Touchy Subjects Podcast

Follow us on Instagram @letstalktouchysubjects Join the Touchy Subjects Community on Facebook Support us on Buy Me A Coffee This episode was recorded on March 15, 2022. On this episode, we discussed why women holding leadership positions in the church is a touchy subject. On this episode, we shared: Experiences with discrimination as female leaders in the Church Biblical grounds for women to hold high level leadership positions in church How to create space in the Church for women to have a voice for generations to come  About our panel: Rev. Susan “Sue” A. Webley (She/Her/Hers) is an award-winning ordained minister and entrepreneur on a mission to Encourage, Empower, and Educate. She is an Associate Pastor at Rivers of Living Water Ministries, UCC in NY and NJ, and serves The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries as its National Minister of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. An advocate for the traumatized, ostracized, villainized, and stigmatized, part of Sue's life's work is to help young people -particularly those who exist on the margins - realize their purpose, tap into their Divine-given potential, and embrace their power. Sue is the editor of the anthology At the Table: Words of Faith, Affirmation, and Inspiration for LGBT Believers of Color, created to bring messages of hope, love, acceptance, reconciliation, and restoration to those rejected for walking in their authenticity. Currently, Sue is a student at Chicago Theological Seminary, finishing a Master of Divinity degree. She is in the process of compiling additional installments of the At the Table series along with penning a more personal work, Pushing Past You: From Limitation to Liberation, scheduled for release Winter 2022. Heather is a former pastor/worship leader that hosts the Just A Girl Pastor Podcast and page on Instagram. She has been out of church for almost a year after beginning her deconstruction journey over a decade ago. Her podcast and Instagram page started as a way to process her experience working in church, and her intention is to have conversations and create space for people to share their own stories of church hurt and abuse. Chandrika D. Phea, an ordained reverend, is an outdoor enthusiast, a triathlete, a Wellness Coordinator by profession, and a partner with W. Brand Publishing for the release of her debut book, "Lord, I Don't Want to Die a Christian." In 2005, she graduated Beacon University with a Bachelor's of Arts in Biblical Studies then went on to complete a two-year teaching and missions assignment in China that ultimately revolutionized her life. For fun, Chandrika initiates local events (e.g. Bikes and Breakfast, Melanin Miles & More) providing her community's Black women trustworthy outdoor experiences.

This episode is a part of our Touchy Subjects Takeover series, and we are glad to have Religious Trauma Coach Brad Klausman back on the podcast, this time hosting this episode, To The Pastors That Caused Me Trauma. As we will be discussing a sensitive subject matter on this episode, please be advised that some of this content may be difficult to hear, and we here on the Touchy Subjects Podcast encourage you to care for your safety and wellbeing. This episode details the healing journey of Erin Billings, a former church music director and host/curator of the Touchy Subects Podcast. She will go into detail discussing her experiences with sexual harassment while working in different churches.  Topics we covered: Boundaries needed for church staff interpersonal work relationships How to protect yourself and report inappropriate behavior in the workplace  Red flags to watch for as a staff member working in church How to craft an exit plan to get out of a toxic work environment     About Brad Klausman: Brad Klausman was a pastor for 20+ years and knows the struggles that someone faces before and after deconstruction. Brad helps people recover from religion and successfully achieve their goals and healing. He walks with them through each step of deconstruction and the challenges they will face in all aspects of their life.  Connect with Brad Klausman here. About Erin Billings: Erin is a consultant in the field of audio/visual production. Eringained her expertise working in the music industry for over ten years as a professional musician, music director, and producer working with artists from American Idol, The Voice, and other Grammy Award-winning musicians. As a pastor's kid and church music director for over 15 years, Erin has witnessed great things as well as experienced hard times in church. Because of this, she has started the Touchy Subjects Podcast. Connect with Erin Billings here .

This episode was recorded on October 11, 2021. On this episode, I talked about divorce with Natasha, the digital creator of Growing Up Evangelical, and Brandy Campbell, an empowerment coach that helps high achieving single moms live and parent consciously.  On this episode, we covered: Why divorce is a touchy subject in the Church How churches can approach divorce in a healthy way Best practices for finding healing  About our panel: Natasha is the digital creator of Growing Up Evangelical on Instagram. She is from Philadelphia (born and raised) and currently lives in the Philly suburbs with her wonderful husband, Nick, and adorable dog, Harley. Her current watches are Succession & Real Housewives of New York. And, her favorite pizza toppings are ham and pineapple.  Brandy Campbell is a single mom to her 13 year old son, Aidan & they live in Georgia. After a 15 year career in the banking industry, she decided quit her stressful job to help my son heal from the effects of having divorced parents. She fell into coaching when so many other divorced/married parents were needing help to deeply connect with their children on an emotional level. She spent so many years after divorce struggling to find the best way to help her son heal & process the divorce, and now she gets to share this with so many amazing families going through so much of the same challenges.  Follow us on Instagram @letstalktouchysubjects Join the Touchy Subjects Community on Facebook Support us on Buy Me A Coffee

This episode was recorded on November 16, 2021. On this episode, I talked with Amanda Steadman, an Intuitive, Mind & Energy Detox Specialist, Hypnotherapist & Amazon No1 Best Selling Author and we discussed: What is Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and how can it help people heal? Distinctions between religion and spirituality Best practices for finding healing   Amanda Steadman is an Intuitive, Mind & Energy Detox Specialist, Hypnotherapist & Amazon No1 Best Selling Author. She's been helping clients all over the world eliminate negative programming and energy to create a life unlimited with her unique process for over 20 years. Follow us on Instagram @letstalktouchysubjects Join the Touchy Subjects Community on Facebook  Support us on Buy Me A Coffee 

This is the first episode of our new Touchy Subjects Takeover series, where we have different guests take over the show and discuss topics that have a special meaning to them.  This episode is hosted by Lex Smith, a trauma informed consultant and survivor of human trafficking and Rebecca Bender, CEO of the Rebecca Bender Initiative and founder of Elevate Academy. As we are discussing human trafficking on this episode, please be advised that some of this content may be difficult to hear, and we here on the Touchy Subjects Podcast encourage you to care for your safety and well-being. January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, please check out @letstalktouchysubjects on Instagram or the Touchy Subjects Community Group on Facebook for more information on how you can get involved. Touchy Subjects Podcast Links  About our guests: Lex Smith is a lifelong human rights activist after surviving sexual exploitation her entire childhood and the lifelong effects of that abuse. She is a first-generation college graduate with a degree in Psychology and runs a business as a trauma-informed consultant to those interfacing with survivors of violence.  Relentless in her mission to help others find their purpose, Rebecca Bender is CEO of the Rebecca Bender Initiative and founder of Elevate Academy, the largest online school for survivors of trafficking in the world. An award-winning thought leader, advocate, author and consultant, she educates on many human trafficking related topics and serves the U.S. National Advisory Council, state Dept of Justice Advisory Council, and advises a variety of nonprofits.

This episode was recorded September 9, 2021. On this episode, we covered: The Church's response to the Social Justice Movement How the Church can promote diversity and inclusivity  Introducing our Panel on Social Justice: Rev. Dr. Cecelia GreeneBarr As a life-long follower of Jesus Christ and an active member to congregational ministry, Dr. GreeneBarr loves learning academically and at the tutoring table of the Holy Spirit. She wears the Prophet's mantle that has been crafted by God & is credentialed supernaturally with authentic spiritual authority. She is an instrument sent by God to restore and make ready a people who desire to do great exploits for God. She presents relevant, biblically accurate and prophetically clear lessons that communicate the heart of God and the necessities for developing spiritual depth. Pastor JW Hall J.W. Hall is an associate pastor in the great state of Texas, walking in his passion and calling alongside his incredible wife Kayla and two boys Lendon and Maverick. He has been Pastoring full time vocational for over two years now but has served the church in multiple capacities and ministries across two states for over ten years. Truly living his dream. Donte Massengill Donte is a 30-year-old husband and father. He grew up in Church, and has seen the inner workings of church from the platform, as a musician for the majority of his life.

This episode was recorded for A Deconstructed Holiday Virtual Conference on December 15, 2021. Our guest host was Leigh Adams. On this episode, we discussed: How deconstructing in Black and Brown spaces is different from White spaces How deconstructing looks in different cultures How to implement boundaries around deconstruction in your family     About our panel: Leigh Adams is a learner, a lover of people, a mother, business owner and singer. She enjoys reading, engaging with friends and family, and sharing her journey of the mess that is life. Leigh holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and an MBA specializing in Ethical Leadership. Jo Luehmann is a Colombian born and raised pastor with a masters degree in ministry and theology. Jo speaks and teaches about decolonizing church, theology, spirituality and faith, as well as the importance of dismantling white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism both individually and collectively. Rebeka Jones is a writer, learner, wife, and mother seeking to expand the experience of Jesus beyond the evangelical box.

This episode was recorded on November 30, 2021 in anticipation for our virtual conference, A Deconstructed Holiday. To view this session and other sessions on Healing from Religious Trauma at the Holidays, Creating New Traditions, and more, join our Facebook Group A Deconstructed Holiday. On this episode, we discussed how to implement boundaries so that you can make it through the holidays with your sanity in tact! We covered what boundaries look and sound like, and talked through several scenarios that you may face and gave you tips on how to walk through those situations. Trigger Warning: We discussed several scenarios that involve mental, emotional, and physical abuse. ABOUT OUR HOSTS: Amber Diamond Green is a nationally certified licensed clinical mental health counselor in a private practice setting in North Carolina. She works mostly with older children, teens, and young adults. Amber approaches mental health from a holistic perspective seeking to understand the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of each client. She seeks to understand how this may effect their perspective and growth in their therapeutic journey. When Amber isn't practicing counseling, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling. Lexie Smith is a lifelong human rights activist after surviving sexual exploitation her entire childhood and the lifelong effects of that abuse. She is a first-generation college graduate with a degree in Psychology and runs a business as a trauma-informed consultant to those interfacing with survivors of violence.  

This episode was recorded on September 13, 2021. On this episode, I talked with Brad Klausman, a Religious Trauma Life Coach and we discussed: What is Religious Trauma? What's the difference between Church Hurt and Religious Trauma? Best practices for finding healing   Brad Klausman was a pastor for 20+ years and knows the struggles that someone will face before and after deconstruction. Brad helps people recover from religion and successfully achieve their goals and healing. He walks with them through each step of deconstruction and the challenges they will face in all aspects of their life. You can find Brad on Instagram @Brad.lifecoach or on his website, www.coachingwithbrad.org. 

This episode was recorded on July 28, 2021. On this episode, we covered: Our panelists' current relationship with the Church What they would like Christians to know, from the LGBTQ+ perspective ISH that Christians should stop saying Introducing our Panel on Homosexuality: Tiffany Feltner is an arts administrator, focusing on the intersection of technology and customer relationship management. She is passionate about using technology to strengthen her community's connection with arts and culture. Tiffany holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Bachelor of Arts in Music from Lee University. When she is not working, she loves writing songs, DIY projects, and spending time with her little family - her dogs, Jessie The Beagle and Rufus, and her beloved Ashley. Gabe Salazar is the Artistic Director of the Gay Mens Chorus of South Florida. He has a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Music Performance from Grand Canyon University and Lee University, and has accreditation in Music Education from California State University, Fullerton. Gabe currently resides in Fort Lauderdale with his fiancé, and has a son. Leo WT is a seminarian, pastor, podcast/YouTube host, activist, hairdresser, and artist. They live and work in rural western New York with their wife Elle. Leo founded Conversations official, a spiritually minded community, podcast, and YouTube channel. They also own a salon that specializes in creating safe space for queer and non neurotypical individuals.

This episode was recorded on July 28, 2021. On this episode, we covered: Each panelist's coming out story How their coming out affected relationships with family How their coming out affected their friendships with Christians How their coming out affected their relationship with God and the Church Introducing our Panel on Homosexuality: Tiffany Feltner is an arts administrator, focusing on the intersection of technology and customer relationship management. She is passionate about using technology to strengthen her community's connection with arts and culture. Tiffany holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Bachelor of Arts in Music from Lee University. When she is not working, she loves writing songs, DIY projects, and spending time with her little family - her dogs, Jessie The Beagle and Rufus, and her beloved Ashley. Gabe Salazar is the Artistic Director of the Gay Mens Chorus of South Florida. He has a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Music Performance from Grand Canyon University and Lee University, and has accreditation in Music Education from California State University, Fullerton. Gabe currently resides in Fort Lauderdale with his fiancé, and has a son. Leo WT is a seminarian, pastor, podcast/YouTube host, activist, hairdresser, and artist. They live and work in rural western New York with their wife Elle. Leo founded Conversations official, a spiritually minded community, podcast, and YouTube channel. They also own a salon that specializes in creating safe space for queer and non neurotypical individuals.

This episode was recorded on July 5, 2021. On this episode, we discussed: Advice for those who are deconstructing their faith How Christians can best support people going through Deconstruction Resources for those who are deconstructing ISH Christians should stop saying What is faith deconstruction? It is the taking apart of an idea, practice, tradition, belief, or system into smaller components in order to examine their foundation, truthfulness, usefulness, and impact. Introducing our Deconstruction Panel: Zachary Gureasko is an attorney in Nashville. He has a husband who is his favorite human in the world, and together they enjoy lifting weights, rescuing animals, and eating all of the food. They have four dogs and four cats of their own, and they regularly foster animals (right now we are a revolving door for cats). They are in the process of trying to adopt a two-legger! Cayla was raised in the evangelical church and started deconstructing about 5 years ago. Born and raised Tennessean, currently living in the DFW, TX area. She lives with her husband of 7 years + two kids. She is going back to school for Criminal Justice and just recently started as a court appointed special advocate for children in foster care. Jed Foster is a grant writer and staff member at the St. Francis Xavier Lay Missionary Society. A graduate from Lee University, Jed later attended two years of language study in Beijing, China. He was received into the Roman Catholic Church in October 2020 after a six-year spiritual journey out of Protestantism.

This episode was recorded on July 5, 2021. On this episode, we discussed our panel's journey through faith deconstruction. What is faith deconstruction? It is the taking apart of an idea, practice, tradition, belief, or system into smaller components in order to examine their foundation, truthfulness, usefulness, and impact. Introducing our Deconstruction Panel: Zachary Gureasko is an attorney in Nashville. He has a husband who is his favorite human in the world, and together they enjoy lifting weights, rescuing animals, and eating all of the food. They have four dogs and four cats of their own, and they regularly foster animals (right now we are a revolving door for cats). They are in the process of trying to adopt a two-legger! Cayla was raised in the evangelical church and started deconstructing about 5 years ago. Born and raised Tennessean, currently living in the DFW, TX area. She lives with her husband of 7 years + two kids. She is going back to school for Criminal Justice and just recently started as a court appointed special advocate for children in foster care. Jed Foster is a grant writer and staff member at the St. Francis Xavier Lay Missionary Society. A graduate from Lee University, Jed later attended two years of language study in Beijing, China. He was received into the Roman Catholic Church in October 2020 after a six-year spiritual journey out of Protestantism.

This episode was recorded on June 8, 2021. On this episode, we discussed: What can churches do to promote good Mental Health? How should you respond (or not respond) when someone shares their Mental Health issues with you? What are signs that you should seek counseling? Mental Health Resources Ish Christians should stop saying Introducing our Mental Health Panel: Amber Diamond Green is a nationally certified licensed clinical mental health counselor in a private practice setting in North Carolina. She works mostly with older children, teens, and young adults. Amber approaches mental health from a holistic perspective seeking to understand the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of each client. She seeks to understand how this may effect their perspective and growth in their therapeutic journey. When Amber isn't practicing counseling, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling. Lexie Smith is a lifelong human rights activist after surviving sexual exploitation her entire childhood and the lifelong effects of that abuse. She is a first-generation college graduate with a degree in Psychology and runs a business as a trauma-informed consultant to those interfacing with survivors of violence. Dr. Jordan Wilson is the Lead Pastor of Harvest Center Church in Pell City Alabama. He has been in full time ministry for 20 years. Jordan is married to Jessica and they have 3 kids named Isaac, Josiah, and Evy-Ann. Dr. Jordan is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God and his academic credentials include: B.S. in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University, M.A. Theological Studies from Liberty University, ED.D (Candidate) in Organizational Leadership from Grand Canyon University, and D.MIN in Ministry Leadership from South University. He has extensive training in pastoral counseling in the areas of mental health and grief counseling.

This episode was recorded on June 8, 2021. On this episode, we discussed: Why has MH become such a hot topic over the last couple of years? What impact has COVID had on Mental Health? What is stigma? Why is there a Mental Health stigma in Christian circles? What can Christians do to get rid of the Mental Health stigma in the Church? Introducing our Mental Health Panel: Amber Diamond Green is a nationally certified licensed clinical mental health counselor in a private practice setting in North Carolina. She works mostly with older children, teens, and young adults. Amber approaches mental health from a holistic perspective seeking to understand the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of each client. She seeks to understand how this may effect their perspective and growth in their therapeutic journey. When Amber isn't practicing counseling, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling. Lexie Smith is a lifelong human rights activist after surviving sexual exploitation her entire childhood and the lifelong effects of that abuse. She is a first-generation college graduate with a degree in Psychology and runs a business as a trauma-informed consultant to those interfacing with survivors of violence. Dr. Jordan Wilson is the Lead Pastor of Harvest Center Church in Pell City Alabama. He has been in full time ministry for 20 years. Jordan is married to Jessica and they have 3 kids named Isaac, Josiah, and Evy-Ann. Dr. Jordan is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God and his academic credentials include: B.S. in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University, M.A. Theological Studies from Liberty University, ED.D (Candidate) in Organizational Leadership from Grand Canyon University, and D.MIN in Ministry Leadership from South University. He has extensive training in pastoral counseling in the areas of mental health and grief counseling.