What if the place where you expected to find God became the place where you were hurt? For some women, spiritual wounds can affect much more than their relationship with a church. Spiritual trauma and wounding can affect your ability to pray, how you engage with the Bible, your willingness to be in community, and even your ability to trust God. The stakes are high!

In this NEW Bold, Brave & Beautiful podcast episode, I'm honored to speak with Colleen Ramser, author of The Shattered Soul: Restoring Wholeness and Rebuilding Your Faith After Spiritual Trauma. She's an EMDR-certified licensed professional counselor and trauma specialist who works at the intersection of trauma and faith. Most of all, Colleen brings both professional expertise and personal experience as a survivor of trauma to this important conversation.

We talk honestly about spiritual abuse and the ways these experiences can shape how we see ourselves, other people, and God. Colleen also shares what healing can look like when we refuse to minimize what happened but also don't want our wounds to have the final word. If you've experienced spiritual hurt or if you love someone who has.

This powerful conversation offers compassion, honesty, and hope. My prayer is that this episode reminds you that being wounded by people does not mean you have to walk away from God.

Resources From This Episode:

The Shattered Soul

Colleen's Website

Colleen's Facebook Page

Here, Not There Podcast Hosted by Colleen Ramser

Colleen Ramser, MA, is an EMDR-certified licensed professional counselor (LPC), speaker, and writer who meets Christ followers at the intersection of trauma and faith. She is a sought-after trauma specialist—particularly on issues of spiritual abuse, domestic abuse, and complex trauma—and she has spent years journeying with souls in the church and within the scope of her clinical practice. Colleen also frequently speaks to pastors, ministry leaders, organizations, and other mental health professionals who desire to help survivors individually and to address systemic harm. She has appeared on podcasts such as The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and The Slow Work. As a survivor of trauma, Colleen is a compassionate witness on the journey, bringing not only her clinical expertise but also a deep knowing of dark nights and the breath of new mercies. Colleen lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and two kids and enjoys being swallowed up by God's beautiful landscapes and catching a good pun.

Know a woman who needs this reminder that God's love is steady even when life isn't? Share this episode with her!

Bold, Brave & Beautiful releases new episodes on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month.

Find all the episodes in the podcast archive at BarbRoose.com/podcast

Barb Roose is a Christian speaker, Bible teacher and author who helps overwhelmed women stop carrying the things God never asked them to carry so those women can experience God's peace, freedom, and purpose. She speaks nationally and internationally at conferences and retreats, including Aspire Women's Events, ECPA Leadership Summit, Proverbs 31 COMPEL and She Speaks Conference. Barb is the author of seven Bible studies, including Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle, and five books, including Stronger Than Stress. She hosts the Bold, Brave & Beautiful podcast and writes her weekly Happy Monday devotional. Barb is the proud mom of three adult kids. She lives in northwest Ohio and prefers to eat dessert first.

What happens when you know God loves you, but your circumstances make it hard to believe that He cares?

In this episode of Bold, Brave & Beautiful, I'm joined by mother-daughter authors Amy Bragg Carey and Anna Marie Carey, authors of Claimed by God: Thirty Declarations of Your Identity in Christ.

You know how much I care about saying the hard things with hope! That's exactly how Amy and Anna came to our conversation. I was impressed and appreciative of their willingness to be vulnerable about their own struggles with self-doubt, identity, and difficult seasons. They didn't offer simple answers or pretend that declaring God's truth makes life's hard circumstances disappear. Instead, they shared honestly about what they've learned: God's love is true and steady even when our circumstances are anything but.

Amy and Anna Marie talk about what it looks like to anchor our identity in Christ when we're struggling to believe what God says about us, why our words matter, and how declaring Scripture can help reshape our perspective—even before our circumstances change.

If you've ever found yourself wondering, "If God really loves me, why does my life feel like this?" I think you'll find comfort in their courage and honesty.

Resources From This Episode

Connect with Amy and Anna Marie via email: president@friendsuniversity.edu.
Claimed by God on Amazon

Amy Bragg Carey (EdD, Azusa Pacific) is the president of Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. She serves on the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities board and the International Friends Missions board. Amy lives in Kansas with her husband, Bryan.

Anna Marie Carey (BS, University of Northwestern, St. Paul) is a songwriter, copywriter, and video producer. She is also the worship director at The Gathering Community Church in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Anna lives in the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

Know a woman who needs this reminder that God's love is steady even when life isn't? Share this episode with her!

Bold, Brave & Beautiful releases new episodes on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month.

Find all the episodes in the podcast archive at BarbRoose.com/podcast.

Barb Roose is a Christian speaker, Bible teacher and author who helps overwhelmed women stop carrying the things God never asked them to carry so those women can experience God's peace, freedom, and purpose. She speaks nationally and internationally at conferences and retreats, including Aspire Women's Events, ECPA Leadership Summit, Proverbs 31 COMPEL and She Speaks Conference. Barb is the author of seven Bible studies, including Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle, and five books, including Stronger Than Stress. She hosts the Bold, Brave & Beautiful podcast and writes her weekly Happy Monday devotional. Barb is the proud mom of three adult kids. She lives in northwest Ohio and prefers to eat dessert first.

Why do some believers seem so alive with joy in Jesus, while you feel... meh? Or worse, a little cynical? Verses like Psalm 34:8 tell us to "delight in the Lord," but does that actually work in real life?

In this episode, I'm sitting down with my friend Stephanie Rousselle. She's a powerful Bible teacher, host of the Gospel Spice podcast, and author of the new book Awaken Delight: Satisfying Your Soul's Longing for God. Stephanie shares her powerful story of coming to faith as a former atheist raised in a hedonist culture in France, and how that journey led her to a life motto of "God's glory, our delight!"

Together, me and Stephanie unpack what Psalm 34:8 really means, why delight isn't about getting what you want from God, and how delight can be sensory, tangible, even "luscious" perspective that can fire up your faith. So, if your faith has gone flat or you're longing to feel alive in Jesus again, this conversation will help you reclaim it.

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Link to Awaken Delight

Stephanie's Gospel Spice website

Connect with Stephanie on Instagram

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Stephanie Rousselle is a Bible teacher, speaker, host of the Gospel Spice podcast, and founder of Gospel Spice Ministries. Born and raised in France, Stephanie is a former atheist whose life motto is now "God's glory, our delight!" Having resided in four different countries during her lifetime, she now lives with her family in Pennsylvania.

About Your Host:

Barb Roose is a Christian speaker, Bible teacher and author who helps overwhelmed women stop carrying the things God never asked them to carry so those women can experience God's peace, freedom, and purpose. She speaks nationally and internationally at conferences and retreats, including Aspire Women's Events, ECPA Leadership Summit, Proverbs 31 COMPEL and She Speaks Conference. Barb is the author of seven Bible studies, including Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle, and five books, including Stronger Than Stress. She hosts the Bold, Brave & Beautiful podcast and writes her weekly Happy Monday devotional. Barb is the proud mom of three adult kids. She lives in northwest Ohio and prefers to eat dessert first.

Have you ever wondered why you still feel shame even though you believe in grace? In this episode, Barb talks with Toni Kim, the director of spiritual care at the National Association of Evangelicals and former pastor of over twenty years to talk about her new book, Shame Redeemed: Learning to Live in Christ's Freedom.

Toni unpacks the real difference between guilt and shame, why shame keeps so many faithful Christians stuck in hiding, and how God's lavish love invites us into healing instead of condemnation. Drawing on her own story as an Asian American woman in ministry, Toni brings wisdom about both the personal and communal sides of shame and practical ways to start living unashamed.

Don't miss the part of the interview where Toni unpacks the well-known story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and how God still saw Adam and Eve as His children even though they failed and they were ashamed. This was Barb's favorite part of the episode!

Has shame been a constant part of your life? If you've ever felt like you're not quite good enough for God's love, this conversation will remind you: shame doesn't get the final word. God's love for you does.

Connect with Toni Kim

Shame Redeemed: Learning to Live in Christ's Freedom

About Our Guest:

Toni Kim is director of spiritual care at the National Association of Evangelicals. Previously, she served over twenty years as a pastor in Vancouver and Boston. Toni and her husband Walter currently live in Charlottesville, Virginia, and have two adult children.

About Your Host:

Barb Roose is a Christian speaker, Bible teacher and author who helps overwhelmed women stop carrying the things God never asked them to carry so those women can experience God's peace, freedom, and purpose. She speaks nationally and internationally at conferences and retreats, including Aspire Women's Events, ECPA Leadership Summit, Proverbs 31 COMPEL and She Speaks Conference. Barb is the author of seven Bible studies, including Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle, and five books, including Stronger Than Stress. She hosts the Bold, Brave & Beautiful podcast and writes her weekly Happy Monday devotional. Barb is the proud mom of three adult kids. She lives in northwest Ohio and prefers to eat dessert first.

So many Christians struggle with mental health, and yet we still struggle to talk about it without shame. If you've ever struggled with anxiety, depression or sadness because no one understands, this episode is for you.

In this honest and deeply compassionate conversation, Barb is joined by author Jean Neely to discuss her book Christ in the Abyss: Cultivating Deep Faith amid Depression and Despair. Drawing from her own decades-long journey with mental health challenges, Jean offers a powerful reminder: God's presence isn't reserved for when we feel strong—it meets us right in the depths of our pain.

Together, they explore how Christians can approach depression and mental health with honesty and faith, what to do when struggles begin to shake your beliefs, and how to navigate doubt when God feels silent. This episode offers reassurance that God sees you and loves you, even at your lowest points.

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Connect with Jean on Facebook

Connect with Jean on Instagram

Christ in the Abyss: Cultivating Deep Faith amid Depression and Despair

Visit Jean's Website

Read from Jean's Substack

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Jean Lee Neely is a Korean American writer and educator. She has degrees in comparative literature from the University of California, Irvine and Sorbonne University in Paris and a PhD in English literature from the University of Southern California. Jean writes regularly on issues of mental health and faith for Faith and Leadership, a resource from the Duke Divinity School for Christian leaders. She has also written for Sojourners, Inheritance, the Asian American Christian Collaborative (AACC), and Christians for Social Action. She has taught seminars on navigating the intersections of faith, spiritual formation, and mental health for college students and Christian faculty. She lives in Southern California with her husband and son.

In this powerful and hope-filled conversation, Barb speaks with counselor, spiritual director, and author Sheila Wise Rowe about her book Seeds of Racial Healing: Fifty-Two Devotions for Navigating Through Trauma. With over thirty years of experience counseling trauma survivors and ministering to marginalized communities, Sheila offers a deeply compassionate, trauma-informed approach to addressing both personal and systemic racism through the lens of Scripture.

They talk about how racial trauma impacts the body and soul, why rest and resilience are essential for Christians of color, and how being rooted in God's Word can nurture healing and justice.

If you are seeking Christian encouragement, spiritual formation, and practical tools for navigating racial trauma, this conversation offers hope, wisdom, and a path toward renewal.

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Connect with Sheila on Facebook

Connect with Sheila on Instagram

Seeds of Racial Healing: Fifty-Two Devotions for Navigating Through Trauma

Visit Sheila's Website

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Sheila Wise Rowe (MEd, Cambridge College) has over thirty years of experience offering counseling and spiritual direction to individuals, couples, leaders, and trauma survivors. Sheila also spent a decade ministering to unhoused and abused women, children, and youth in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she was a lay pastor and taught Christian counseling and trauma-related courses. Sheila is a speaker, trainer, and writer, authoring the award-winning Healing Racial Trauma and Young, Gifted, and Black. She and her husband, Nicholas Rowe, live in Boston, Massachusetts, and coauthored Healing Leadership Trauma.

Can having a hobby help you connect more to the heart of God?

In this episode, Barb is joined by author Brianna Lambert to talk about her book Created to Play and how our hobbies can become meaningful expressions of worship. They explore why play is often misunderstood in Christian culture, how it forms us spiritually, and the unique roles we step into through our hobbies—from creator and curator to restorer and connector. Brianna also invites us to see play not as a distraction from purpose, but as a pathway to delight, community, and deeper connection with God.

If you've ever felt guilty for enjoying your hobbies or wondered how they fit into your faith, this conversation will give you a whole new perspective on joy, rest, and worship.

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Connect with Brianna on Instagram

Created to Play: How Taking Hobbies Seriously Grows Us Spiritually

Visit Brianna's Website

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Brianna Lambert is a writer and author from a rural community outside Indianapolis. Her articles and essays have appeared in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Common Good, Mere Orthodoxy, and elsewhere. Brianna also serves on staff at Gospel-Centered Discipleship and writes for the women's ministry at her local church. You might find her backpacking, camping, waterskiing, or starting a brand-new hobby with her husband and three children.

Are you craving a life that actually matters—one that goes beyond just getting through the day?

In this episode, Barb speaks with author Crickett Keeth about what it looks like to live with true purpose and eternal significance. Based on her Bible study, Living Out a Life that Matters, they explore how the apostle Paul modeled a life of depth, impact, and faithfulness—and how we can do the same today.

If you feel stuck in the day-to-day or are longing to live with deeper purpose, this episode will encourage you to pursue a life of meaning and impact, right where you are.

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Connect with Crickett on Instagram

Connect with Crickett on Facebook

Living Out a Life that Matters: An 8-Week Study in 2 Timothy

Visit Crickett's Website

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Crickett Keeth is the author of several women's Bible studies, including On Bended Knee, Before the Throne, and Living Out a Life That Matters. Crickett has served in ministry to women for decades on staff with Cru and large churches in Dallas and Memphis (Women's Ministry Director). She teaches at her church in Memphis and also equips and trains other women's ministry leaders. Crickett is a sought-after speaker at women's conferences and retreats. Find free resources to encourage you in your walk with God at www.crickettkeeth.com.