Elizabeth Priller’s story; Ever feel like you are the only in a room?

In this episode of Faith Rehab Podcast we get to hear from Elizabeth. She is an award-winning nurse, author, former EMT, former law enforcement officer, trainer, mentor, and artist. She has been a nurse caring for patients “both at the beginning of life and at the end of life”. She has been a CASA worker, has worked with the Boys and Girls Club, she's been a part of the Black Girl Magic Educational Services. She has also done diversity roundtable.

She grew up Jehovah’s Witness and with a voracious need to read and learn about science. She has very thoughtfully wrestled with the beliefs she was taught. He beliefs, her skin color, and her religion left her feeling like the only in many rooms. At an age where lots of young women give up on science and math, she doubled-down and propelled herself into a lifetime of study of science and service in the medical field. In so many areas of her life she spent “code switching” and being exhausted by the process of fitting in.

Throughout her life people have tried to hold her down, which provided the fuel for her to go upwards. She shares her faith, her art, her desire for knowledge, she claimed to be president at age 5.

Thank you for listening to Faith Rehab Podcast.

Real healing can come when we go from seeing the hurts of our past as the whole story of our lives and identity, to seeing that hurt as just a chapter in the story of our lives.

For more about Elizabeth Priller check out:

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethprillerstudio/
Check out her Website: https://www.elizabethpriller.com/

Faith Rehab is a podcast about church hurt, healing, and rebuilding faith.

We create a safe space for honest conversations about spiritual disappointment, doubt, and the process of finding hope again—without pretending or having all the answers.

Co-hosts: Steve McNitt, Heidi Brandt & CJ Mateo
Produced by: CJ Mateo

Contact us at Faithrehabpodcast@gmail.com
— we’d love to hear your story.

This is our tenth episode of the Faith Rehab Podcast, where we talk about church hurt, healing, and rebuilding faith. We remind ourselves of our goals: “we exist to bring comfort and community to those who have been hurt by the imperfections of the church.” We have heard people’s stories, we have reflected on what has hurt, what has helped, and where they are headed now. We have celebrated that people continue to grow and change, no matter where they feel like they are headed. We remind people that we are committed to not naming individual pastors or churches, but to working through the hurts of individual people.

We talk about the role of the church in our lives; the good, the bad, and the ugly. CJ reminds us that “The church is meant for brokenness to go away over time and change to happen over time.”

The rituals may differ, the beliefs may differ, but many churches, even among the hurts, are helping people change to be more like Christ. That it is possible to move from filtering all spiritual experiences through our pain, to seeing a focused relationship with God and letting go of some pain, finding healing and joy again.

Real healing can come when we go from seeing the hurt as the story of our lives, to seeing that hurt as a chapter in the story of our lives.

Faith Rehab is a podcast about church hurt, healing, and rebuilding faith.

We create a safe space for honest conversations about spiritual disappointment, doubt, and the process of finding hope again—without pretending or having all the answers.

Co-hosts: Steve McNitt, Heidi Brandt & CJ Mateo
Produced by: CJ Mateo

Contact us at Faithrehabpodcast@gmail.com
— we’d love to hear your story.

Today’s episode is with Matthew Scott, a friend that Heidi has known from kindergarten. They met because they lived in cold weather, needed mittens and both used black socks for their hands. Matt grew up going to church and in a loving family. He has long known he was gay, but that was not accepted by his family or his church. Matt subjected himself to Conversion Therapy to try and align himself to the church’s beliefs and what he says “what ended up being probably 15 years of my life of trying to fight that reality of being gay”. Denying who he really is has caused him pain, family division, suicidal thoughts, and lots of church hurt. Heidi says Matt being gay “is the least interesting thing about you” and yet in church circles it raises the most eyebrows and most debate. We will explore why.

He has a history of teaching and performing in the fine arts. He has a master’s degree, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and currently has a private counseling practice helping people deal with their issues, their relationships, and embracing their identities.

You will hear that Matt is funny, compassionate, and in his words: “I have a very big heart for the underdog and really resonate with stories of people who feel somehow like an outsider, misunderstood.” His life stands as a monument to the need for us to love people for who they are, without looking at how we can change them. The Holy Spirit’s full-time job is to help us grow and transform. That job is taken; we don’t need to do it for others. The world is a better place with Matt in it.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the time with our friend Matt.

For more of Matt check out his website: https://thegreenroom.clientsecure.me/#home

Faith Rehab is a podcast about church hurt, healing, and rebuilding faith.

We create a safe space for honest conversations about spiritual disappointment, doubt, and the process of finding hope again—without pretending or having all the answers.

Co-hosts: Steve McNitt, Heidi Brandt & CJ Mateo
Produced by: CJ Mateo

Contact us at Faithrehabpodcast@gmail.com
— we’d love to hear your story.

On this episode of Faith Rehab Podcast we get to hear from Truls Neal, a career Probation Officer, manager, and Director. He is an accomplished leader, a husband, a father, and a friend. He is the son of a white Norwegian mother and an African American Military father. He has a twin, a wife, and two daughters. When people hear his name and hear that his mother is Norwegian, they expect him to be a blond-haired, blue-eyed man. Truls is more melanated than that and describes himself as “coffee with a little bit of cream” in his complexion. He also reminds us that “None of us are what people expect people to be.” So true!

We follow how his ethnic and racial makeup have affected him from the restrictions of where he could live as a child, through his poor treatment in churches. Through his journey he will remind us of God’s intent in dealing with those that are different from us: “I don't want to be about race relations. I want to be about grace relations because I think that's what Jesus calls me to.”

In his grace, he teaches all of us what it means to be a child of God.

He also tells us about his life mission, “Build community.”

We think we can all learn something more about that; and wouldn’t we all be better off if we were building community.

Faith Rehab is a podcast about church hurt, healing, and rebuilding faith.

We create a safe space for honest conversations about spiritual disappointment, doubt, and the process of finding hope again—without pretending or having all the answers.

Co-hosts: Steve McNitt, Heidi Brandt & CJ Mateo
Produced by: CJ Mateo

Contact us at Faithrehabpodcast@gmail.com
— we’d love to hear your story.

Before you listen: This episode touches on abuse. If anything you hear today resonates with you, resources are available. Two we recommend — Flying Free Now ( www.flyingfreenow.com ), a resource built specifically for Christian women, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline . For the hotline please call 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788, free and confidential, 24/7.

What happens when the church sends a family to the mission field — and the real danger is inside the home?

In this episode, we sit down with Grace (not her real name) — a Christian woman, a missionary, and domestic abuse survivor — to hear her story of surviving abuse within a Christian marriage, and what healing has actually looked like on the other side.

We talk about the moments nobody warned her about — the isolation, the spiritual manipulation, the way faith was used as a tool for control. We talk about what the church got right, what it got terribly wrong, and what she wishes someone had said to her sooner.

We break down the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation — because they are not the same thing — and why the church’s tendency to conflate the two has kept so many survivors stuck, silent, and unsafe.

If you’ve ever experienced religious abuse, spiritual manipulation, toxic marriage dynamics, or felt like the church chose the abuser over you — please listen and share this episode to anyone in mind.

Grace also drops some unexpectedly solid parenting advice. Be blessed everyone!

Faith Rehab is a podcast about church hurt, healing, and rebuilding faith.

We create a safe space for honest conversations about spiritual disappointment, doubt, and the process of finding hope again—without pretending or having all the answers.

Co-hosts: Steve McNitt, Heidi Brandt & CJ Mateo
Produced by: CJ Mateo

Contact us at Faithrehabpodcast@gmail.com
— we’d love to hear your story.

Emma Lenz is a dynamic communications professional — she knows better than most how organizations craft a message. So when the Christian youth organization she'd spent years believing in started getting called out for the gap between what they said and what they did, Emma couldn't look away.

Emma came to faith with no church background. What followed was years of real questions, a Christian college, working at a church, and eventually a staff role at a well known national youth organization she deeply believed in.

Then the stories started coming out — queer students who'd been welcomed in, until they wanted to lead.

In this episode, Emma shares what it cost her to say I can't put my name on this — and what it looks like to still hold onto faith after the institution lets you down.

Faith Rehab is a podcast about church hurt, healing, and rebuilding faith.

We create a safe space for honest conversations about spiritual disappointment, doubt, and the process of finding hope again—without pretending or having all the answers.

Co-hosts: Steve McNitt, Heidi Brandt & CJ Mateo
Produced by: CJ Mateo

Contact us at Faithrehabpodcast@gmail.com
— we’d love to hear your story.

You've felt it. Someone in the church said or did something that hurt you — and instead of being seen, you got a Bible verse and a "I'll pray for you."

In this episode, CJ, Steve, and Heidi walk through Dr. Allison Cook's 4 steps to healing from church hurt (Click here for the article)— and get real about what those steps actually look like in their own lives. They talk about spiritual bypassing, prayer request gossip, the weird power dynamics that happen when church people "speak for God," and why sometimes the most healing thing you can do is step away.

Plus: CJ opens up about his walk through addiction and recovery. Steve shares a hospital room story you won't forget. And someone left a casket behind in a tornado warning. You'll have to hear it.

Faith Rehab is a podcast about church hurt, healing, and rebuilding faith.

We create a safe space for honest conversations about spiritual disappointment, doubt, and the process of finding hope again—without pretending or having all the answers.

Co-hosts: Steve McNitt, Heidi Brandt & CJ Mateo
Produced by: CJ Mateo

Contact us at Faithrehabpodcast@gmail.com
— we’d love to hear your story.

Not all church hurt comes from scandals, abuse, or headline-worthy moments. Sometimes it’s subtle. Quiet. Hard to name.

In this episode of Faith Rehab, we move beyond our personal stories and start unpacking what church hurt actually looks like in real life.

We talk about:

• The hidden symptoms of church hurt most people miss
• Why you might feel anxious, guarded, or disconnected in church
• How judgment, lack of grace, and “Christian answers” can push people away
• The difference between guilt and shame—and why that matters
• Why vulnerability feels safer outside the church sometimes
• The role of therapy, safe people, and real conversations in healing

This one gets real. From divorce and affairs to small group struggles and trust issues, we dive into the messy middle of faith and pain.

If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable, unseen, or judged in church… this episode might help you finally put words to it.

Faith Rehab is a podcast about church hurt, healing, and rebuilding faith.

We create a safe space for honest conversations about spiritual disappointment, doubt, and the process of finding hope again—without pretending or having all the answers.

Co-hosts: Steve McNitt, Heidi Brandt & CJ Mateo
Produced by: CJ Mateo

Contact us at Faithrehabpodcast@gmail.com
— we’d love to hear your story.