*Note: This episode is about my goal to reduce the tension between those who stay in the Church and those who leave**
My friend Andy Newman (married father of three, Ex-Mormon, therapist, LGBTQ ally, bridge builder) joins for a series of episodes. In this episode, Andy talks about “the shame train” during his youth including:
*Porn, substance use, and working with his church leaders
* Shame around the “addiction label”, restrictions (temple trips), and falsely seeing himself as a “terrible addict”
* How porn/substance use was more about self-medicating from the shame and trauma than a desire to displease God
* How his worth become dependent on church leaders
* All the people who helped him along the way
Andy then talks about his road to be an LGBTQ ally:
* Started in high school in Iowa with proximity to queer people
* Felt he had to choose the Church over queer people
* Powerful post-mission experience giving a blessing to a queer student at BYU-I
* Fully taking on the ally role following the pulse nightclub shooting
* Staying in the church as an ally
* What led him to eventually leave the Church
Andy also talks about why he isn’t trying to get other people to leave the Church—but trying to build bridges of understanding. In the next episode, will talk about his mixed-faith marriage (Andy’s wife is active LDS) and how they have a beautiful/supportive marriage—including Andy attending church.
Thank you, my friend Andy, for being on the podcast and your great heart and clinical skills to help heal others and bring us together as the same human family. You are a good man and friend.
Links:
Psychology today:
www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/andy-newman-gilbert-az/974441
IG: www.instagram.com/andynewmanlpc/
TikTok:
www.tiktok.com/@deconstruction_therapy
All content for Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler is the property of Richard Ostler and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
*Note: This episode is about my goal to reduce the tension between those who stay in the Church and those who leave**
My friend Andy Newman (married father of three, Ex-Mormon, therapist, LGBTQ ally, bridge builder) joins for a series of episodes. In this episode, Andy talks about “the shame train” during his youth including:
*Porn, substance use, and working with his church leaders
* Shame around the “addiction label”, restrictions (temple trips), and falsely seeing himself as a “terrible addict”
* How porn/substance use was more about self-medicating from the shame and trauma than a desire to displease God
* How his worth become dependent on church leaders
* All the people who helped him along the way
Andy then talks about his road to be an LGBTQ ally:
* Started in high school in Iowa with proximity to queer people
* Felt he had to choose the Church over queer people
* Powerful post-mission experience giving a blessing to a queer student at BYU-I
* Fully taking on the ally role following the pulse nightclub shooting
* Staying in the church as an ally
* What led him to eventually leave the Church
Andy also talks about why he isn’t trying to get other people to leave the Church—but trying to build bridges of understanding. In the next episode, will talk about his mixed-faith marriage (Andy’s wife is active LDS) and how they have a beautiful/supportive marriage—including Andy attending church.
Thank you, my friend Andy, for being on the podcast and your great heart and clinical skills to help heal others and bring us together as the same human family. You are a good man and friend.
Links:
Psychology today:
www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/andy-newman-gilbert-az/974441
IG: www.instagram.com/andynewmanlpc/
TikTok:
www.tiktok.com/@deconstruction_therapy
Episode 845: Suzanne Greco, Sex Abuse Survivor, on Her Powerful New Book “The Stone Sphere”
Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler
1 hour 22 minutes 43 seconds
1 week ago
Episode 845: Suzanne Greco, Sex Abuse Survivor, on Her Powerful New Book “The Stone Sphere”
My friend Suzie Greco—a survivor of child sex abuse and domestic abuse, a Latter-day Saint, a Harvard Divinity School graduate (Master's in Theology), a doctrinal candidate, and an advocate in numerous organizations working to end abuse—joins us to share her powerful story and discuss her new book, The Stone Sphere.
In this must-listen-to podcast, Suzie shares:
The meaning behind the title and image on the front cover of the book.
Untrained Ministry and Institutional Harm, including both positive and negative experiences with her Stake President, David F. Hollard—who gave Suzie permission to include his name and their experiences in the book.
A Transformative Theology of Forgiveness—a much healthier framework for healing.
Pathways to Healing, Redemption, and Spiritual Transcendence, the golden thread of the book.
It's hard to overstate the power and importance of this conversation. Suzie is doing breakthrough, trailblazing work. I learned so much and was deeply moved.
If you are a survivor of abuse—sexual, domestic, clergy, or otherwise—please listen. This episode will help you. (You are also welcome to reach out to Suzie directly; her email is in the show notes.) And if you are a local church leader, friend, family member, or really anyone else, please listen and share this podcast and Suzie’s book. It will provide you with better tools to help and support others.
I truly wish I had heard this podcast and read Suzie’s book before my own church assignments—I would have been so much better equipped to help provide healing.
Thank you, Suzie, for writing this book and for your vulnerability on the podcast. Your insights, courage, and work are helping so many. You are one of my new heroes.
Links:
Suzie’s Website: https://www.thestonesphere.com/
Suzie’s Email: S.E.Greco@sms.ed.ac.uk
Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FD9FT8B1
Suzie’s Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/suzgrec2
Dialogue Journal Article, "Confronting Men's Violence Against Women & Girls in the LDS Church": https://www.dialoguejournal.com/articles/confronting-mens-violence-against-women-and-girls-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/
Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler
*Note: This episode is about my goal to reduce the tension between those who stay in the Church and those who leave**
My friend Andy Newman (married father of three, Ex-Mormon, therapist, LGBTQ ally, bridge builder) joins for a series of episodes. In this episode, Andy talks about “the shame train” during his youth including:
*Porn, substance use, and working with his church leaders
* Shame around the “addiction label”, restrictions (temple trips), and falsely seeing himself as a “terrible addict”
* How porn/substance use was more about self-medicating from the shame and trauma than a desire to displease God
* How his worth become dependent on church leaders
* All the people who helped him along the way
Andy then talks about his road to be an LGBTQ ally:
* Started in high school in Iowa with proximity to queer people
* Felt he had to choose the Church over queer people
* Powerful post-mission experience giving a blessing to a queer student at BYU-I
* Fully taking on the ally role following the pulse nightclub shooting
* Staying in the church as an ally
* What led him to eventually leave the Church
Andy also talks about why he isn’t trying to get other people to leave the Church—but trying to build bridges of understanding. In the next episode, will talk about his mixed-faith marriage (Andy’s wife is active LDS) and how they have a beautiful/supportive marriage—including Andy attending church.
Thank you, my friend Andy, for being on the podcast and your great heart and clinical skills to help heal others and bring us together as the same human family. You are a good man and friend.
Links:
Psychology today:
www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/andy-newman-gilbert-az/974441
IG: www.instagram.com/andynewmanlpc/
TikTok:
www.tiktok.com/@deconstruction_therapy