Melissa Williams is the creator of the YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZR7j6hPbvk&list=PLw5DpEXtic2jglYl79SYE7JvoNnMrO0Lf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lostat50Something</a> and the originator of the “Backwards Confession,” a powerful practice of entering a confessional not to seek absolution, but to name the harm caused by certain church doctrines and actions — and then to offer forgiveness as an act of reclaiming personal power and peace. <br />This deeply personal ritual has become the foundation for a budding movement and online community, r/BackwardsConfession, where individuals are encouraged to engage in similar acts of active forgiveness and liberation from institutional harm.Through this work, Melissa offers a unique perspective on healing from religious trauma, challenging institutional power dynamics, reclaiming agency in the face of patriarchal structures, and transforming pain into empowerment. <br />By sharing her own story and guiding others in this practice, she hopes to open new pathways for those navigating religious deconstruction and seeking healing beyond traditional frameworks.<br /><b><br />In This Episode</b><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-williams-93914056/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melissa’s website</a></li></ul><br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>You can learn more about what I do here:</b><br /><br />The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: <a href="https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa</a><br />———<br />If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: <a href="https://bit.ly/3Vh9k5O" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://bold-field-2905.ck.page/df7e3af260" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.</a><br /><br /><b>Thank you to our Sponsors:</b><b></b><br /><b>Incogni </b>- Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist<br /><b>Jane App</b> - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo<br /><b>Journey Clinical </b>- visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership<br /><b>Therapy Wisdom</b> - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/
![Melissa Williams is the creator of the YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZR7j6hPbvk&list=PLw5DpEXtic2jglYl79SYE7JvoNnMrO0Lf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lostat50Something</a> and the originator of the “Backwards Confession,” a powerful practice of entering a confessional not to seek absolution, but to name the harm caused by certain church doctrines and actions — and then to offer forgiveness as an act of reclaiming personal power and peace. <br />This deeply personal ritual has become the foundation for a budding movement and online community, r/BackwardsConfession, where individuals are encouraged to engage in similar acts of active forgiveness and liberation from institutional harm.Through this work, Melissa offers a unique perspective on healing from religious trauma, challenging institutional power dynamics, reclaiming agency in the face of patriarchal structures, and transforming pain into empowerment. <br />By sharing her own story and guiding others in this practice, she hopes to open new pathways for those navigating religious deconstruction and seeking healing beyond traditional frameworks.<br /><b><br />In This Episode</b><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-williams-93914056/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melissa’s website</a></li></ul><br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>You can learn more about what I do here:</b><br /><br />The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: <a href="https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa</a><br />———<br />If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: <a href="https://bit.ly/3Vh9k5O" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://bold-field-2905.ck.page/df7e3af260" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.</a><br /><br /><b>Thank you to our Sponsors:</b><b></b><br /><b>Incogni </b>- Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist<br /><b>Jane App</b> - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo<br /><b>Journey Clinical </b>- visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership<br /><b>Therapy Wisdom</b> - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/](https://us-central1-podcastguru-217d6.cloudfunctions.net/gcf_get_image?image_url=https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/e1/b9/d5/e1b9d5de-7d37-be5d-7ef6-652d7ce49392/mza_6219181485068579874.jpg/600x600bb.jpg&width=300&height=300&api_key=xqFmUFX5BHLBTA)
