Wonder Land . Check out  Black White and Blue In the South , With Dr. Jumelle Brooks and Bill Kimler! Politically Speaking with Erica Sampson, Kirsten Pruitt, and Emily Mayer is a sharp, engaging podcast breaking down politics with insight, wit, and a fresh perspective. The Preach Jacobs Podcast is hosted by Columbia South Carolina's very own Ambassador, Hiphop Artist, Columnist and Owner of SoulHAUS Art Gallery, Preach Jacobs! All of these fantastic podcasts can be found on the BIG Media LLC Podcast Network! FAIR USE COPYRIGHT NOTICE The Copyright Laws of the United States recognize a "fair use" of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 106 AND 106A, THE FAIR USE OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK, INCLUDING SUCH USE BY REPRODUCTION IN COPIES OR PHONO RECORDS OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS SPECIFIED BY THAT SECTION, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING (INCLUDING MULTIPLE COPIES FOR CLASSROOM USE), SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH, IS NOT AN INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. This Video/Audio in general may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyright holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above. If you have any specific concerns about this usage, or our position on the Fair Use Defense, please contact us at preachjacobs@gmail.com so we can discuss amicably. Thank you. Mentioned in this episode: BIG Media LLC Copyright 2026 BIG Media

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