Best April Ajoy & Beecher Reuning Podcasts (2024)

1
The Ark Encounter w/ April Ajoy and Beecher Reuning 2:04:33

3h ago2:04:33

2:04:33

This month the Sunday School Dropouts did some field-reporting…that is, we went on a field trip to the Ark Encounter and we took our friends April and Beecher with us. In today’s episode we share more about our experience at the Ark, what it was like to venture back into fundamentalist Christianity, listening to a live-lecture by Ken Hamm, and go t…

1
The Abuser’s Playbook (aka the Story of Job) 1:40:30

28d ago1:40:30

1:40:30

We’re excited to bring you another episode of Vacation Bible School–Sunday School Dropouts edition! This month we are joined by our favorite podcast editor, Kevin Crowe (@jesusunfollower on social media) to talk about the story of Job. And let us tell ya, this is *not* the story you heard in VBS! We’ll also be talking about some of the latest thing…

1
Vacation Bible School featuring the Apostle Paul, the OG Grifter 1:58:04

2M ago1:58:04

1:58:04

It’s summer and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School–Sunday School Dropouts Edition! This month we’re letting you in on all the church-sanctified gossip that all the moms are talking about as their kiddos are doing arts and crafts like Carl Lenz’s new podcast, Robert Morris’ “affair, and more. And during our Bible story time we’ll be talk…

1
Wrapping Up Season One! 1:07:40

4M ago1:07:40

1:07:40

This is our final episode of season one and Andrew and Laura are back to talk about men and bears, lift up John MacArthur in prayer, to quite literally celebrate the United Methodist church’s repeal of their declaration that did not allow LGBTQ+ clergy members and more. We’ll also be reflecting on some of our favorite moments from the season and sh…

1
Purity Culture Poster Child to Pastor to Black Sheep w/ Josh Harris 1:45:15

5M ago1:45:15

1:45:15

This week we will be talking to a notorious former pastor about their experience growing up inside high control religion, becoming a poster child for purity culture, being set up to take over for a large church and ultimately giving it all up, deconstructing his faith and leaving the church. If you grew up in evangelicalism, and likely even if you …

1
How to Heal when You’re the Victim and Perpetrator 1:22:15

5M ago1:22:15

1:22:15

How do you heal from religious trauma when you were both the victim and perpetrator of high control religion? Dan Miller joins us today to discuss his work with clients who are healing from religious trauma and adverse religious experiences that were in positions of ministry leadership, including the unpaid labor of volunteers (which many of us cal…

1
Choosing Relationship over Doctrine 1:30:12

6M ago1:30:12

1:30:12

We are excited to be talking today with April Ajoy and Beecher Reuning! They are sharing with the Sunday School Dropouts crew their story of growing up in fundamentalism and purity culture, meeting and getting married under those systems and then navigating their way through discarding those doctrines and theology to find their way into the relatio…

1
…when you don’t get what you’re promised from purity culture… 1:28:54

6M ago1:28:54

1:28:54

Today we are excited to have the Sexvangelicals, that is Julia Postema and Jeremiah Gibson, on our podcast! Julia and Jeremiah are licensed and AASECT certified psychotherapists who use their personal and professional lives and experience to work with relationships where at least one partner has been a part of high control religion, fundamentalism …

1
Growing Up as a Woman in Purity Culture 1:22:56

7M ago1:22:56

1:22:56

We are thrilled today to be talking with Rachel Overvoll! Rachel herself grew up in purity culture and high control religion. We discuss her experiences inside purity culture, the impact of it and her healing journey. We then get into how Rachel has used her personal story to inspire her professional life as a Somatic Sex Coach who works with clien…

1
The Impact of Purity Culture on Women 1:29:55

7M ago1:29:55

1:29:55

We are thrilled to have with us today Dr. Tina Schermer Seller who is an author, researcher, professor, and psychotherapist specializing in the impacts of purity culture, shame resilience, gender, and sexuality. In this episode, Dr. Tina shares her research and how she came to realize the psychological and physiological impact of purity culture and…

1
Growing Up Male in Purity Culture 1:36:59

8M ago1:36:59

1:36:59

We’re back with another episode from our purity culture mini-series! This week’s guest is RC Curtwright (@deconstructing_exjw on Instagram) who grew up in the Jehovah’s Witness organization and was a poster child of purity culture. In our conversation RC shares some of the long term impacts, mental health issues and shame that he and many other men…

1
It’s Time to Talk about Men Healing from Purity Culture 1:29:21

8M ago1:29:21

1:29:21

The holidays are over and we are back into our purity culture mini-series! This month we are talking about purity culture and it’s impact on individuals who grew up male in this system. We are thrilled to have Dr. Bradley Onishi on the podcast today as our professional who has done research and client-facing work in this area as well as being a pur…

1
Holiday Q&A Part Two with Cindy Wang Brandt 1:15:21

9M ago1:15:21

1:15:21

You better watch out…you better not cry… Celebrating the holidays can be difficult when you’re deconstructing from your faith or healing from religious trauma. That’s why we’re using today’s episode to take your questions about various aspects of religious trauma and the holidays! Today Laura is joined by guest-host, Cindy Wang Brandt, to answer th…

1
Inside a Somatic Experiencing Session 1:05:07

9M ago1:05:07

1:05:07

We have a special episode for you today! Throughout our podcast episodes we’ve talked about various forms of trauma resolution but today we want to let you peek into what a trauma resolution session actually is! Laura is joined with her friends and colleagues, Jeremy Lehmann (who’s been on our podcast before!) and Jessica Hyne. The three of them ha…

1
Holiday Q&A Part One with Matthias Roberts 1:10:35

9M ago1:10:35

1:10:35

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or is it? Celebrating the holidays can be difficult when you’re deconstructing from your faith or healing from religious trauma. That’s why we’re using today’s episode to take your questions about various aspects of religious trauma and the holidays! Today Laura is joined by guest-host, Matthias Roberts, to …

1
Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby! 1:15:26

10M ago1:15:26

1:15:26

Let’s talk about sex, baby! Today sex educator and creator of the Purity Culture Dropout brand and services, Erica Smith, joins us to talk about sex, comprehensive sex education and resources if you’re needing some remedial sex education after abstinence only or purity culture “sex education”. We’ll also be sharing some prayer requests, answering l…

1
Purity Culture 101 1:22:14

10M ago1:22:14

1:22:14

It’s time to talk about purity culture! Join Andrew and Laura as they begin a mini-series on all things purity culture. In today’s episode we discuss the history of purity culture, our own experiences in it, the long term impacts it’s had on their clients and some of the ways they work with clients when it comes to recovering from purity culture. T…

1
Becoming a Better Body Together 1:18:02

11M ago1:18:02

1:18:02

We are thrilled this week to be talking to Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza about their work in embodiment! Dr. Roberto is passionate about the politics of radical difference and the ways that our collective differences might shed light on how we become a better body together. This ‘better body together’ concept is something our conversation focuses on, as…

1
Your Body is a Revolution 1:42:38

11M ago1:42:38

1:42:38

Today’s guest is Tara Teng. Tara is an Embodiment Coach who works in the intersections of spirituality and sexuality. She helps people find their way back to their bodies, overcome shame, heal trauma and dismantle purity culture in a way that is in alignment with their values and beliefs so that they can build a healthy, sexual ethic and thrive in …

1
Transitioning out of Purity Culture 1:24:15

12M ago1:24:15

1:24:15

On today’s episode of Sunday School Dropouts we will be talking to Cody Harman, a certified fitness coach and nutritionist! Cody shares his story of growing up within evangelicalism and purity culture being socialized female, coming out and transitioning. Cody’s lets us in on his process of healing from the shame and harm that was caused by high co…

1
Religious Trauma for Queer Folks 1:52:02

12M ago1:52:02

1:52:02

Today we are excited to be joined by Jeremy Lehmann–Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Trauma Coach and Assistant Director for the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Jeremy joins us today to talk about some of the aspects of working with queer folks coming out of high control religion, fundamentalism,…

1
Trauma Bonding, Bypassing, Narcissism, and Gaslighting–what do they actually mean? 1:28:24

1y ago1:28:24

1:28:24

It’s time to go to school! Pull out your paper and pencil because today we’re going to have a vocabulary lesson! Join Laura and Andrew on today’s episode where they discuss some of the most commonly misunderstood and mis-defined words that people throw around conversationally and in social media spaces! Trauma bonding is when you bond over shared t…

1
Therapy vs. Coaching vs. Psychiatry 1:32:06

1y ago1:32:06

1:32:06

Nowadays there are more resources available than ever before if you’re looking for support on your healing journey–but which type of person is the best fit for you? A therapist? Coach? Psychiatrist? Join Andrew and Laura to discuss the differences and similarities between these professionals, why they practice as coaches (even though they have acad…

1
Deconstruction vs. Deconversion vs. Dechurched 1:49:41

1y ago1:49:41

1:49:41

Many people in deconstruction and post-religious communities use the term ‘deconstruction’ to describe their experience coming out of high control religion as well as the religious trauma that may have resulted. But are deconstruction and religious trauma the same? On today’s episode of Sunday School Dropouts we will be talking about deconstruction…

1
Spiritual Abuse + Adverse Religious Experiences 1:30:25

1y ago1:30:25

1:30:25

What are Adverse Religious Experiences (AREs) and spiritual abuse? Aren’t they the same thing as religious trauma? Join Andrew and Laura on this week’s episode to discuss AREs, spiritual abuse, dynamics of power and control, how this relates to fundamentalism and how all of this…isn’t religious trauma? You heard us correctly! Andrew and Laura discu…

1
What is the Nervous System (and how does it impact religious trauma)? 1:28:27

1y ago1:28:27

1:28:27

On this episode of Sunday School Dropouts, Laura and Andrew discuss the nervous system–what is it and how it is essential in healing trauma, including religious trauma. They discuss why you can’t think trauma away as well as how high control religions, cults, and fundamentalist systems encourage us to bypass the nervous system as a way of gaining a…

1
What is Religious Trauma? 2:22:16

1y ago2:22:16

2:22:16

For our first episode we will be discussing one of the questions we get asked the most: what is religious trauma? But before that, we’ll be taking “prayer requests”, have flannelgraph storytime and Andrew and Laura will share a bit of their own story! Sunday School Dropouts is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Music i…

1
Welcome to Sunday School Dropouts! 5:54

1+ y ago5:54

5:54

There are many podcasts that focus on deconstructing from religion, cults, and fundamentalism–and podcasts that focus on mental health and trauma. But there aren’t any podcasts that focus specifically on resolving and recovering from trauma and other adverse impacts that may result from these settings. That’s where Sunday School Dropouts comes in! …

1
Q & A 44:48

2+ y ago44:48

44:48

Now that our story is up to date, we answer your questions and talk about what's next for us in this episode. We hope to be back in the fall with new episodes but in the meantime, you can follow us on our individual social media channels below or join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/nonbinarymarriage Thank you all for the love and en…

1
Exploring Brie & Finally Free 48:00

2+ y ago48:00

48:00

This episode takes our journey to the present day. We talk about Beecher exploring "Brie", the name for their feminine side, and finally finding freedom in just being Beecher. April talks about saying goodbye to the heterosexual marriage she thought she had to celebrating their authentic relationship. We will have a Q&A episode next week. Please em…

1
Coming Out & Vibrators 44:55

2+ y ago44:55

44:55

In this episode, our marriage hits a breaking point. Beecher comes out to April as non-binary in late 2020 and April is forced to start the difficult journey of her own self-discovery. If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at: nonbinarymarriage@gmail.com Follow April & Beecher on social media: TikTok: @aprilajoy @hellobeecher Inst…

1
Pandemic & Protests 42:32

2+ y ago42:32

42:32

In this episode, we talk about the pandemic, attending BLM protests and how we began distancing ourselves from evangelicalism even more. As far as Beecher's gender identity, being stuck at home finally made them confront the question: "who am I?" which pushed us further down the path to acceptance. If you have any questions or comments, you can ema…

1
Fishnets & 12 Steps 32:29

2+ y ago32:29

32:29

In this episode, we talk about April's 2nd pregnancy, our Baby Moon and how we try to accept certain aspects of Beecher's "feminine side." In a desperate attempt, Beecher even tries going to a 12-step group. If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at: nonbinarymarriage@gmail.com Follow April & Beecher on social media: TikTok: @april…

1
Baby Bump & Donald Trump 38:44

2+ y ago38:44

38:44

In this episode, we talk about moving to a new state, having a baby and what that did to Beecher's gender expression. We also talk about Donald Trump and how he disrupted our evangelical bubble. If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at: nonbinarymarriage@gmail.com Follow April & Beecher on social media: TikTok: @aprilajoy @hellobe…

1
Naked Thrones & Home Alone 45:03

2+ y ago45:03

45:03

We finally get to talk about the marriage part of our journey. In this episode, we discuss our first year of marriage, what intimacy looked like and how Beecher handled having access to April's clothes. We also share how April's brother came out to us and how it shifted our beliefs. This was when we realized our marriage didn't fix the gender dysph…

1
Wedding Bells & Shuffleboard 33:07

2+ y ago33:07

33:07

In this episode, we talk about being engaged, planning a wedding and going on our honeymoon. Finally, we get to the marriage part of our non-binary marriage. Our First Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eiF8ysdY_E Video We Played at Wedding Reception: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_WA8IVzOjs If you have any questions or comments, you can em…

1
Dating, Demons & Going Viral 36:42

2+ y ago36:42

36:42

In this episode, we wrap up our dating life, how we both fought Beecher's "demons" (aka gender dysphoria) until we get engaged. Music Video we made in Florence, SC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT3ieh7UhUE The link to our proposal video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2X1EGWHebo Link to our interview on the 700 Club: https://www.youtube.com/wa…

1
Dating, Shame & Shells 41:48

2+ y ago41:48

41:48

This episodes covers the first part of our dating relationship - the fun beginning, falling in love and the challenge of navigating the shame we both carried. April learns about Beecher's gender dysphoria during this time and the wild and difficult journey officially begins. Pictures of the shells we found: https://imgur.com/gallery/ta6LhVt If you …

1
April's Beginning 37:49

2+ y ago37:49

37:49

***Trigger warning - this episode includes a brief story of sexual assault*** It's April's turn to share her origin story. In this episode, she will talk about her life before meeting Beecher: life as a preacher's kid, purity culture and the pressure that both entail. If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at: nonbinarymarriage@gma…

1
Beecher's Beginning 32:27

2+ y ago32:27

32:27

Before we can tell you about our relationship, we need to give some background information to paint the whole picture. In this episode, Beecher talks about their life before meeting April: the gender dysphoria, the church world and living in both. Watch Beecher's short film "Book Covers" here: https://www.beecher.media/2nd-gallery If you have any q…

1
Intro: What is a Non-Binary Marriage? 34:18

2+ y ago34:18

34:18

Hello and welcome to our podcast! We are thrilled that we get to share our story up to this point with you all. In this episode, we will introduce ourselves, give an overview of our marriage and define what it means to be Non-Binary. If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at: nonbinarymarriage@gmail.com Follow April & Beecher on so…

1
The Non-Binary Marriage Podcast Trailer 0:52

2+ y ago0:52

0:52

A glimpse into our upcoming podcast that will dive into our unconventional marriage. Feel free to follow us social media: TikTok: @hellobeecher @aprilajoy Instagram: @hellobeecher @aprilajoy Or email us with questions or comments: nonbinarymarriage@gmail.comBy April Ajoy & Beecher Reuning

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April Ajoy & Beecher Reuning Podcasts

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