Anna Clark Miller is the Owner and Trainer at Empathy Paradigm, a practice that provides therapy, training, and resources for people recovering from religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and cult dynamics. She is a licensed counselor (LPC-S, LMHC-S, NCC) and clinical supervisor with experience in trauma work and high-control group recovery. She wrote The Religious Trauma Survival Guide and hosts the podcast Martyr, She Wrote for survivors and professionals. Her approach is religiously neutral and aims to support autonomy, empathy, and healing.

Leaving a high-control faith or religious community can feel like losing your entire world. The beliefs that once gave structure and meaning can suddenly become sources of pain and confusion. How do you rebuild a sense of self and safety when even your spirituality feels unsafe?

According to Anna Clark Miller, a licensed counselor, supervisor, and author who specializes in religious trauma recovery, healing begins with reclaiming autonomy and reconnecting with the body's truth. She highlights that many survivors were taught to distrust their emotions and intuition, leaving them vulnerable to shame and disconnection. By practicing self-compassion and learning to listen to the body rather than fear it, individuals can begin to rebuild trust within themselves. This shift allows survivors to define their own values, relationships, and sense of spirituality on their own terms.

In this episode of With Intention, Liz Frost sits down with Anna Clark Miller, Owner and Trainer at Empathy Paradigm, to discuss healing religious trauma and reclaiming autonomy. They explore the process of deconstructing faith, the importance of neutrality in therapy, and how survivors can rediscover meaning outside organized religion. Anna also shares how community, curiosity, and self-trust create lasting freedom.

Vanessa Osage is the Director of Philanthropy at NAMI Washington, a nonprofit that provides education, support, and advocacy for mental health. Vanessa leads fundraising and donor engagement initiatives to support the organization's programs. She also coordinates sponsorship and partnership efforts for signature events such as the NAMI WA Conference and Brainpower Showcase. Vanessa is also an author, having published Can't Stop the Sunrise and Sex Education for Girls: A Parent's Guide.

What does it mean to truly create safety in a world where systems often fail to provide it? How do individuals transform personal struggles into sources of strength and empathy that can uplift entire communities?

According to Vanessa Osage, a longtime nonprofit leader and author, safety begins with the courage to seek health and belonging even in the face of adversity. She highlights how her early experiences of displacement and survival shaped her empathy and ability to connect with others across differences. By weaving together themes of justice, empowerment, and healing, she explains how both one-on-one therapy and peer-led support groups can profoundly reorder lives.

In this episode of With Intention, Liz Frost sits down with Vanessa Osage, Director of Philanthropy at NAMI Washington, to discuss creating safety and community through mental health advocacy. They explore how lived experience can serve as an access point to empathy, why peer support groups and education can be life-changing, and the importance of advocacy in shifting systems. Vanessa also shares how storytelling and art play a role in reducing stigma.

Liz Frost is the Owner and Founder of Intentional Spaces Psychotherapy, a trauma-informed telehealth practice based in Washington State. She specializes in helping clients heal from complex trauma, religious harm, and identity-related struggles. With over a decade of clinical experience, Liz integrates EMDR, narrative therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches. She is dedicated to serving the LGBTQIA+ community and fostering a supportive, inclusive practice for both clients and clinicians.

What does it really take to heal after deep trauma and reclaim the parts of yourself that feel lost? Is it possible to move forward without erasing the pain or becoming someone entirely new? How can you find freedom and autonomy when old wounds still shape your daily life?

According to Liz Frost, a licensed therapist and trauma healing specialist, true recovery is not about going back to who you were before but about repurposing who you are now. She highlights that trauma lives inside the body and that healing is a daily practice of listening to it rather than conquering it. By embracing grief alongside hope and honoring the body's signals, she says people can rebuild trust in themselves and rediscover buried aspects of their identity. This process of reclamation allows survivors to move forward with strength and self-trust even while carrying the lessons of their past.

In this episode of With Intention, Liz Frost, Owner and Founder of Intentional Spaces Psychotherapy, is interviewed by Chad Franzen of Rise25 Media, to talk about reclaiming autonomy and finding freedom after trauma. She explains why healing is an ongoing practice, how religious trauma disrupts self-trust, and the importance of identity reclamation. Liz also shares how high-functioning individuals can recognize hidden effects of trauma.