Carrie Sheffield: Escaping a Cult, PTSD, and Finding Healing & Forgiveness in Christ | STF Podcast Ep. 22
In this episode of the Faith in the Furnace series, host Lara Silverman sits down with journalist, author, and musician Carrie Sheffield to discuss surviving childhood trauma, religious abuse, mental illness in her family, and finding healing through Christ.
Carrie shares what it was like growing up as the fifth of eight children in a violent, unstable motorhome lifestyle under her father’s extremist “prophet” claims connected to an offshoot LDS belief system. She attended 17 schools, performed classical music on the streets, and endured severe trauma, including sexual assault and emotional abuse.
Despite her circumstances, Carrie excelled academically—scoring in the top 1% on both the ACT and the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) trauma scale. She opens up about her struggles with PTSD, depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and the painful cost of leaving home at 18, including being disowned by her father.
Carrie also discusses her years as an agnostic before becoming a Protestant Christian in 2017, and how faith, forgiveness, boundaries, mentors, and trauma-informed mental health tools helped her begin rewiring deeply rooted beliefs shaped by abuse. The conversation explores topics like generational trauma, healing the subconscious mind, somatic therapy, music’s role in healing, and the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation.
She also shares about her nonprofit, Healthy Faith, her Bible and mental health conferences, co-writing the song “My Heavenly Father Is,” and the ways she has seen God redeem suffering and restore what trauma tried to destroy.
Chapters
00:00 Series Intro and Guest
00:19 Carrie Story and Credentials
05:17 Trauma and Mental Health
06:14 ACT Versus ACE
09:33 Worth and Work
12:43 Conversion Timeline
15:46 LDS Roots and Jesus
20:26 Mentors and Forgiveness
22:58 Healthy Faith Mission
26:09 Song My Heavenly Father
28:39 Breaking Free Costs
30:01 HSP and Healing
35:22 Renewing the Mind
36:29 Rewiring Trauma Brain
37:37 Subconscious and Scripture
39:35 Atlas Project Breakthrough
40:57 OnSite and Therapy Debate
42:32 Somatic Healing and Emotions
45:33 God's Goodness and Pain
49:13 Locust List and Anti Resume
54:22 Anger Release and Singing
56:28 Memoir Singing Through Fire
57:46 Forgiveness and Self Forgiving
01:01:31 Near Death and Health Collapse
01:05:04 From Scars to Redemption
01:06:08 Mary Magdalene and Closing Hope
Resources and Links:
Carrie Sheffield's website [https://carriesheffield.com/]
Watch the Singing Through Fire podcast on YouTube. [https://tinyurl.com/5n8y76dn]
Listen on your favorite podcast streaming platform. [https://tinyurl.com/2td8xd9x]
Listen on Spotify. [https://tinyurl.com/pu6byepy]
Listen on Apple podcasts. [https://tinyurl.com/y3nbfhbf]
Connect on Facebook. [https://tinyurl.com/536k9x8u]
Connect on Instagram. [https://tinyurl.com/23v3mdfu]
PODCAST DESCRIPTION:
Welcome to the Singing Through Fire podcast! I’m your host Lara Silverman, and this is where we:
* Worship when it hurts
* Discuss hot takes from the furnace of affliction
* Explore a biblical theology of suffering with a side of sass and sarcasm
From lamentations to laughter, this podcast is for anyone desperate for hope who has ever asked, "Why, Lord, why?”
Don’t forget to follow/subscribe because I upload content every Tuesday and Friday!
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 2nd Corinthians 4:17.
