In this week’s episode of the Finding God Podcast, Keana dives deep into a growing struggle among believers: spiritual exhaustion. Many Christians today feel tired, disconnected, overwhelmed, or numb in their faith not because they don’t love God, but because they’ve been carrying spiritual burdens God never asked them to carry.

This teaching‑centered episode explores what spiritual burnout actually is, why it’s happening at such high levels, and how to heal from it in a gentle, grace‑filled, trauma‑informed way.

✨ Recap of Last Week’s Episode: Breaking Free from Legalism in the Church

Keana revisits last week’s powerful conversation on legalism how it distorts our view of God, creates shame and anxiety, and replaces relationship with rules. Last week’s episode reminded listeners:

• “If you’ve ever felt like you had to earn God’s love, perform perfectly, or follow endless rules to be accepted, this conversation will help you breathe again.”
• Legalism is one of the biggest contributors to spiritual exhaustion.
• Healing exercises included:
• “God Is Love” reframing
• Inner Child Compassion Prayer
• Scripture Detox
• Nervous System Reset
• Identity Rebuilding journal prompts

This week builds on that foundation by addressing the deeper exhaustion legalism creates.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✔ What Spiritual Burnout Actually Is

A faith‑based and psychological definition of spiritual exhaustion, including symptoms like numbness, guilt, disconnection, and loss of joy.

✔ Why So Many Christians Are Spiritually Exhausted

Keana breaks down the core contributors:

• Fear‑based theology
• Religious performance culture
• Emotional overload
• Church hurt & spiritual trauma
• Lack of spiritual rest
• Disconnection from God’s true character

Featuring insights from leading psychologists including Dr. Herbert Freudenberger, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, and Dr. Carl Rogers.

✔ How to Heal From Spiritual Burnout

Gentle, practical, trauma‑informed steps to restore your spiritual life:

• Relearning God’s character
• Resting your nervous system
• Releasing religious performance
• Healing church hurt
• Rebuilding connection through simplicity
• Practicing inner compassion

✔ Reflection Questions to Help You Reconnect With God

Thought‑provoking questions to help listeners identify where burnout has taken root and where God is inviting them into rest.

✨ Final Encouragement

Spiritual exhaustion is not failure, it's a signal. God is not calling you to burnout; He is calling you to relationship, peace, and rest. You don’t have to earn His love. You don’t have to perform for His approval. You can breathe, slow down, and let Him restore your soul.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://keanawmitchell.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/022Zht5DjU1i3k7BAeHaTW?si=0670913834704cb7

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Follow Unique-ly Chosen on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5YLLhbf7bPMgzbLgnsXz1h?si=ws6Phdw6Q3mjyMqB6ulcdg

 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this powerful and healing episode, Keana explores what legalism looks like in the church, how it distorts our view of God, and how to break free from fear‑based faith. If you’ve ever felt like you had to earn God’s love, perform perfectly, or follow endless rules to be accepted, this conversation will help you breathe again.

Keana gently unpacks the emotional and spiritual impact of legalism, explains why so many believers struggle with shame and anxiety around God, and offers a path back to a relationship rooted in love, grace, and freedom. This episode builds on last week’s message “Religion Cannot Save You, But God’s Love Can” and continues the journey of rediscovering God’s heart beyond religious pressure.

You’ll also receive five healing exercises to help you unlearn harmful beliefs, reconnect with God’s love, and rebuild your identity on truth instead of performance.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What legalism actually is and what it is not
• How legalism shows up in church culture and teaching
• The emotional and spiritual wounds legalism creates
• Why legalism replaces relationship with rules
• How to separate God’s character from harmful religious expectations
• Practical steps to break free from fear‑based faith
• Five healing exercises to help you reconnect with God’s love

Five Healing Exercises Included

• “God Is Love” Reframing Practice
• Inner Child Compassion Prayer
• Scripture Detox Exercise
• Nervous System Reset for Spiritual Triggers
• Identity Rebuilding Journal Prompts

Reflection Questions

• What beliefs about God were shaped by fear instead of love
• Where have I confused religious performance with spiritual connection
• What parts of my faith feel heavy, pressured, or shame‑based
• What does spiritual freedom look like for me now
• What is one legalistic belief I’m ready to release

Final Encouragement

Legalism may have shaped your view of God, but it does not define who God is. God is not the author of fear. He is the source of freedom. You don’t have to earn His love. You just have to receive it.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://keanawmitchell.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/022Zht5DjU1i3k7BAeHaTW?si=0670913834704cb7

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Follow Unique-ly Chosen on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5YLLhbf7bPMgzbLgnsXz1h?si=ws6Phdw6Q3mjyMqB6ulcdg

 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this powerful and emotionally resonant episode of Finding God, Keana dives deep into one of the most confusing and transformative experiences in the Christian walk: when God removes people from your life.

We explore how to discern the difference between God-led separation, natural life transitions, self-sabotage, and unhealed emotional patterns. This episode blends Scripture, psychology, and trauma-informed insight to help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• The difference between God removing someone and life circumstances shifting
• How God protects you from relationships that block purpose, clarity, and spiritual growth
• Trauma-informed insight on why losing someone triggers abandonment wounds
• Why separation can feel spiritual even when it’s emotional
• How to discern if a relational shift is God-led, self-sabotage, or a repeated pattern
• Biblical examples including:
• Abraham & Lot
• Paul & Barnabas
• Joseph & his brothers
• Ruth leaving Moab
• Healing steps: acceptance, grief, identity rebuilding, and spiritual clarity
• Why this topic aligns perfectly with Keana’s trauma-informed relationship coaching and the mission of Worth Loving + Finding God

Scriptures Mentioned:

• John 15:2
• John 13:7
• Psalm 34:18

Psychological Insights Referenced:

• Dr. Dan Siegel — neural pathways & emotional interpretation
• Dr. Sue Johnson — attachment theory
• Dr. Bessel van der Kolk — trauma memory (“the body keeps the score”)
• Dr. Carl Jung — unconscious patterns

🎵 Music Featured in This Episode

All of the songs you heard on today’s podcast and every song featured this month  are now available on Spotify and all major streaming platforms.

To listen to the full versions of every track featured in this month’s episodes, click the artist link in the show notes. This will take you directly to the full catalog so you can stream the music anytime.

✨ Connect & Continue Your Healing Journey

If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who may be navigating a relational shift or seeking clarity in a season of separation. Your share might be the breakthrough someone else needs.

Follow Keana on social media for daily encouragement, trauma-informed relationship guidance, and spiritual clarity.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://keanawmitchell.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/022Zht5DjU1i3k7BAeHaTW?si=0670913834704cb7

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Follow Unique-ly Chosen on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5YLLhbf7bPMgzbLgnsXz1h?si=ws6Phdw6Q3mjyMqB6ulcdg

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this powerful episode of the Finding God Podcast, host Keana W. Mitchell explores how fear-based theology belief systems rooted in shame, punishment, and conditional love can deeply impact your mental and emotional well-being. Building on last week’s episode, Relearning God’s Character, Keana unpacks the psychological toll of viewing God through a lens of fear and control, and offers a path toward healing through truth, grace, and spiritual safety.

You’ll learn how fear-based theology can lead to anxiety, religious OCD (scrupulosity), depression, and even PTSD-like symptoms. Through biblical examples, psychological research, and trauma-informed insight, Keana contrasts fear-driven faith with the liberating power of love-based theology.

This episode also includes therapeutic healing exercises rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and spiritual reflection to help you begin releasing fear and embracing the truth of God’s unconditional love.

🧠 Topics Covered:

• What fear-based theology is and how it shows up in everyday life
• Mental health disorders linked to fear-based religious beliefs
• Biblical examples of fear-based vs. faith-based theology
• CBT-inspired healing exercises for spiritual and emotional restoration
• How to reframe your view of God through love, not fear

✨ Healing Exercises Included:

• Thought Reframing with Scripture
• Safe Imagery Practice
• Affirmation Journaling
• Forgiveness Visualization

🎵 Featured Song:

“Have I Told You Lately” by Unique-ly Chosen A gentle, soul-soothing reminder of God’s love and presence. Listen now on the Finding God Podcast YouTube channel.

📲 Connect with Keana:

• Instagram: findinggod2
• Website: keanawmitchell.com
• YouTube: Finding God Podcast - YouTube
• Link to song on Sound Cloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/pfLl5mvMeOmiPKmESB

💬 Call to Action:

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s healing from spiritual trauma. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, it helps others find this safe, nurturing space.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this deeply comforting episode, Keana explores one of the most common and painful spiritual questions: Why doesn’t God answer my prayers? Through Scripture, psychology, and powerful biblical examples, she explains how God’s silence is not abandonment, it's alignment, protection, preparation, and divine timing.

Listeners will learn why God sometimes seems quiet, what His silence is not, how to stay connected to Him during waiting seasons, and practical ways to hear His voice even when life feels unclear.

This week’s featured song is “At the Alter” by Unique‑ly Chosen a gentle reminder that God hears every prayer, whisper, and tear. All August releases are now available on Spotify and all streaming platforms.

🌀 Last Week’s Recap

Episode: Spiritual but Not Religious:Why More People Are Searching for God Outside the Church

• Why people are leaving institutions but not leaving God
• How Jesus met people outside religious spaces
• The difference between religion and relationship
• How spiritual trauma impacts connection with God
• Why personal spiritual exploration is rising
• How God meets us wherever we are

This week builds on that foundation by addressing what happens when God feels silent.

💛 Why God Sometimes Seems Silent

• God is working behind the scenes
• The blessing isn’t ready yet
• You’re being prepared to carry the blessing
• Other people or circumstances must shift first
• God is protecting you from premature answers
• Spiritual resistance may delay the response (Daniel 10)
• God is redirecting you toward something better
• God is strengthening your trust
• God is answering in ways you don’t recognize yet

Biblical examples: Joseph, Hannah, Daniel, Abraham, David, Moses, Elizabeth, the woman with the issue of blood.

🚫 What God’s Silence Is NOT

• Not punishment
• Not abandonment
• Not disappointment
• Not a sign your faith is weak
• Not God changing His mind
• Not rejection
• Not proof your prayers don’t matter

⏳ Understanding God’s Timing

• Waiting is alignment, not punishment
• God prepares blessings intentionally
• God protects you from premature breakthroughs
• God positions you for what you prayed for
• Isaiah 60:22 — “When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”

💔 What to Do When You Feel Discouraged

• Pray honest prayers
• Surround yourself with faith‑filled people
• Speak God’s promises aloud
• Practice gratitude
• Revisit answered prayers
• Create a “God is working” journal
• Rest and reset
• Ask God for renewed strength

🔊 Practical Ways to Hear God’s Voice

• Scripture meditation
• Prayer journaling
• Stillness and silence
• Listening for peace
• Watching patterns and repetition
• Wise counsel
• Circumstantial alignment
• Asking God directly
• Audio Bible listening
• Prayer walks
• Breath prayer
• Asking for confirmation
• Asking God to close wrong doors

🎶 Featured Song of the Week

“At the Alter” — Unique‑ly Chosen A gentle reminder that God hears your prayers, your whispers, and your tears. All August songs are now available on Spotify and all streaming platforms.

🌿 Staying Connected to God During Silence

• Worship even when you don’t feel it
• Read one Psalm a day
• Pray simple, sincere prayers
• Practice spiritual rest
• Stay consistent
• Spend time in nature
• Keep talking to God

🙏 Final Encouragement

God’s silence is not His absence. God is working behind the scenes. God has not forgotten you. When the time is right he will make it happen.

📌 Listener Challenge

Spend 10 minutes each morning in stillness this week. Ask God to speak. Listen for peace.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://keanawmitchell.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/022Zht5DjU1i3k7BAeHaTW?si=0670913834704cb7

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Follow Unique-ly Chosen on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5YLLhbf7bPMgzbLgnsXz1h?si=ws6Phdw6Q3mjyMqB6ulcdg

 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this week’s episode of the Finding God Podcast, we’re diving into one of the biggest spiritual shifts happening right now: the rise of being spiritual but not religious. More people than ever are stepping away from traditional church structures not because they’re abandoning God, but because they’re seeking Him more authentically, more intimately, and more honestly outside of the environments that once shaped their faith.

This episode explores the psychology, theology, and lived experiences behind this movement. We talk about church hurt, religious trauma, authenticity, emotional safety, and the desire for a personal relationship with God that isn’t filtered through pressure, performance, or tradition. You’ll learn why this shift is happening, what people are finding outside the church, and how God continues to meet His people wherever their hearts feel safe enough to open.

We also revisit last week’s powerful episode on faith deconstruction Am I Losing My Faith or Finding the Real God?  and connect how deconstruction often leads people into a deeper, more personal search for God beyond religious institutions.

And near the end of the episode, we introduce this week’s featured song: “Who You Are” by Unique‑ly Chosen, my spiritual persona and worship expression. This song is a reminder of God’s unwavering love and gentle presence, no matter where you are on your spiritual journey.

All August podcast songs will be available on Spotify and all major streaming platforms this Friday. Click the link in the show notes to follow Unique‑ly Chosen and carry God’s love with you throughout the week.

What We Cover in This Episode

✨ Recap of Last Week’s Episode

• What faith deconstruction really means
• Why questioning your beliefs doesn’t equal losing faith
• How deconstruction often leads to discovering the real God
• Why people begin seeking God outside of traditional structures

✨ The Rise of “Spiritual but Not Religious”

• What the term actually means
• Why people are leaving institutions but not leaving God
• Generational trends and cultural shifts
• The difference between rejecting religion and reclaiming relationship

✨ Why People Are Leaving the Church

• Church hurt and religious trauma
• Hypocrisy and performance culture
• Legalism and spiritual suffocation
• Lack of inclusivity and emotional safety
• Desire for a direct, personal connection with God

✨ The Psychology Behind the Movement

• Authenticity over performance
• Trauma awareness and nervous system safety
• Autonomy and agency in spiritual growth
• Integrating mental health with faith
• Why people feel closer to God outside traditional environments

✨ The Theology of Finding God Outside the Church

• Biblical examples of God meeting people outside temples
• Why God is not confined to buildings or rituals
• Clarifying your theology: God does NOT test people through suffering
• Understanding God’s presence in everyday life

✨ What People Are Finding Outside the Church

• Personal prayer
• Meditation and stillness
• Scripture exploration
• Nature‑based spirituality
• Therapy + faith integration
• Small spiritual communities
• Creative worship

✨ The Future of Faith

• How faith is evolving
• Why this shift is healthy and necessary
• What people truly want from spiritual spaces
• How God is meeting people in new ways

Featured Song of the Week

🎵 “Who You Are”  Unique‑ly Chosen

This week’s featured song is Who You Are, a worship reminder of God’s gentleness, presence, and unwavering love. If you’ve ever wondered whether God sees you or hears you, this song is for you.

All August podcast songs will be available on Spotify and all major streaming platforms this Friday. Tap the link in the show notes to follow Unique‑ly Chosen and carry God’s love with you throughout the week.

Reflection Questions

Use these questions to deepen your spiritual journey:

• Where do I feel closest to God?
• What parts of church culture felt misaligned with my spirit?
• What spiritual practices help me feel grounded and connected?
• What do I need to heal to deepen my relationship with God?
• What does a personal relationship with God look like for me?
• Am I seeking God in ways that honor my heart and story?

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://keanawmitchell.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/022Zht5DjU1i3k7BAeHaTW?si=0670913834704cb7

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Follow Unique-ly Chosen on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5YLLhbf7bPMgzbLgnsXz1h?si=ws6Phdw6Q3mjyMqB6ulcdg

 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this powerful and deeply healing episode, Keana explores the truth about faith deconstruction, what it is, where the term came from, why so many people are experiencing it, and how it can actually lead you closer to the Real God rather than away from Him.

Drawing from psychology, theology, and lived spiritual experience, this episode helps listeners understand that questioning their beliefs is not rebellion, it's spiritual honesty. You’ll learn how deconstruction works, why it often begins after spiritual harm, and how to navigate it safely while protecting your emotional wellness.

This episode is a safe space for anyone who has ever wondered: “Am I losing my faith… or am I finally finding God?”

🌱 What We Cover in This Episode

• Recap of Last Week’s Episode

A compassionate review of last week’s topic: Does God love gay people? What the Bible really says about God’s love and acceptance. Keana revisits how Scripture has been misinterpreted, how Jesus modeled radical inclusion, and how harmful theology creates spiritual trauma  not spiritual truth.

• What Faith Deconstruction Really Is

A clear, grounded definition of deconstruction, including:

• The original meaning from philosopher Jacques Derrida
• How the term entered Christian spaces
• Why deconstruction is not “losing faith”
• Why questioning is a sign of spiritual maturity
• How deconstruction helps you separate God from harmful theology

• Am I Losing My Faith or Finding the Real God?

Keana explores the emotional tension of questioning your beliefs and explains why deconstruction often leads to a deeper, more authentic experience of God. Featuring insights from:

• Dr. Brené Brown on vulnerability
• Dr. Carl Jung on self‑awareness
• Dr. Kristin Neff on shame and compassion

• Why Faith Deconstruction Happens

A trauma‑informed breakdown of the triggers that lead people into deconstruction:

• Church hurt
• Spiritual abuse
• Harmful teachings
• Cognitive dissonance
• Emotional exhaustion
• Fear‑based theology Includes research from Dr. Andrew Newberg on spirituality and the brain.

• How to Deconstruct Your Faith Safely

Practical, emotionally safe strategies for navigating deconstruction:

• Giving yourself permission to question
• Separating God from religious systems
• Finding spiritually safe community
• Exploring Scripture with curiosity
• Rebuilding slowly and gently Featuring insights from Dr. Lisa Miller on spiritual development.

• What Faith Can Look Like After Deconstruction

A hopeful look at reconstruction — the phase where your faith becomes more personal, grounded, and emotionally aligned. Includes wisdom from Dr. Carl Rogers on authenticity and spiritual connection.

🎶 Featured Song of the Week

This week’s featured song is “You Love Me” by Keana’s spiritual persona, Unique‑ly Chosen. A healing reminder that God’s love is unconditional, steady, and not shaped by fear‑based theology.

✨ All songs featured on the Finding God Podcast  including “You Love Me” are available on Spotify. Click the link in the show notes to follow Unique‑ly Chosen and listen throughout the week for encouragement.

🔮 Next Week’s Episode Preview

Next week, we’re diving deeper into this journey with:

Spiritual But Not Religious: Why More People are Searching for God Outside of the Church

💛 Connect With the Podcast

• Follow the show for weekly spiritually safe conversations • Share this episode with someone who is questioning their faith • Tag @FindingGodPodcast to continue the conversation • Click the link in the show notes to follow Unique‑ly Chosen on Spotify

✨ Affirmation of the Week

“I am not losing God — I am finding Him.”

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://keanawmitchell.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Follow Unique-ly Chosen on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5YLLhbf7bPMgzbLgnsXz1h?si=ws6Phdw6Q3mjyMqB6ulcdg

 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this powerful and trauma‑informed episode, host Keana W. Mitchell explores one of the most important questions in modern faith communities:

Does God love LGBTQIA+ people?

The answer is simple yes but the lived experiences of many LGBTQIA+ individuals tell a different story. This episode is not a debate, not a theological argument, and not a conversation about changing anyone’s identity. Instead, it’s a compassionate, research‑based, Christ‑centered look at how Christians have treated LGBTQIA+ people  and how God calls us to do better.

Keana integrates psychological research, Christian scholarship, biblical truth, and trauma‑informed care to address religious trauma, the weaponization of scripture, and the emotional wounds caused by fear‑based theology. She also offers a path forward for churches seeking to repair harm and closes with a heartfelt prayer specifically for LGBTQIA+ listeners.

If you’ve ever wondered whether God’s love includes you  or how Christians can reflect Christ more faithfully  this episode is for you.

⭐ What We Cover in This Episode

✔ A trauma‑informed clarification

Why this episode is not about correcting LGBTQIA+ people, evangelizing them, or debating their identity.

✔ Psychological research on LGBTQIA+ mental health & faith

Including insights from:

• Dr. Caitlin Ryan (Family Acceptance Project)
• Dr. Mark Yarhouse (Christian psychologist specializing in LGBTQ+ identity)
• Dr. Lisa Diamond (sexual orientation researcher)
• Dr. Brené Brown, Dr. Kristin Neff, and Dr. John Gottman on shame, empathy, and connection

✔ Religious trauma explained

How spiritual teachings, church authority, and scripture have been used to harm LGBTQIA+ people  and why this contradicts the heart of Christ.

✔ How scripture has been weaponized

Real examples of verses used to shame, exclude, silence, or reject LGBTQIA+ individuals  contrasted with how Jesus actually used scripture to heal and liberate.

✔ What the Bible actually shows about God’s love

A look at God’s consistent pattern of moving toward the hurting, the outcast, and the misunderstood.

✔ How Jesus modeled compassion

Why empathy, connection, and dignity are central to Christlike love.

✔ How churches can repair harm

Trauma‑informed steps faith communities can take to rebuild trust, restore dignity, and create true belonging.

✔ A message directly to LGBTQIA+ listeners

Affirmation, compassion, and validation for those who have been hurt by religion.

✔ A closing prayer for LGBTQIA+ listeners

A gentle, healing prayer asking God to comfort, protect, and restore those who have experienced rejection or spiritual harm.

⭐ Key Takeaways

• God’s love is unconditional and it includes LGBTQIA+ people fully and completely.
• Scripture was never meant to be used as a weapon.
• Religious trauma is real, and the church must acknowledge and repair the harm it has caused.
• Psychological research confirms that acceptance saves lives, while rejection creates deep emotional wounds.
• Jesus modeled compassion, connection, and dignity  not judgment or exclusion.
• Love is the greatest command, the greatest witness, and the greatest reflection of God’s heart.

⭐ Who This Episode Is For

• LGBTQIA+ individuals seeking spiritual safety
• Christians wanting to love people more like Jesus
• Pastors, leaders, and churches ready to repair harm
• Anyone navigating faith, identity, and belonging
• Families wanting to support LGBTQIA+ loved ones
• Listeners healing from religious trauma

⭐ Resources Mentioned

• Family Acceptance Project — Dr. Caitlin Ryan
• Sexual Identity & Faith Research — Dr. Mark Yarhouse
• Sexual Orientation Research — Dr. Lisa Diamond
• Shame & Empathy — Dr. Brené Brown
• Self‑Compassion — Dr. Kristin Neff
• Relationship Science — Dr. John Gottman

⭐ Connect With Keana

• Instagram: @keanamitchell
• TikTok: @keanamitchell
• YouTube: Worth Loving Podcast + Finding God Podcast
• Website: Paper Anthem Entertainment

⭐ If This Episode Spoke to You…

Please rate, review, and share the podcast. Your support helps this message reach people who need healing, hope, and a safe place to explore faith.

If you want, I can also create:

✨ A YouTube description ✨ A short version for RedCircle ✨ Instagram/TikTok/Facebook captions ✨ A thumbnail title ✨ A social media promo script

Just tell me what you want next.

Connect With Finding God Podcast

If today's episode encouraged you:

⭐ Follow the podcast

⭐ Leave a rating and review

⭐ Share this episode with family and friends

⭐ Join the conversation on social media

⭐ Encourage someone who may need this message today

Final Encouragement

No matter your story...

No matter your questions...

No matter your experiences with church or faith...

You deserve kindness.

You deserve dignity.

You deserve compassion.

And you deserve to know that you are loved by a God whose love is bigger than fear, shame, rejection, or hurt.

Keep seeking. Keep healing. Keep finding God. ❤️

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://keanawmitchell.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

✨ Recap of Last Week’s Episode

A brief reflection on When Praying Feels Hard, exploring how to pray when you’re angry, hurt, or numb and how God meets you in emotional honesty.

✨ How Mental Health Impacts Your Life and Faith

Keana explains how anxiety, depression, trauma, and emotional overwhelm affect your mind, body, relationships, and spiritual connection. You’ll learn why mental health struggles can make God feel distant even when He’s close.

✨ Insights From Psychologists on Faith & Mental Health

This episode includes research‑based insights from experts like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Lisa Miller, and Dr. Kristin Neff, showing how trauma affects the brain, how spirituality strengthens resilience, and why compassion is essential for healing.

✨ Myths About Mental Health in the Church

Keana addresses harmful beliefs such as “If you had more faith, you wouldn’t feel this way” or “Prayer alone should fix everything,” and replaces them with biblical truth and emotional clarity.

✨ Why Getting Help Is Biblical

You’ll hear why therapy, counseling, and mental health support are not signs of weak faith — they are acts of wisdom and stewardship. Scriptures like Proverbs 11:14, Psalm 34:18, and Matthew 11:28 remind us that God uses both prayer and practical support to bring healing.

✨ Biblical Examples of Emotional Struggle

From Elijah’s depression to David’s anxiety, Hannah’s grief, Job’s anguish, and Jesus’ sorrow in Gethsemane, this episode shows how God met His people in their emotional pain — and how He meets you today.

✨ How God Supports You in Your Mental Health Journey

Keana shares how God brings peace, strength, and comfort through His presence, His Word, community, therapy, rest, and spiritual practices that ground your mind and spirit.

Episode Takeaway

You can love God and still struggle with your mental health. You can trust God and still need therapy. You can be a believer and still feel anxious, overwhelmed, or numb. None of these things separate you from God’s love. He is near, He is compassionate, and He walks with you through every emotional valley.

Connect with Keana

If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who may be struggling silently.

Send in your questions for next week’s episode, and stay connected for more faith‑centered conversations on healing, mental health, and spiritual growth.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://keanawmitchell.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

🤝 Join the Faith After Abuse Community 

If you’re healing from religious trauma or spiritual abuse, you’re invited to join the Faith After Abuse free Skool community, a safe, supportive space to rediscover God’s love without fear or pressure. 

https://www.skool.com/finding-faith-after-abuse-2572

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this revisited episode of the Finding God Podcast, we’re having an honest, compassionate conversation about something many believers struggle with but rarely feel safe talking about — how to discuss church hurt with family members who may not understand, may minimize your experience, or may still be connected to the very spaces that wounded you.

Whether you’ve experienced spiritual abuse, manipulation, fear‑based teaching, or emotional harm in religious spaces, navigating these conversations can feel overwhelming. This episode gives you language, clarity, and emotional safety as you learn how to honor your story without losing yourself.

💛 In This Episode, We Explore:

• Why talking about church hurt with family can feel so triggering
• How to set emotional and spiritual boundaries before the conversation
• What to do when family members dismiss, minimize, or spiritualize your pain
• How to communicate your experience without defending or over‑explaining
• Why your healing doesn’t require anyone’s approval or agreement
• How to stay grounded in God’s love when conversations get difficult
• What Scripture reveals about God’s heart toward the wounded and unheard

✨ Key Takeaways

• Your story is valid, even if others don’t understand it
• You are not obligated to return to harmful spaces to “prove” your faith
• God never asks you to stay silent about pain
• You can love your family while still protecting your emotional and spiritual health
• Healing often requires new boundaries, new language, and new levels of honesty

💬 Episode Quote

“God is not threatened by your truth. He meets you in it.”

🎧 Listen If You’re Struggling With:

• Feeling misunderstood by family
• Being pressured to “just get over it”
• Explaining why you left a church
• Navigating spiritual conversations after trauma
• Rebuilding your relationship with God outside of harmful environments

✨ Connect With the Finding God Community

If you’re healing from church hurt, spiritual abuse, or confusion about faith, you’re not alone. Join our community for gentle conversations, weekly encouragement, and resources to help you rebuild your relationship with God in a safe, grounded way.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://keanawmitchell.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

🤝 Join the Faith After Abuse Community 

If you’re healing from religious trauma or spiritual abuse, you’re invited to join the Faith After Abuse free Skool community, a safe, supportive space to rediscover God’s love without fear or pressure. 

https://www.skool.com/finding-faith-after-abuse-2572

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this powerful episode of the Finding God Podcast, host Keana W. Mitchell explores the emotional and spiritual impact of toxic church culture and how setting boundaries can be a sacred act of healing. Building on last week’s episode about fear-based theology and its effects on mental health, Keana dives into how exclusion, racism, spiritual abuse, and prosperity gospel distort the image of God and damage our relationship with the Divine.

Through Scripture, psychological insight, and trauma-informed reflection, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and practical tools for reclaiming your spiritual autonomy. Whether you’ve experienced religious trauma or are simply seeking a more authentic connection with God, this episode affirms that you are worthy of love, safety, and spiritual clarity.

📖 Topics Covered:

• What church culture is and how it becomes toxic
• The emotional and psychological toll of exclusion, racism, and spiritual abuse
• How toxic theology distorts our view of God
• What Scripture says about the true purpose of the church
• The importance of knowing God for yourself
• How to set boundaries that protect your peace and reflect your values

🧠 Key Scriptures:

• Acts 2:42–47 – The early church as a place of unity and generosity
• Galatians 3:28 – Spiritual equality in Christ
• Micah 6:8 – God’s call to justice, mercy, and humility
• Jeremiah 29:13 – Seeking God with your whole heart
• John 15:5 – Abiding in God as the source of life
• John 4:23 – Worshiping in spirit and truth

🛡️ Healing Takeaways:

• Boundaries are sacred and spiritually necessary
• You are allowed to walk away from harmful church environments
• God is not confined to a building God is with you in your healing
• You can seek and find God for yourself, outside of toxic systems

🎶 Featured Song:

“The Answer” by Uniquely Chosen A soul-stirring anthem for anyone searching for clarity, healing, and truth. This song reminds us that God is the answer and that stepping away from toxic church culture can be the first step toward spiritual restoration.

💬 Call to Action:

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s healing from religious trauma or questioning their spiritual path. Follow, rate, and review the podcast to help others find this safe and sacred space.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://keanawmitchell.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

🤝 Join the Faith After Abuse Community 

If you’re healing from religious trauma or spiritual abuse, you’re invited to join the Faith After Abuse free Skool community, a safe, supportive space to rediscover God’s love without fear or pressure. 

https://www.skool.com/finding-faith-after-abuse-2572

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

FINDING GOD PODCAST — SHOW NOTES

Episode: When Prayer Feels Hard — How to Pray When You’re Hurt, Angry, or Numb

Episode Summary

In this deeply honest episode of the Finding God Podcast, Keana speaks to the believer who wants to pray but feels stuck — the one who is hurting, angry, numb, or spiritually exhausted. Prayer can feel impossible in seasons of pain, but Scripture shows us that God meets us gently in those moments. This episode explores why prayer becomes difficult, how trauma and emotional overwhelm affect our ability to connect with God, and how to approach prayer with honesty instead of pressure.

✨ Recap of Last Week’s Episode

Keana revisits last week’s conversation, What God’s Voice Sounds Like When You’re Healing, reminding listeners that God’s voice is gentle, patient, and compassionate. Healing helps us separate God’s voice from fear, shame, or past wounds — a foundation that prepares us for today’s discussion on praying through pain.

✨ What We Cover in This Episode

1. Why Prayer Feels Hard in Painful Seasons

• How emotional overwhelm and survival mode affect prayer
• Why numbness is a protective response, not spiritual failure
• How anger toward God creates shame and avoidance
• Insights from psychologists like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Diane Langberg, and Dr. Julie Gottman

2. Biblical Examples of People Who Struggled to Pray

• David’s honest laments (Psalms 13, 22, 42)
• Hannah’s wordless prayer in bitterness of soul
• Elijah’s exhaustion and despair in 1 Kings 19
• Job’s raw questions and emotional honesty
• Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane

3. What to Do When You Can’t Pray

• Praying honestly instead of perfectly
• Using breath, silence, and stillness as prayer
• Borrowing prayers from Scripture, worship, or written prayers
• Praying small, simple, one‑sentence prayers
• Allowing God to come to you instead of striving

4. Bible Verses for Hard Seasons

• Psalm 34:18
• Romans 8:26
• Psalm 13
• Psalm 42:5
• Matthew 11:28
• 1 Peter 5:7

5. Practical Ways to Reconnect With God

• Creating a safe prayer space
• Using grounding techniques before prayer
• Journaling your prayers
• Praying through music or Scripture
• Giving yourself permission to slow down

✨ Key Takeaway

God is not disappointed in your struggle. Prayer is not a performance — it’s presence. God meets you in your numbness, your silence, your anger, and your tears. You are not failing spiritually. You are healing, and God is near.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://emoryrose.bandzoogle.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

🤝 Join the Faith After Abuse Community 

If you’re healing from religious trauma or spiritual abuse, you’re invited to join the Faith After Abuse free Skool community, a safe, supportive space to rediscover God’s love without fear or pressure. 

https://www.skool.com/finding-faith-after-abuse-2572

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this week’s episode, Keana explores a question many believers wrestle with but rarely say out loud: What does God’s voice actually sound like when you’re healing?

When you’ve walked through trauma, heartbreak, or long seasons of survival mode, your ability to hear God can feel distorted. Not because God has changed — but because your nervous system, your trust, and your internal world are shifting.

This episode gently unpacks how healing transforms the way you perceive God’s voice, how to distinguish His voice from fear or shame, and how to recognize the tender, patient, protective tone God uses with His wounded children.

If you’re in a season of rebuilding your faith, reconnecting with God, or learning to trust His voice again, this episode will meet you right where you are.

🔄 Recap From Last Week’s Episode

Last week, we talked about rebuilding your relationship with God after trauma. Keana explored:

• How trauma affects your spiritual perception
• Why God can feel distant or unsafe after painful experiences
• Insights from trauma experts like Dr. Diane Langberg and Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
• Biblical examples of people who reconnected with God after deep pain
• The truth that God meets you where you are, not where you think you “should” be

This foundation sets the stage for today’s conversation about hearing God’s voice in a healing season.

🧠 Why Healing Changes How You Hear God

Keana explains how trauma impacts the nervous system and why healing opens space for you to hear God with more clarity, gentleness, and safety.

Healing quiets fear, softens shame, and helps you separate God’s voice from the voices of your past.

❌ What God’s Voice Does Not Sound Like

During healing, God’s voice does not sound like:

• Condemnation
• Pressure
• Panic
• Shame
• Harshness

These tones often come from trauma, fear, or old religious messages — not from God.

💜 What God’s Voice Does Sound Like When You’re Healing

God’s voice in a healing season is:

• Gentle
• Patient
• Affirming
• Clarifying
• Protective
• Consistent

It sounds like rest, reassurance, and unconditional love.

👂 How to Discern God’s Voice While Healing

Keana shares practical tools to help listeners recognize God’s voice, including:

• Checking the fruit
• Checking the tone
• Checking alignment with Scripture
• Paying attention to the body’s response
• Noticing patterns of peace vs. fear

📖 Biblical Examples of God Speaking to the Wounded

This episode highlights stories of Hagar, Elijah, David, the woman at the well, and Thomas — showing how God speaks gently and personally to those who are hurting.

🌱 Practical Ways to Hear God More Clearly

Listeners learn trauma‑informed spiritual practices such as breath prayer, grounding, journaling, and focusing on Scriptures that reveal God’s gentleness.

💬 Final Encouragement

God’s voice has never stopped speaking. Healing simply helps you hear Him more clearly.

You are not too broken, too slow, or too wounded for God to speak to you.

His voice is steady, loving, and patient — and He walks with you at your pace.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://emoryrose.bandzoogle.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

💛 Episode Summary 

In this powerful and deeply healing episode of the Finding God Podcast, we explore one of the most misunderstood truths in Christianity: religion cannot save you but God’s love absolutely can. Many of us grew up believing that God’s acceptance was tied to our performance, our behavior, or our ability to follow religious rules. But Scripture, psychology, and the life of Jesus all reveal a different story. 

Today, we break down the difference between religion and relationship, and we look at why God’s unconditional love is the only thing that truly transforms, heals, and saves. 

 

🔄 Last Week’s Episode Recap 

Last week, we talked about why God’s love is not performance‑based. We explored how: 

• God loved us before we changed 
• His love is not tied to our behavior 
• Fear and shame are not tools God uses 
• Jesus consistently loved people into transformation 

This week builds directly on that foundation. 

 

✨ What We Explore in This Episode 

💔 Why People Confuse Religion With God’s Love 

We unpack the reasons so many believers mix up rules with relationship, including: 

• Childhood conditioning 
• Fear‑based church cultures 
• The desire for structure and predictability 
• Misrepresentation of God by religious systems 
• The human tendency to earn approval 

You’ll learn why this confusion is common and how to break free from it. 

 

💛 The Difference Between Religion and God’s Love 

We take a deep dive into the contrast between: 

• Religion: rules, pressure, performance, fear 
• God’s Love: relationship, grace, identity, transformation 

You’ll hear how religion focuses on the outside, but God’s love transforms from the inside out. 

 

⛓️ Why Religion Can’t Save You 

We explore why religion falls short: 

• It modifies behavior but doesn’t heal the heart 
• It creates fear instead of freedom 
• It produces shame instead of restoration 
• It cannot heal trauma or change identity 
• Scripture clearly teaches that salvation is a gift, not a reward 

 

💖 Why God’s Love Can Save You (Side‑by‑Side Comparison) 

This section breaks down the truth: 

• Religion says “earn it” / God says “I came to you first” 
• Religion says “try harder” / God says “rest in Me” 
• Religion says “your mistakes define you” /God says “My grace covers you” 
• Religion says “change first” /God says “you are changed because you are loved” 

This comparison brings clarity and freedom. 

 

📖 Biblical Examples 

We look at people in Scripture who relied on religion and those who discovered God’s love: 

People who trusted religion: 

• The Pharisees 
• Saul before becoming Paul 
• The Rich Young Ruler 

People transformed by God’s love: 

• The Woman at the Well 
• The Prodigal Son 
• The Thief on the Cross 

These stories reveal that religion never saved anyone but God’s love always did. 

 

🧠 Psychology + Faith: Why Love Heals 

We connect Scripture with modern psychology, referencing leading experts like: 

• Dr. Bessel van der Kolk 
• Dr. Gabor Maté 
• Dr. Sue Johnson 
• Dr. Kristin Neff 

Their research confirms what the Bible has always taught: 

 Love, not fear, is what heals the human heart. 

 

🧘🏽‍♀️ Healing Exercises 

You’ll learn practical ways to shift from religious pressure to God’s love: 

• Daily love reminders 
• Rewriting harmful beliefs 
• Stillness practices 
• Scripture meditation 
• Releasing the “spiritual scorecard” 

These tools help retrain your heart to trust God’s love. 

 

🤝 Join the Faith After Abuse Community 

If you’re healing from religious trauma or spiritual abuse, you’re invited to join the Faith After Abuse free Skool community a safe, supportive space to rediscover God’s love without fear or pressure. 

https://www.skool.com/finding-faith-after-abuse-2572

💬 Final Thoughts 

Religion can give you structure, but it cannot save you. 

 Only God’s love can heal, restore, and transform your life. 

Thank you for listening to this week’s episode of the Finding God Podcast. 

 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear the truth about God’s love. 

 

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://emoryrose.bandzoogle.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

This week on Finding God, we’re dismantling the fear-based belief that God is watching and waiting to punish us. If you’ve ever carried the weight of shame, guilt, or spiritual anxiety, this episode is for you. Keana W. Mitchell offers a trauma-informed, biblically grounded conversation about the true nature of God’s love one rooted in grace, not retribution.

We’ll explore how distorted theology can shape our emotional lives, and how healing begins when we embrace the truth: God is not against you. He’s for you. Always.

💡 In This Episode:

• Why fear-based theology keeps us spiritually stuck
• How trauma can distort our view of God’s character
• Scriptural truths that reveal God’s grace and gentleness
• A guided reflection on spiritual safety and emotional healing
• Affirmations to help you walk in freedom and divine love

📥 Free Resource

Download this week’s free PDF: Healing Exercises – Releasing Fear, Embracing Grace

This companion guide includes journaling prompts, affirmations, and a prayer meditation to help you process the episode and deepen your healing journey.

👉 Link to PDF: Why God isn't wanting to punish you

🎶 This Week’s Featured Song:

“Devotion” by Unique-ly Chosen

This week’s episode is paired with a powerful new track from the Finding God Podcast music collective, Unique-ly Chosen.

Watch the official music video now https://youtu.be/5-I8EfhMCE8

Let the music minister to your spirit as you reflect on God’s grace and your worth.

🔔 Subscribe & Share

If this episode speaks to your heart, share it with someone who needs a reminder that they are not beyond grace. Subscribe for weekly episodes that center healing, faith, and emotional clarity.

Click the link below to subscribe to the Finding God Podcast on Spotify!!!

https://open.spotify.com/show/022Zht5DjU1i3k7BAeHaTW?si=8c728b93da5d43c2

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://emoryrose.bandzoogle.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

Episode Summary

In this deeply compassionate episode of the Finding God Podcast, Keana explores what it truly means to rebuild your relationship with God after experiencing trauma. Whether your trauma came from childhood, relationships, church environments, or spiritual abuse, this episode offers a gentle, grounded path back to connection with God — without pressure, guilt, or shame.

Keana breaks down how trauma affects your view of God, your ability to trust, and your spiritual practices. Drawing from leading trauma psychologists like Dr. Judith Herman, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Stephen Porges, and spiritual trauma expert Dr. Diane Langberg, she explains why trauma survivors often struggle with prayer, worship, Scripture, and spiritual identity — and why these struggles are normal.

You’ll also hear powerful biblical examples of people who experienced trauma — Elijah, Hagar, David, Job, and Mary Magdalene — and how God met each of them with gentleness, presence, and restoration.

Finally, Keana shares trauma‑informed healing techniques to help you slowly and safely reconnect with God at your own pace.

What We Cover in This Episode

✨ Recap of Last Week’s Episode

• How to support survivors of childhood sexual abuse
• Why spiritual bypassing harms survivors
• Insights from Dr. Bessel van der Kolk & Dr. Diane Langberg
• How trauma impacts safety, identity, and connection

✨ How Trauma Affects Your Relationship With God

• Trauma’s impact on your image of God
• Why prayer, worship, or Scripture may feel triggering
• How the nervous system interprets spiritual environments
• Common thoughts trauma survivors experience about God

✨ What Trauma‑Affected Faith Looks Like in Real Life

• Feeling numb during prayer
• Avoiding church or spiritual spaces
• Feeling guilty for not “feeling close to God”
• Internal conflict between wanting God and fearing God

✨ Biblical Examples of Trauma & Reconnection

• Elijah’s burnout and God’s gentle care
• Hagar’s abandonment and God’s presence
• David’s emotional honesty
• Job’s questioning and God’s response
• Mary Magdalene’s restoration

✨ Healing Techniques for Rebuilding Your Relationship With God

• Gentle spiritual practices
• Somatic grounding
• Reframing your image of God
• Naming your truth without shame
• Finding safe spiritual community
• Trauma‑informed therapy options

Key Takeaways

• Trauma can distort your view of God — but it does not change God’s heart toward you.
• Your spiritual struggles are trauma responses, not spiritual failures.
• God meets you with gentleness, not pressure.
• Rebuilding your relationship with God is possible — slowly, safely, and at your own pace.

Submit Your Questions

Have a question or topic you want covered on the podcast?

Email Keana at keanawmitchell@gmail.com.

Share This Episode

If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who may be healing from trauma and longing to reconnect with God.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

https://emoryrose.bandzoogle.com

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this powerful and healing episode, Keana explores what legalism looks like in the church, how it distorts our view of God, and how to break free from fear‑based faith. If you’ve ever felt like you had to earn God’s love, perform perfectly, or follow endless rules to be accepted, this conversation will help you breathe again.

Keana gently unpacks the emotional and spiritual impact of legalism, explains why so many believers struggle with shame and anxiety around God, and offers a path back to a relationship rooted in love, grace, and freedom. This episode builds on last week’s message “Religion Cannot Save You, But God’s Love Can” and continues the journey of rediscovering God’s heart beyond religious pressure.

You’ll also receive five healing exercises to help you unlearn harmful beliefs, reconnect with God’s love, and rebuild your identity on truth instead of performance.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What legalism actually is and what it is not
• How legalism shows up in church culture and teaching
• The emotional and spiritual wounds legalism creates
• Why legalism replaces relationship with rules
• How to separate God’s character from harmful religious expectations
• Practical steps to break free from fear‑based faith
• Five healing exercises to help you reconnect with God’s love

Five Healing Exercises Included

• “God Is Love” Reframing Practice
• Inner Child Compassion Prayer
• Scripture Detox Exercise
• Nervous System Reset for Spiritual Triggers
• Identity Rebuilding Journal Prompts

Reflection Questions

• What beliefs about God were shaped by fear instead of love
• Where have I confused religious performance with spiritual connection
• What parts of my faith feel heavy, pressured, or shame‑based
• What does spiritual freedom look like for me now
• What is one legalistic belief I’m ready to release

Final Encouragement

Legalism may have shaped your view of God, but it does not define who God is. God is not the author of fear. He is the source of freedom. You don’t have to earn His love. You just have to receive it.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

Emory Rose 

https://keanawmitchell.com 

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

This week’s episode is one of the most important and tender conversations we’ve ever had on the Finding God Podcast. We’re talking about how to support survivors of child sexual abuse in the church with honesty, compassion, and a trauma‑informed, faith‑centered lens.

This episode is for survivors, parents, church leaders, and anyone who wants to help create safer, healthier, more accountable faith communities. We explore the emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact of abuse, how to respond when a child discloses, and what true support looks like in the eyes of God.

✨ Episode Overview

In this episode, Keana breaks down:

• The long‑term effects of child sexual abuse
• How abuse in the church creates “double trauma”
• The A.R.E.S. framework (Adverse Religious Experiences Scale) created by Dr. Laura Anderson and Kyle J. Howard
• How ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) impact a child’s health, relationships, and spiritual development
• What survivors need most from parents, churches, and communities
• How to support healing on both a personal and spiritual level
• What to do when a child discloses abuse
• How to make a report and protect the child moving forward

This episode is gentle, non‑graphic, and deeply validating.

🔁 Recap of Last Week’s Episode

Last week, we explored grooming and manipulation tactics in the church — how offenders build trust, break boundaries, and use spiritual authority to gain access to children.

This week builds on that foundation by focusing on what happens after the harm and how we can respond with wisdom, accountability, and compassion.

🧠 Understanding the Impact of Abuse in Faith Settings

Featuring insights from leading trauma experts:

• Dr. Bessel van der Kolk — trauma lives in the body
• Dr. Judith Herman — recovery requires safety, remembrance, and reconnection
• Dr. Jennifer Freyd — betrayal trauma theory
• Dr. Dan Siegel — how trauma affects the developing brain

We discuss how abuse in the church affects a child’s:

• Emotional health
• Physical health
• Relationships
• Sense of self
• Ability to trust God
• Ability to trust spiritual authority

📘 A.R.E.S. — Adverse Religious Experiences

Created by Dr. Laura Anderson and Kyle J. Howard, the ARES framework helps identify harmful religious experiences that often compound trauma after abuse.

🌱 Free Resources from the Spiritual Trauma Institute

The Spiritual Trauma Institute offers additional free resources for survivors and supporters, including:

• Articles on spiritual abuse
• Healing guides
• Educational videos
• Community support tools

Access their free resources here:

👉 Religious Trauma Institute

This website offers both paid and free resources. This is a good resource because they offer free resources that would be valuable to survivors of spiritual abuse.

🌱 ACEs & Long‑Term Effects

We break down the CDC’s ACEs research and how child sexual abuse impacts:

Health

• Chronic illness
• Anxiety, depression, PTSD
• Sleep issues
• Emotional dysregulation

Relationships

• Trust
• Attachment
• Boundaries
• Self‑worth

Spiritual Life

• Fear of God
• Confusion about faith
• Difficulty engaging in church
• Feeling spiritually “broken”

💛 Healing on a Personal & Spiritual Level

Keana explores:

Personal Healing

• Trauma‑informed therapy
• EMDR
• Somatic healing
• Safe relationships
• Rebuilding self‑trust

Spiritual Healing

• Separating God from harmful people
• Reframing damaging teachings
• Allowing space for doubt
• Trauma‑informed pastoral care
• Rebuilding faith slowly and safely

🏡 What Churches & Parents Can Do

Churches

• Mandatory reporting
• Transparent child safety policies
• Trauma‑informed training
• Two‑adult rules
• Zero tolerance for secrecy
• Public support for survivors

Parents

• Believe your child immediately
• Stay calm
• Reassure them it’s not their fault
• Avoid leading questions
• Seek trauma‑informed therapy
• Maintain routines and safety

📊 Why Believing Children Matters

Research shows:

• Children rarely lie about abuse
• Being believed reduces PTSD
• Validation increases healing
• Supportive adults are a protective factor

Belief is not optional — it is lifesaving.

🚨 What To Do If a Child Discloses Abuse

Keana walks through:

Immediate Response

• Stay calm
• Thank them
• Believe them
• Avoid pressing for details

Reporting

• Contact Child Protective Services
• Call law enforcement
• Use your state’s child abuse hotline
• You do NOT need proof — only reasonable suspicion

After the Report

• Provide emotional support
• Maintain routines
• Seek trauma‑informed therapy
• Ensure safety from the offender

💬 Final Encouragement

Survivors: what happened to you was not your fault.

Parents and leaders: your response can change a child’s life.

The church can be a place of safety — but only when we choose truth, accountability, and protection over silence.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

Emory Rose 

https://keanawmitchell.com 

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

As part of our commitment to creating safer communities, safer churches, and safer spaces for children, I want to personally invite you to attend an upcoming free Darkness to Light Stewards of Children Training. This is the same nationally recognized, evidence‑based training we reference often on the podcast the one designed to help adults prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse in trauma‑informed and legally appropriate ways.

If you’ve been listening to the Finding God Podcast for a while, you know how deeply we value emotional safety, spiritual safety, and the protection of vulnerable people. This training is one of the most practical, empowering steps you can take to be part of that mission. Whether you’re a parent, ministry leader, educator, volunteer, or simply someone who wants to be better equipped, this training will give you the tools you need to make a real difference.

📅 Training Date:

May 7, 2026

🧠 Training:

Darkness to Light — Stewards of Children

🔗 Registration Link:

https://d2l.coalitionmanager.org/eventmanager/trainingevent/details/4490

During this training, you’ll learn:

• How grooming actually works

• How to recognize early warning signs

• How to respond if a child discloses abuse

• How to create safer environments in churches, homes, and communities

• How to take action in ways that protect children and support survivors

If you’ve ever wanted to be part of the solution — this is your moment.

I would love for you to join us.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

This week, Keana W. Mitchell invites listeners into a powerful conversation about spiritual restoration and emotional clarity. Many of us were taught distorted versions of God’s character angry, distant, or conditional. These misrepresentations, whether through fear-based theology, religious trauma, or misused scripture, can deeply affect our mental health and spiritual intimacy.

In this episode, Keana explores how relearning God’s true nature kind, loving, and just can transform our emotional well-being and deepen our relationship with Him. Through biblical examples, psychological insights, and trauma-informed healing exercises, you’ll be guided back to the heart of a God who whispers grace, not fear.

🔁 Last Week’s Recap

Last week’s episode, “Healthy Giving vs. Financial Abuse in the Church,” unpacked how spiritual manipulation around money can distort our view of generosity and God’s provision. Keana explored the difference between peace-led giving and coercive tactics, laying the groundwork for this week’s deeper dive into God’s character.

📖 What You’ll Learn

• How distorted views of God affect mental health and spiritual connection
• Biblical stories where God revealed His true character
• How mercy and justice coexist in God’s love
• Clinical research on the emotional impact of misrepresenting God
• Five healing exercises to help you rediscover who God is to you
• How understanding God’s love can lead to emotional safety and spiritual intimacy

🛠️ Healing Exercises Included

Each practice is paired with a scripture for reflection:

1. God Image Journal – John 14:9
2. Scripture Meditation – Psalm 103:8
3. Prayer of Reintroduction – Jeremiah 24:7
4. Lyric Reflection – Zephaniah 3:17
5. Character Collage – Exodus 34:6

📥 Download the full healing guide in the show notes

🎶 Song of the Week

“God’s Love” by Unique-ly Chosen This song is a declaration of divine kindness, mercy, and justice. 🎥 Watch the lyric video in the show notes 📥 Healing guide available for download

🧠 Research Highlight

According to NeuroLaunch (2025), fear-based religious teachings can contribute to emotional dysregulation and obsessive behaviors. A study in the Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health found that secure attachment to a loving God correlates with lower anxiety and higher emotional resilience (Smith & Exline, 2023).

🔗 Resources & Links

• 🎶 Watch the lyric video for “God’s Love” by Unique-ly Chosen
• 📄 Download the Healing Exercises PDF:
• 📺 Subscribe to the Finding God Podcast on YouTube

💬 Connect with Keana

• Instagram: @findinggod2
• Website: www.keanawmitchell.com

✨ If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s ready to meet God again for who He truly is. Relearning His character isn’t rebellion, it’s restoration.

#FindingGodPodcast #GodIsKind #FaithHealing #SpiritualRestoration #TraumaInformedFaith #GodsLove #UniqueLyChosen #KeanaWMitchell

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations

In this week’s episode of the Finding God Podcast, Keana W. Mitchell breaks down one of the most misunderstood and overlooked aspects of child protection in faith communities: grooming and manipulation tactics. These behaviors are often subtle, strategic, and wrapped in kindness, spirituality, or trust — which is exactly why they go unnoticed until harm has already occurred.

Building on last week’s episode about preventing child sexual abuse in the church, Keana explains what grooming is, what manipulation is, how they differ, and how they work together to create access, secrecy, and control. Drawing from leading psychologists such as Dr. Anna Salter, Dr. David Finkelhor, Dr. Diane Langberg, and Dr. Wade Mullen, this episode offers a clear, research‑based understanding of how predators operate — especially in faith‑based environments.

Listeners will learn how to recognize red flags, how adults can be groomed without realizing it, what grooming and manipulation look like inside a church setting, and how these tactics impact victims emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. Keana also provides guidance on how to respond if a child discloses abuse or if you suspect something is happening — with a strong emphasis on following state law and reporting immediately to the proper legal authorities.

This episode is gentle, educational, and empowering — offering clarity without fear and equipping believers to protect children with wisdom, courage, and compassion.

✨ In This Episode, We Cover:

🔹 Recap of Last Week’s Episode

• Why prevention must be proactive
• How churches unintentionally create vulnerability
• The importance of accountability, transparency, and child‑centered policies

🔹 What Grooming Is

• Research‑based definition
• Insights from Dr. Anna Salter, Dr. David Finkelhor, and Dr. Diane Langberg
• How grooming targets both children and adults
• Why grooming is a process, not a single event

🔹 What Manipulation Is

• Definition and examples
• How manipulation distorts perception and protects the abuser
• Faith‑based insights from Dr. Diane Langberg and Dr. Wade Mullen
• How spiritual language can be misused to silence victims

🔹 Grooming vs. Manipulation

• How they differ
• How they work together
• Why understanding both is essential for prevention

🔹 Red Flags to Watch For

• Grooming red flags
• Manipulation red flags
• Warning signs in adults who may be unknowingly groomed

🔹 How Adults Can Be Groomed

• Charm, service, and spiritual language
• How predators build trust in faith communities
• Why adults often overlook or dismiss red flags

🔹 What This Looks Like in a Church Environment

• Non‑graphic, realistic examples
• How abusers use ministry roles, mentorship, and authority
• How churches can unintentionally protect abusers

🔹 Effects on Victims

• Emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact
• Insights from trauma experts like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and Dr. Langberg
• Why victims struggle with trust, faith, and identity

🔹 How to Respond to Disclosure or Suspicion

• Believe the child
• Stay calm
• Avoid leading questions
• Follow state law and report immediately to the proper legal authorities
• Why churches must not investigate internally

✨ Key Takeaway

Grooming and manipulation thrive in silence, confusion, and misplaced trust. Recognizing these tactics is one of the most powerful ways we can protect children, support survivors, and create churches that reflect the heart of God — a God who defends the vulnerable and stands with the oppressed.

✨ Next Week’s Episode

Join us next week as we talk about how to support victims of child sexual abuse — emotionally, spiritually, and practically.

✨ Connect & Share

If this episode helped you, share it with your church leaders, parents, caregivers, and anyone committed to protecting children.

Follow the podcast for more faith‑centered conversations on safety, healing, and truth.

📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast 

🌐 Website 

Emory Rose 

https://keanawmitchell.com 

📘 Facebook Page 

Finding God 

https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod 

👥 Facebook Group 

Finding God Community 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod 

📸 Instagram 

Keana W. Mitchell 

https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2 

🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle 

https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b 

📧 Email 

paperanthementertainment@gmail.com 

🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen 

New Music Coming Soon!!! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations