In today’s episode, I answer a question about surviving a husband’s rage while still in the home and preparing to leave. I want to share insights on coping strategies, the importance of unhooking from an abuser’s words, and how to create a safety plan. If you're living in survival mode, this episode offers encouragement and practical steps to help you move toward freedom and healing.

Key Takeaways:

• Fear is a natural response to an abusive environment. Trying to "toughen up" emotions to endure abuse is not the solution; rather, finding ways to escape is essential.
• Unhook from his words. An abuser’s insults and accusations are projections of their own delusions, not reflections of your worth.
• Abusers see their victims as LEGO characters. They create a false narrative about who you are and expect you to conform. Recognizing this can help you detach emotionally.
• Radical acceptance is necessary. Understand that an abusive partner does not want genuine connection—only control and transaction.
• Survival mode is not living. Every day you endure abuse is survival, but true healing comes from stepping into a life of freedom.
• You deserve a future beyond survival. Healing is possible, and there are communities and resources to help you move forward.

Read the show notes and/or ask Natalie a question here

Related Resources:

• Need a resource to help you as you unhook? Check out my interview with the founder of the app, Aimee Says, and then try it out for yourself!
• Want a free chapter of my book, “Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage”? Sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send a copy straight to your inbox.

Have you ever felt like you don’t belong anywhere—like you’re floating between worlds, disconnected from faith, family, or community? You’re not alone. In this episode, we dive into a powerful shift happening in Christianity, where people are seeking belonging before belief. But what happens when you feel like you don’t belong anywhere? We unravel the truth about belonging, challenge the cages we’ve been taught to stay in, and explore what it really means to be free. If you’ve ever questioned your place in the world, this personal message from me to my private community might just change everything. (Yes, I'm giving you a little taste of working with me inside the Kaleidoscope!)

I'd love to mentor you! Join me inside Flying Higher!

In today’s episode, I explore the complex question: Is divorce worth it? For women who have endured long-term emotional and psychological abuse in marriage, this decision is often fraught with fear, confusion, and uncertainty.

I examine the disadvantages of staying in an abusive relationship, as well as the significant challenges faced during and after the divorce process. With thought-provoking questions and practical insights, this episode will help you assess whether leaving your marriage is the right choice for you. If you're feeling trapped and looking for clarity, support, and a path forward, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways:

• The emotional and psychological toll of staying in an abusive marriage.
• Physical and financial disadvantages of staying.
• Social and legal challenges of remaining in abuse.
• The harsh reality of divorce.
• Life after divorce—the path to healing.
• Guiding questions to determine if divorce is the right choice for you.

Read the show notes and/or ask Natalie a question here

Related Resources:

• Check out my interview with the founder of the app, Aimee Says, and then try it out for yourself!
• Read the article I mentioned, “How to Leave an Emotionally Abusive Relationship: 10 Steps.”
• Are you wondering what is happening inside your own painful and confusing marriage? I wrote a book just for you called Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse.
• My book, All the Scary Little Gods, is a spiritual memoir about healing from religious trauma and toxic programming.
• Flying Free is our online community educating and supporting Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages. Whether you want to stay in your marriage or leave, we want to equip you through this program.
• Flying Higher is my live mentorship program for any Christian woman interested in 10Xing their self-development progress.

What if the real problem isn’t the messy room, the frustrating coworker, or the difficult conversation—but the lens you’re seeing it through? In this episode, we dive into the story of Sarah, a mom who transformed her daily frustration by shifting her perspective using the CLEAR model. If you’re ready to reclaim your peace—without waiting for anyone else to change (because we all know THAT ain't happenin')—this episode is for you!
Join me and hundreds of other Christian women leveling it up in my affordable live mentorship program, Flying Higher!

In this eye-opening episode, Natalie shares her personal story of spiritual abuse and excommunication, offering a powerful backdrop for her conversation with author and spiritual consultant, Remy Diederich. Together, they delve into the dynamics of toxic faith, spiritual abuse, and how unhealthy church cultures can harm individuals and families.

Remy, the author of Broken Trust, shares insights from his decades of ministry experience and his passion for helping people heal from spiritual abuse. Whether you're grappling with toxic religious environments or recovering from years of harmful teachings, this episode offers hope, practical advice, and a fresh perspective.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding Spiritual Abuse: Spiritual abuse often involves toxic leadership that weaponizes faith to control, manipulate, or shame individuals.
• Toxic Faith vs. Spiritual Abuse: Toxic faith is the belief that you must perform or meet certain standards to please God, while spiritual abuse occurs when leaders use those beliefs to exploit or control others.
• The Impact of Spiritual Abuse on Relationships: Abuse within churches often mirrors abusive dynamics in families, leading to distrust, division, and confusion.
• Healing from Spiritual Abuse: Recovery begins with identifying harmful patterns, stepping away if necessary, and seeking support through books, therapy, and supportive communities.
• The Power of Questioning Toxic Narratives: It’s okay to question teachings and leaders. Faith flourishes when it’s rooted in personal connection with God, not human-made rules.

Read the show notes and/or ask Natalie a question here

Related Resources:

• Read one (or all) of Remy’s books: Broken Trust, Healing the Hurts of Your Past, Return From Exile, and Stuck are some of my favorites.
• Connect with Remy on his site.
• Go visit Remy over on YouTube.
• Email Remy at remy@readingremy.com to request an audiobook code (limited supply).
• Check out Be Emboldened for support as you recover from spiritual abuse.
• Related article and episode: “Bethlehem Baptist Church Is Not Safe for Emotionally Abused Women,” and “Is Your Church Safe?”
• Are you wondering what is happening inside your own painful and confusing marriage? I wrote a book just for you called Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse.
• My book, All the Scary Little Gods, is a spiritual memoir about healing from religious trauma and toxic programming.
• Flying Free is our online community educating and supporting Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages. Whether you want to stay in your marriage or leave, we want to equip you through this program.
• Flying Higher is my live mentorship program for any Christian woman interested in 10Xing their self-development progress.

Remy is a seasoned pastor and spiritual consultant with a heart for helping others overcome life's challenges. Over his three decades of ministry, he's authored six books that offer practical guidance and spiritual support for those seeking healing and connection to God. Remy's expertise extends beyond the pulpit. He's spent 24 years as a spiritual consultant at an addiction treatment center, where he's witnessed firsthand the transformative power of faith and hope. Today, Remy dedicates his time to empowering pastors to build healthy church cultures and coaching individuals on the themes of his books. A lifelong resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Remy is married with three adult children. His passion for helping others shines through in his writing, speaking, and counseling.

If you’ve ever side-eyed church culture and thought, “This can’t be what Jesus had in mind,” you’re not alone. In this episode, we dig into Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass and talk about why the old way of doing church is crumbling—and why that’s actually good news. If you’re tired of toxic religion but still crave something real, this conversation will give you hope, validation, and maybe even a little fire to keep going.

Join the Flying Higher Butterflies as we study the Bible, read books together, coach, and do classes in a live mentorship online setting each week!

In this episode of the Flying Free Podcast, I address a listener's heartfelt question about how to talk to a three-year-old child about an abusive father while navigating divorce proceedings. I provide insights on child development, emotional regulation, and practical strategies to support both mother and child through this challenging transition. I also share ways to document healthy parenting for court proceedings and offer encouragement for mothers seeking to break generational cycles of abuse.

Key Takeaways:

• Developmental understanding of a three-year-old
• How to talk to a toddler about divorce without alienation
• Normalizing divorce for kids
• Navigating court and custody challenges
• Prioritizing self-care and healing

Read the show notes and/or ask Natalie a question here

Related Resources:

• Your local library. Check out books about divorce for kids to normalize the situation for them—for free!
• Recommended episodes: “When Coercively Controlling Fathers Sabotage Mothers’ Relationships With Their Children,” “Raising Resilient Kids Even if Your Co-Parent Is Destructive,” and “Help Your Kids Overcome Trauma from Abuse and Divorce.”
• Are you wondering what is happening inside your own painful and confusing marriage? I wrote a book just for you called Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse.
• My book, All the Scary Little Gods, is a spiritual memoir about healing from religious trauma and toxic programming.
• Flying Free is our online community educating and supporting Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages. Whether you want to stay in your marriage or leave, we want to equip you through this program.
• Flying Higher is my live mentorship program for any Christian woman interested in 10Xing their self-development progress.

In this thought-provoking episode of the Flying Free Podcast, I sit down with author and essayist Liz Charlotte Grant to explore the complexities of faith, scripture, and healing after spiritual trauma. Liz’s debut book, Knock at the Sky, delves into the questions many of us grapple with during deconstruction and offers an artistic, fresh approach to reading the Bible.

If you’ve ever felt disillusioned by literal interpretations of scripture or struggled to reconcile the Bible with the harm inflicted by its misuse, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways:

1. Faith as a Journey, Not a Destination
   • Liz encourages listeners to embrace uncertainty and approach the Bible with curiosity rather than fear.
   • Faith isn't about having all the answers; it's about walking into the unknown with Jesus as your anchor.
2. Permission to Wrestle and Question
   • Deconstruction doesn’t signal a loss of faith but rather an act of trust. Asking questions shows a desire for authenticity in our relationship with God.
3. Survivor-Centric Bible Reading
   • Survivors of spiritual abuse can reclaim agency by approaching scripture in ways that feel safe and healing. It’s okay to prioritize certain passages while setting others aside.
4. Diverse Perspectives Enrich Understanding
   • Liz emphasizes the value of exploring interpretations from scholars across cultures and disciplines to deepen our understanding of scripture.

Read the show notes and/or ask Natalie a question here

Related Resources:

• Liz Charlotte Grant’s book: Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible
• Liz Charlotte’s website: lizcharlottegrant.com
• Follow Liz Charlotte on Instagram
• Recommended episodes: Episode 283, “A Closer Look at Spiritual Abuse,” and Episode 291, “The Deconstruction Books That Have Changed and Healed My Relationship with God.”
• Are you wondering what is happening inside your own painful and confusing marriage? I wrote a book just for you called Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse.
• My book, All the Scary Little Gods, is a spiritual memoir about healing from religious trauma and toxic programming.
• Flying Free is our online community educating and supporting Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages. Whether you want to stay in your marriage or leave, we want to equip you through this program.
• Flying Higher is my live mentorship program for any Christian woman interested in 10Xing their self-development progress.

Liz Charlotte Grant is an award-winning essayist whose first book, Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible, released in January 2025. She explores a wide range of ideas in her writing, including exploring the heartbreak of Elisabeth Elliot's third marriage, her own surprise disability, and the discovery of dark matter.