Safe to Hope Podcast

All suffering is loss, but God leaves nothing unused in His plans. We help women see His redemptive thread throughout their circumstances and then look for opportunities to join with God in His transforming work.

Dr. Ann Maree Goudzwaard

Founder and Executive Director of Help[H]er.

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Season 7 Episode 2 "Get in Line"

Story, Ann Maree

Is It Spiritual Abuse

Holy Hurt, Hillary McBride

Something’s Not Right, Wade Mullen

Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse, Lisa Oakley

Breaking the Silence on Spiritual Abuse, Lisa Oakley

Downsizing, Michelle Van Loon

When Narcissim Comes to Church, Chuck DeGroat

Healing What’s Within, Chuck DeGroat

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Dave Johnson, Jeff Van Vonderen

Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire

The Allender Center

Aaron Hann’s support groups

Season 7 Episode 1

Wade Mullen – Expert Contributor

Is It Spiritual Abuse?

In this episode of Safe to Hope, Wade Mullen joins Ann Maree and Julia to unpack how spiritual abuse operates within churches and Christian organizations. Drawing from his research and lived experience, Wade exposes the image-protecting tactics—silencing, justification, denial, and confusion—that often harm victims and protect systems. This conversation offers language, clarity, and hope for those seeking truth, safety, and a more faithful response to abuse.

Holy Hurt, Hillary McBride

Something’s Not Right, Wade Mullen

Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse, Lisa Oakley

Breaking the Silence on Spiritual Abuse, Lisa Oakley

Downsizing, Michelle Van Loon

When Narcissim Comes to Church, Chuck DeGroat

Healing What’s Within, Chuck DeGroat

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Dave Johnson, Jeff Van Vonderen

Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire

The Allender Center

Aaron Hann’s support groups

Season 6 Episode 17

Carya & Dan Allender Bonus 2

Bearing Witness

In this bonus and final episode of Safe to Hope Season 6, Dr. Dan Allender joins our storyteller, Carya, for a profoundly moving conversation about trauma, faith, and the goodness of God. Together, they explore what it means to bear the image of God after unthinkable evil—and to rediscover delight, gentleness, and hope along the way. As Ann Maree closes the Bearing Witness series, she reflects on how this season revealed not only the depth of human suffering but also the depth of God’s mercy and presence. Evil is real—but not final.

SHOW NOTES:

Dr Allender resources

Season 6 Episode 16

Carya’s Story – Part 6

Bearing Witness

In her final story episode, Carya reflects on what it means for God to be with her—not only through rescue, but in the long, quiet ache that follows. Through Scripture, images, and honest wrestling, she shares how comfort can coexist with agony, and how the Word that once felt distant has become both balm and challenge. Explore what healing looks like when it isn’t finished yet—when faith must hold steady between lament and hope.

SHOW NOTES:

Episode 4 Self-Care
Episode 6 Dr Heather Evans
Restoring the Shattered Self by Dr. Heather Gingrich

Self-Care Resources:

Christian Trauma Healing Network, Tools and Handouts
Self-Regulation for Daily Triggers
The Essential Skill to Regulate Your Nervous System
Therapy in a Nutshell
Justice From the Victim’s Perspective by Judith Herman
Honoring the Truth: A Response to the Backlash by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
The Other Half of Church, Escaping Enemy Mode and The Red Dragon Cast Down by Dr Jim Wilder

Informational Resources:

Serving SRA Survivors: Satanic Ritual Abuse Recovery by Kay Elise Tolman
Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion
RAINN.org – Informational Support for sexual abuse survivors
On the Threshold of Hope by Diane Langberg
Escaping High-Control Religious Groups

Scripture quotations are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.