Who is Fiona?
Fiona, best known for her Instagram account @justcurious.au, where she talks about leaving high control religion. Raised Pentecostal and the only a few years ago had devoted every part of her life to the church. She is now navigating the healing from religious trauma.
Episode Summary
Fiona talks about being raised in both a Pentecostal family and church, she then explains that this was her normal.
We discuss the role of indoctrination on her childhood, and the grief around the lack of informed consent.
We discuss the role of spiritual bypassing within the church and how forgiveness is often weaponised towards vulnerable people.
Fiona shares about how her Pastor used prayer and listening to God to manipulate and gaslight her.
We explore the lasting impact of not trusting yourself, denying yourself and not put in boundaries.
Fiona shares about the anxiety around ensuring your plans and God’s plans lined up. Fiona felt too afraid to make decisions and we explore the lack of critical thinking within the church.
Fiona shared the painful reality around leaving church and the grief over lost relationships and the realisation of transactional belonging.
We explored the impact of leaving church and explore the impact on her family relationships and we discuss how it impacted her whole life.
I ask Fiona what her sense of spirituality looks like now.
Finally, Fiona answers the question “what would you say to someone fresh in their deconstruction?”
Links
To connect with Fiona over on Instagram - @justcurious.au
To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
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