173. From Silence to Safety: Reclaiming Women’s Stories in Faith Spaces with Therapists Christy & Andrew Bauman

The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook

Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 959 Ratings

🗓️ 28 August 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What does it take to make the church a safer place for women’s voices? This week Dr. Alison is joined by husband-and-wife therapists Dr. Christy Bauman and Dr. Andrew Bauman, who are doing groundbreaking work at the intersection of women’s stories, embodiment, and spiritual safety. Together, they offer both prophetic challenge and practical hope for how we can build healthier faith communities. In the first half of the episode, Christy takes us into the sacred rites of passage women experience, highlighting women’s voices in the Bible. In the second half, Andrew shares from his extensive research, offering a vision for safe churches where power is shared, voices are honored, and healing is possible. Together, Christy and Andrew model what’s possible when men and women work side by side for change. You’ll learn: The six symbolic rites of passage women experience over a lifetime—and why reclaiming them matters How Christy helps women see their bodies as sacred places of dignity and spiritual depth The results of their research with 2,800+ women who work in church settings A vision for churches where power is shared and women’s voices are truly honored A note of care: This episode includes sensitive topics such as pornography, domestic violence, and harm related to women’s bodies. Please listen gently and step away if you need to. Learn more from Christy and Andrew: 📕 Christy Bauman’s Book: Her Rites: Women’s Rites of Passage, A Sacred Journey for Mind, Body, and Soul 📕 Andrew Bauman’s Book: Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in the Church 📥Free Resources from Christy: Body Map PDF Theology of the Womb Video Course (use code: TOTWcomp) Learn more about their work at the Christian Counseling Center for Sexual Health & Trauma Related episodes you might like: Episode 48: Loving Your Body as a Spiritual Practice, Why the Flesh Isn't the Body, and 3 Heresies We Kind of Believe Episode 11: How to Start Loving Your Body with Christy Meeks Episode 126: Restoring Wonder & Play in Intimacy - Navigating Sexual Brokenness, Safety, and Vulnerability with Therapist Sam Jolman 📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here 💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode. Thanks to our Sponsors! Go to ⁠Quince.com/bestofyou⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Better sleep starts today! Get a birch mattress and test it out for 100 nights risk-free PLUS a discount for being a listener by visiting birchliving.com/BESTOFYOU. If you’re looking for a Bible that helps you live the Word, not just read it, then grab this beautiful one I’m currently using at NIVapplicationbible.com. For 20% off your order, head to Reliefband.com and use code BESTOFYOU. Editing by Giulia Hjort Sound engineering by Kelly Kramarik Music by Andy Luiten While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Adobe Acrobat Studio so brand new.
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0:22.9	Now you can do that, do that with an all-new acrobat.
0:26.4	It's time to do your best work with your new Adobe Acrobat Studio.
0:35.3	Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Allison, and I'm so glad you're here to discover what brings out the best of you.
0:42.0	This podcast is all about breaking free from painful patterns, mending the past, and discovering our true selves in God.
0:50.1	I can't wait to get started as we learn together how to become the best version of who we are
0:55.2	with God's help.
0:59.2	Hey, everyone, and welcome back to this week's episode of The Best of You.
1:04.0	Today's episode is one I've been looking forward to sharing for a while now.
1:08.6	It's two back-to-back conversations with a husband and wife team
1:12.4	whose work is challenging harmful norms and helping men and women move toward deeper, emotional,
1:18.9	spiritual, and relational health. Today's episode is a little different than what you've heard
1:24.1	on the podcast before. In the first conversation, I talk with Dr. Christy Bauman.
1:28.5	Christy takes us into the lived realities of women's bodies, from menstruation to menopause,
1:34.1	infertility, to aging. And she reclaims these life cycles as sacred rites of passage. She helps
1:41.6	to see the wisdom and spiritual depth embedded in each season, and she offers
1:46.2	practical ways to reconnect with our bodies as places of dignity, agency, and God-given worth.
1:53.5	And then in the second conversation, Christy's husband, Andrew Bauman, also a therapist,
1:59.5	shares from his own journey as a former pastor and now therapist,
2:03.3	including his early struggles with pornography, his research with nearly 3,000 women about
2:09.2	their experiences in the church, and his call for leaders to confront harmful messages
	...

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