Full Circle: Trauma, Healing, and the Faithfulness of God with Athena Dean Holtz- Episode 1
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In this opening conversation of a three-part series, host JD sits back down with Athena Dean Holtz, founder and publisher of Redemption Press, to talk about her powerful memoir, Full Circle: Coming Home to the Faithfulness of God. JD shares how he read the book in a single 24-hour period—falling asleep and waking up with Athena’s story—because it spoke so personally to his own journey, and he wanted that same impact for listeners.
Athena opens up about why she finally wrote the book after years of horrific spiritual abuse, and how a close friend served as her ghostwriter, helping her weave together past radio shows, TV interviews, blogs, and personal memories into a true page-turner. She explains how that writing process became another layer of healing, forcing her to stop escaping into work and instead face deep pain she had long avoided.
The conversation goes straight into the hard stuff: early childhood sexual abuse, a forced abortion as a teenager, domestic violence, and the lingering effects of unprocessed trauma. Drawing on her experience working with Vietnam veterans and their families in the late 1980s, Athena describes how trauma shapes the brain, how triggers pull us back into fight-or-flight, and why our brains often cannot distinguish between real and perceived threats.
JD and Athena also wrestle with the vulnerability that comes from a genuine hunger for God, and how the enemy can exploit that longing through lies and spiritual abuse. They talk about the “gullibility of Christians,” exploring how predatory pastors and influencers can weaponize Scripture, preach feel-good “no suffering” messages, and leave people questioning whether they can trust God at all.
Speaking directly to listeners who are carrying their own unresolved pain and crying out for healing, Athena urges them not to walk this road alone. She highlights the importance of finding truly safe, biblically grounded people who will lovingly point out blind spots, as well as the value of professional, Christ-centered counseling and small-group communities. Athena closes by sharing one of her ongoing prayers from the Psalms—asking God to help her not lie to herself—so she won’t stay isolated and controlled by old wounds.
This episode sets the stage for part two, where JD and Athena will dive deeper into the crucial topic of trust after spiritual and emotional betrayal.
