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Breaking Free From Religious Control to Empowered Healing with Brooke Kekos

Release Date: 02/05/2025

Rebuilding Self-Worth After Emotional Abuse with Dr. Jill Rosenthal

That's Where I'm At

In this episode of "That's Where I'm At," host Laura and guest Dr. Jill Rosenthal, an award-winning Harvard and Stanford educated physician who retired after a 35+ year career and became certified as a wellness and mindset coach, share their personal journeys through trauma, loss, and healing. Dr. Rosenthal’s extensive experience and training, coupled with her own transformation from a stressed, overworked, unhealthy physician, wife, and mother into a happy, healthy, thriving coach, make her uniquely equipped to help others release unconscious thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that hold them...

Navigating Love After Trauma: Tips for Building Healthy Connections With Dawn Bennett

That's Where I'm At

What are Two Things you could do to improve your relationships? Perhaps you’ve heard the way you do one thing is the way you do everything. You see, your mind doesn’t know the difference between past, present, and future. Changing how you think and feel about emotionally stressful times in your life can shift everything! Dawn works to help people find and maintain their ideal relationships. Dawn has Board Designations for Hypnosis & NLP Training & Coaching. She also is an Accredited Certified EFT Practitioner and EFT Relationship and Intimacy Coach. In this episode of "That's...

From Attempted Murder to Life Transformation: J Lumen's Journey from Surviving to Thriving

That's Where I'm At

In this powerful episode of "That's Where I'm At," host Laura sits down with J Lumen, a certified Life Transformation and Empowerment Coach who knows firsthand what it means to feel completely trapped in life. J's story takes a shocking turn when what started as feeling stuck in the wrong relationship and wrong job escalated to a terrifying night that ended with her ex-boyfriend's arrest for attempted murder—her attempted murder. This life-altering experience became the catalyst for J to stop tolerating her life and start truly living it. Through her "Unknown Bucket List Approach," J teaches...

From Lost to Thriving

That's Where I'm At

Welcome back to That’s Where I’m At! In the last two episodes, we talked about healing after narcissistic abuse, rebuilding trust in yourself, and setting boundaries. Today, we’re going even deeper as we focus on reclaiming your identity, learning to dream again, and moving from surviving to truly thriving. If you’ve been feeling stuck, wondering who you are now, or questioning if you even deserve a joyful future, this episode is for you. Laura breaks down three essential healing truths:💥 You are not meant to go back to who you were before the abuse—you are...

It's Never Too Late: Finding Your Voice with Lori Daneke

That's Where I'm At

In this inspiring episode of "That's Where I'm At" podcast, host Laura welcomes Lori Daneke, a communication and relationship coach who discovered her calling later in life. Lori shares her powerful journey from being a people-pleaser trapped in a silent, emotionally abusive marriage to becoming an empowered coach helping others find their authentic selves. What started as a quest to improve her golf game led to a complete life transformation at age 58. Through candid conversation, Lori explains how 90% of our thoughts aren't our own, stemming from our imprint years (ages 0-7), and how...

Rebuilding Self-Worth, Knowing Your Values & Setting Boundaries

That's Where I'm At

In today’s episode, Laura explores the important topics of self-worth, core values, and boundaries—three crucial elements of your healing journey after leaving a toxic relationship. If you're feeling stuck or questioning why you don’t feel "better" yet, this episode is for you. Laura breaks down three essential healing truths:💥 Healing doesn’t happen overnight—leaving the relationship is only the first step.💥 Rebuilding your self-worth is a process that takes time and practice.💥 Setting boundaries is an act of self-love, and it’s essential for protecting your peace. Expect...

Finding Freedom: Healing the Hurt Beneath Emotional Eating with Claudia Braun

That's Where I'm At

In this powerful episode host Laura welcomes Claudia Braun, a holistic mindset and lifestyle coach certified in Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Claudia opens up about her personal journey with emotional eating that began at age 10 when she discovered food could temporarily ease emotional pain. She shares how this coping mechanism followed her through adolescence, college, and into adulthood, creating a vicious cycle of stress eating and dieting. The conversation explores how our relationship with food often masks deeper emotional needs and how the cultural messaging around dieting affects...

Is He a Narcissist? Trusting Yourself & Owning Your Journey

That's Where I'm At

In this deeply validating episode, Laura explores the questions so many women wrestle with: Was he really a narcissist? Can I trust myself again? Why am I not further along? If you’ve been stuck in cycles of self-doubt or healing shame, you’re not alone—and this episode is here to bring clarity, comfort, and real guidance. Laura breaks down three essential healing truths: 💥 How to identify narcissistic behavior—without needing a diagnosis 💥 What rebuilding self-trust looks like after emotional abuse 💥 Why owning your current stage of healing is more than enough...

Finding Your Authentic Self After Narcissistic Abuse with Angie Marie

That's Where I'm At

In this powerful episode of That's Where I'm At, Laura welcomes Angie Marie, a lifestyle and health coach who spent 20 years in a narcissistic relationship. Together, they explore the insidious nature of covert and overt narcissism, the devastating impact of gaslighting, and the complex emotions that surface when leaving these relationships. Angie shares her journey of reclaiming her authentic self after years of people-pleasing and self-abandonment, discovering that true health encompasses both physical and emotional well-being. This raw conversation offers validation, hope, and practical...

Are You Ready to Unsubscribe from What No Longer Serves You? With Barbara Siemen

That's Where I'm At

Barbara Siemen is a certified life coach, yoga instructor, and writer who helps others find their path to joy and fulfilled living. After a failed business endeavor and subsequent mental illness diagnosis in 2016 caused her to go into a major slump, Barbara questioned her life’s purpose. She devoted her time to unlearning what was holding her back and undoing the pain of her childhood trauma. It took over 5 years for her to follow the breadcrumbs but with the help of coaches, therapists, self-help books, spiritual tools, and her own intuition, she is now proud to be unsubscribed from all the...

More Episodes

In this episode, Laura is joined by Brooke Kekos, a Trauma Healing Coach, Rapid Transformational Therapist (RTT), and NLP Practitioner who specializes in empowering survivors to rewrite their stories. Her path, a testament to overcoming indoctrination, abuse, and toxic bonds, ignites her profound insight and unshakeable dedication.

Today, Brooke shares her journey of breaking free from the Jehovah's Witnesses organization after 36 years and healing from religious trauma and an abusive marriage. She discusses the parallels between high-control religious systems and narcissistic relationships, the challenges of losing community support, and her path to spiritual awakening. Through her work as a trauma healing coach, Brooke helps others process complex PTSD, rebuild their sense of self, and find authentic connections with their spirituality.

As a sought-after speaker, author, and advocate against religious abuse and domestic violence, Brooke's voice resonates far beyond the confines of her coaching practice.

Are you ready for this? Step into an existence where authenticity thrives!

Timestamps:

[02:52] Brooke's background in Jehovah's Witnesses and struggles with questioning beliefs

[04:27] Brooke’s experience with restrictions on holidays and celebrations

[07:15] How Brooke discovered abuse cover-ups and left the church

[08:05] How high-control religions and narcissistic abuse mirror each other

[10:23] How being excommunicated at 16 left Brooke feeling alone and devalued

[13:09] Why you should always question beliefs and seek truth for yourself

[17:08] The challenge of leaving support systems behind

[25:09] Experiencing a spiritual awakening and discovering a high-power connection

[34:28] Brooke's approach to trauma healing work

[40:55] Why self-acceptance is crucial for a fulfilling life

[43:21] How to connect with Brooke

Key Quotes:

I lost my entire community. I was all alone. So I lost family that was still in the religion, and I lost all of my friendships that I thought were forever friends.
Being in a high-control religion or a cult-like system is abusive. And so you only know abuse. So it's no wonder why you recreate the pattern in your relationship.
What you're struggling with now in life always comes from childhood. There's a belief system, and there are experiences that you had in childhood.
Healing the past helps us embrace and empower ourselves now.
Inner child work changed my life. It’s about going back, healing past wounds, and rewriting the story of who you are.