Pause. And Rewind...
I’m Neil (he/him) - host of my podcast, Pause. And Rewind… I’ll be chatting to change makers, thought leaders & role models who all share a common goal. They’re striving to make the world a more inclusive place. And let’s face, we need it!
Each guest has a unique story when it comes to doing their thing. We often know who people are in the now. But how much do we really know about them?
Pause. And Rewind… takes a moment to explore the experiences in my guests’ lives that led them to where & who they are now. Cos’ everyone loves an origin story!
We’ll dive into tales, anecdotes and what makes our guests tick. So, are you ready to Pause. And Rewind… ?
Pause. And Rewind...
Pause. And Rewind... with SC Nealy | Resourceful. Unstoppable. Fortitude.
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“I joined a church in my early 20s that I was in for over a decade and they became like a surrogate family to me. They did everything for me. They were there for me through so many things including my daughter being ill & my house burning down. And then I told them I was a lesbian & I never heard from them again.”
The intersection of religion & sexuality is a complex topic for many people in the LGBTQ+ community as this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ is too aware.
SC Nealy (they/she) is a Washington DC based therapist and Founding Director of the LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative. They’re also a best-selling author of 30+ fiction books yet their new book ‘Healing Sacred Wounds - A Guide for Healing from Religious and Spiritual Trauma’ is a huge departure from their regular offering. Having specialised in this alongside complex PDST & LGBTQIA+ mental health, SC brings this book to life as part self-help guide, part bio enriched with expertise & life experience written to wrap its arms around anyone who has endured emotional wounds, trauma, and spiritual hurt that come from negative religious experience.
Little SC was raised in a pseudo-cult area in Southern Virginia and describes it as ‘very much what you would stereotypically think of when you think of a cult’ - conservative, evangelical & controlled. SC’s upbringing was beyond tough - they were sexually abused by someone in power, had their sexuality debated before they even had the language to understand it, blamed for their parents divorce and kicked out of home at just 13 years old. More than any young person should bear.
SC didn’t think they’d make it to 18 years old and when I ask them what kept them here, they reply “Honestly, anger for a long time. A refusal to give up. And spite maybe. Like, you’re not gonna get one over on me.” As the opening statement suggests, this wasn’t the end of SC’s mistreatment at the hands of religion.
However, whilst SC’s origin story is very much rooted in religious trauma, today they’re living a very queer life with a beautiful blended family & community around them. We discuss parenting, including SC wanting their daughter to grow up to challenge authority, and how they’re a bad employee but a really great boss. We also discuss conquering FOMO and SC’s enthusiasm for chopping vegetables as they joke, “You just give me a row of peppers & great time!”
What a final episode for this season. Get stuck in…
PRE-ORDER SC’ NEW BOOK! ‘Healing Sacred Wounds, a Guide for Healing from Religious and Spiritual Trauma’ is released on 20 August and you can pre-order it now. I was lucky enough to read the book ahead of our conversation and as someone who has a tricky past with religion myself, it does what it sets out to do and I highly recommend it. As always, please order from an independent/ queer retailer if you can.
Please note | The episode contains sensitive topics around mental health, sexual abuse & violence and other potentially triggering issues so please take care of yourself whilst listening.