193 Disruptor and author of a Well-Trained Wife, Tia Levings shares her journey of escaping a high-control religious environment and reclaiming her identity. Tia roots for women to recognize their worth and reclaim their voices, especially in the face of patriarchal systems. Tia walks us through her daily practices for nervous system regulation and how she got to her "grandma is a bestselling author" era.

Covered in this episode:

• How patriarchy siphoned parts of her identity
• How she was able to question the brainwashing and fight back
• The role grief played in Tia's transformation
• Why reclamation is a long but rewarding journey that requires ongoing effort
• Why understanding the aftermath of trauma is crucial for healing
• Tia's and Nadine's daily practices for nervous system regulation
• Why sharing your true story with the world can be so empowering
• Why midlife is a great time for new beginnings
• Self-care practices for sustaining creativity

Tia Levings is the New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, her memoir of escape from Christian Patriarchy. She writes about the realities of Christian fundamentalism, evangelical patriarchy, and religious trauma, and is quoted in Salon, the Huffington Post, and Newsweek. She also appeared in the hit Amazon docu-series, Shiny Happy People. She is mom to four incredible adults and likes to travel, hike, paint, and daydream. Find her on social media @TiaLevingsWriter. Her second book, The Soul of Healing, releases with St. Martin’s Essentials in 2026.

About Nadine:

Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.

Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com

To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack