I Belong to Me: Tia Levings on Rebuilding After Religious Trauma (Part 1)

I Belong to Me: Tia Levings on Rebuilding After Religious Trauma (Part 1)

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.


In this episode, Tia Levings—bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife and survivor of Christian fundamentalism who appears in the Amazon docuseries Shiny Happy People—returns to dig deeper into what happened after escaping her high‑control marriage and the broader world of Christian patriarchy and homeschooling that enabled it. She talks about navigating the court system and custody battles with an abuser who knew how to weaponize “godly fatherhood,” how churches and pastors closed ranks around him, and what it really takes to rebuild a life, parenting, and identity after years inside complementarian theology, Quiverfull‑style gender roles, and domestic violence justified with Bible verses.


Tia also shares how writing, advocacy, and connecting with other survivors of religious abuse, authoritarian homeschooling, and Christian nationalist culture have become part of her healing—and why she believes telling messy, complicated stories about faith, family, and freedom is one of the most powerful ways to push back on the systems that trained her to stay small and silent in the first place.


Paperback copies of A Well-Trained Wife are available February 20, and you can pre-order Tia’s upcoming book, I Belong to Me, coming May 5. Follow her at tialevings.com and on social media @tialevingswriter.


Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of domestic violence, religious and spiritual abuse, child and family trauma, and brief mentions of suicidal thoughts.


Also…let it be known that:

The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.


**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book here

Check out our amazing sponsors

Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon

Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

Support the pod and smash this link

Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources

Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred


CREDITS:

Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

Audio production: Will Retherford

Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore

Writer: Sandra Nomoto

Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin


SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:

You’re going to love Hungryroot as much as we do. For a limited time, get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/culty and use code culty.


Get organized, refreshed, and back on track this new year for WAY less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style. Every home.


Make this Valentine's Day one to remember with matching underwear from MeUndies. To get exclusive deals up to 50% off, go to MeUndies.com/culty and enter promo code culty.


Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.


Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/culty.


Ready to stop paying more than you have to? New customers can make the switch today and for a limited time, get unlimited premium wireless for just $15 per month. Switch now at MintMobile.com/culty.



See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episoder(322)

Is Landmark a Cult? Anne Peterson Returns (Part 2)

Is Landmark a Cult? Anne Peterson Returns (Part 2)

In Part 2 with former Landmark Forum staffer Anne Peterson, we dig into what it actually took to leave the Landmark ecosystem emotionally, financially, and socially—and how she began unpacking the “te...

29 Jan 40min

Is Landmark a Cult? Anne Peterson Returns (Part 1)

Is Landmark a Cult? Anne Peterson Returns (Part 1)

In Part 1 of this conversation, former Landmark Forum staffer Anne Peterson returns to update us about life post-Is This a Cult? book launch. She takes us back inside the transformational training mac...

26 Jan 45min

Ma Will See You Now: Chasing Nirvana with Priya Hutner (Part 2)

Ma Will See You Now: Chasing Nirvana with Priya Hutner (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our conversation with Priya Hutner, we keep pulling back the curtain on life inside the Kashi Ashram and the world surrounding Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati (“Ma”), including what happens when d...

22 Jan 38min

Ma Will See You Now: Chasing Nirvana with Priya Hutner (Part 1)

Ma Will See You Now: Chasing Nirvana with Priya Hutner (Part 1)

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.In Part 1 of our conversation with writer Priya Hutner, she takes us inside her years at the Kashi Ashram, a spiritual community led by guru Ma Jaya Sati Bhagav...

19 Jan 36min

My Toxic Father and Bahai: Jared Van Driessche’s Survival Story (Part 2)

My Toxic Father and Bahai: Jared Van Driessche’s Survival Story (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our conversation with Jared Van Driessche, we go even deeper into what happens when you start questioning the system you were raised in, especially when that system is built on family, fa...

15 Jan 36min

My Toxic Father and Bahai: Jared Van Driessche’s Survival Story (Part 1)

My Toxic Father and Bahai: Jared Van Driessche’s Survival Story (Part 1)

In Part 1 of our conversation, security specialist Jared Van Driessche shares the story behind his polished “protector” persona: growing up in a Bahá’í family with a controlling and volatile father, a...

12 Jan 44min

Cults to Consciousness: Shelise Ann Sola on Post-Mormon Podcast Life (Part 2)

Cults to Consciousness: Shelise Ann Sola on Post-Mormon Podcast Life (Part 2)

In Part 2 with artist and ex-Mormon creator Shelise Ann Sola, we pick up with what happens after you walk away from the LDS Church: family fallout, reclaiming your body and sexuality from modesty/puri...

8 Jan 47min

Cults to Consciousness: Shelise Ann Sola on Post-Mormon Podcast Life (Part 1)

Cults to Consciousness: Shelise Ann Sola on Post-Mormon Podcast Life (Part 1)

In the first part of our conversation, artist, podcaster, and former Mormon Shelise Ann Sola joins us to talk about growing up in a devout Latter-day Saint (LDS) family. She internalized “perfect girl...

5 Jan 42min

Populært innen Fakta

fastlegen
dine-penger-pengeradet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
mikkels-paskenotter
foreldreradet
treningspodden
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
jakt-og-fiskepodden
sinnsyn
rss-bisarr-historie
takk-og-lov-med-anine-kierulf
rss-kull
rss-sunn-okonomi
fryktlos
hverdagspsyken
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
level-up-med-anniken-binz
hagespiren-podcast
gravid-uke-for-uke
rss-kunsten-a-leve