The Natasha Helfer Podcast

Latest Episodes:

151: The Sacred and Profane Nov 04, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Natasha is joined by Bill Hambleton, author of The Sacred and Profane: A Memoir of Faith and Reckoning. Bill grew up in Utah and spent nearly a decade as a seminarian for the Diocese of Salt Lake City, studying at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Ohio and later at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. After discerning a different vocation, he went on to earn a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of San Francisco, where his dissertation explored the formation of Catholic identity.

Over a thirty-year career in Catholic education, Bill has served as President and Head of School at several Catholic independent schools and as a Visiting Scholar in Residence at Loyola University Maryland. He now serves as Chair of the Religious Studies Department at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in La Cañada Flintridge, California. His writing is shaped by the contemplative tradition that first drew him as a teenager to a Trappist monastery above his childhood home in Ogden, Utah, and by years of Ignatian spiritual direction.

Natasha and Bill talk about his memoir and its exploration of faith, memory, institutional life, and the complexities of belonging within the Catholic Church.

Learn more about Bill and his book at thesacredandprofane.org.

To help keep this podcast going, please consider donating at natashahelfer.com and share this episode. To watch the video of this podcast, you can subscribe to Natasha's channel on Youtube and follow her professional Facebook page at natashahelfer LCMFT, CST-S. You can find all her cool resources at natashahelfer.com.

The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy.

This podcast addresses many topics around mental health and sexuality and may not be suitable for minors. Some topics may elicit a trigger or emotional response so please care for yourself accordingly.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or feelings of Natasha Helfer or the Natasha Helfer Podcast. We provide a platform for open and diverse discussions, and it is important to recognize that different perspectives may be shared. We encourage our listeners to engage in critical thinking and form their own opinions.

The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening.

And remember:

Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services. There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

150: General Conference October 2026 Discussion Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Natasha is joined by two of her Symmetry Counseling providers, Jenny Elledge and Rachel Larsen, to talk about the most recent General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Together they walk through a few of the talks, looking at the messages members heard and how those messages can land for people at different places in their faith journeys.

They explore what stood out, what may have felt supportive or harmful, and how to approach this kind of content with care, whether you are still active, questioning, or have already stepped away.

More about Jenny Elledge: https://symcounseling.com/jenny-elledge/

More about Rachel Larsen: https://symcounseling.com/rachel-larsen/

The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy.

The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening.

And remember:

Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services.

There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

149: Finding Strength in Polyamorous Relationships Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Natasha is joined by Dr. Alex Tatum, a psychologist and professor at Illinois State University, to talk about what the research says about polyamory. He studies consensual non-monogamy and the experiences of people in polyamorous relationships.

Alex and his colleagues surveyed 63 American adults who have been or currently are in polyamorous relationships. Their first paper looked at what first led people to pursue polyamory and found four common themes: values alignment, relationship factors, external stimuli, and sexuality. Natasha and Alex discuss the difference between choosing polyamory because it fits who you are and trying to open a relationship to fix it.

Their newer paper takes a strengths-based approach and asks what helps people navigate the challenges of polyamory. It identified eight themes, including communication skills, managing difficult emotions, compersion and well-managed jealousy, and a willingness to challenge the cultural expectation of monogamy.

Read the research:

Initial Motivations for Engaging in Polyamorous Relationships (Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2023): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02750-z
"I Know How to Identify and Communicate My Needs": A Qualitative Study of the Self-Perceived Strengths of People in Polyamorous Relationships (Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 2026): https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.70119
Psychology Today write-up of the first study, "Why Some Couples Choose Polyamory": https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-apes/202312/why-some-couples-choose-polyamory

The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy.

The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening.

And remember:

Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services.

There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

148: Latter-day Psychosis Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Natasha sits down with Natasha Ruby, an artist and memoirist from Fort Collins, Colorado, whose work grows out of her lived experience with religion, recovery, and rebuilding. Natasha Ruby is the author of "Latter-day Psychosis," a raw and honest look at leaving religion and rebuilding identity, addiction and sobriety, mental health and psychosis, and the messy, nonlinear process of healing.

Together they talk about what it means to break, heal, and become again, and how to begin authoring your own life after questioning everything you were raised to believe.

You can find Natasha Ruby and her book here:

Website: https://www.natasharubyart.com Latter-day Psychosis: https://www.natasharubyart.com/general-7 Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @natasharubyart

The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy.

The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening.

And remember:

Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services.

There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

147: Clinical Red Flags & Ethical Failures: The Jodi Hildebrandt Case Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Julie de Azevedo joins Natasha on this episode of the Natasha Helfer Podcast to discuss some of the clinical red flags and ethical failures of the Jodi Hildebrandt case. Both Julie and Natasha have been featured in documentaries about the case, and they bring their perspectives as licensed therapists to a story that has shaken so many families and faith communities.

You can find out more about Dr. de Azevedo on her website: https://www.drjuliehanks.com/about

Follow Julie on social media: Instagram: @drjuliehanks Facebook: @DrJulieHanks X/Twitter: @drjuliehanks LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drjuliehanks

Listen to Julie's interview with Kevin Franke on the Ask Dr. Julie Hanks Podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo-WwPm54Cg Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3qS1ViMT8Uo29gtuET2GB8 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kevin-franke-on-healing-self-trust-and-life-after/id1550864262?i=1000741340854

Watch the documentaries: Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence (HBO Max): https://www.hbomax.com/show/45ecb4cd-3f29-47b0-9557-b88be510e30c Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (Netflix): https://www.netflix.com/title/81925846

The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy.

The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening.

And remember:

Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services.

There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

146: Coming Back Whole Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the Natasha Helfer Podcast, Ingrid Chapman joins to discuss her book, "Coming Back Whole: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Self-Reclamation."

At fifty, after thirty-two years of marriage, Ingrid Chapman served her husband divorce papers at the airport—directly in front of the woman he was having an affair with. It was the moment she stopped disappearing. COMING BACK WHOLE is the story of how she got there. Married at eighteen, she raised three children, helped build a family nonprofit, and spent decades inside a church that taught her endurance was holiness and silence was safety. Beneath the capable surface lay hidden betrayals, a hunger she could not name, and the early absence of a mother who left when she was five. This is not a dramatic escape but a quieter, more common reckoning: what happens when a woman finally trusts her own knowing after a lifetime of being taught to doubt it. With raw honesty and hard-won grace, Ingrid reclaims the self she buried to survive—and builds the life that finally feels like her own. In her sixties, she now lives on a small homestead with her second husband, surrounded by chickens, bees, and gardens, with their seven children, and eighteen grandchildren close by. For any woman who has felt trapped in roles that no longer fit, Coming Back Whole offers a tender, powerful reminder: you are allowed to come back to yourself.

You can find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HC1KKJZP?lv=shuf&bestFormat=true&crid=33M49QBR1MRIE&sprefix=Coming+back+whole+by+ingrid+chapman&k=ingrid+chapman+coming+back+whole&channelId=500&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-v2_k0_1_35_de&plpRedirect=mhFallback

The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy.

The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening.

And remember:

Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services.

There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

145: Holy Disobedience Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Natasha sits down with Melissa Duge Spiers, author of "Holy Disobedience: Sex, Sin, and Secrets in the Biggest Church No One Knows," for a wide-ranging conversation before diving into her story. They talk about growing up inside a strict, fundamentalist Seventh-day Adventist Church, and how Melissa's life changed when she learned her father, a respected pastor, was a serial child predator shielded for years by the church.

Melissa shares how she rebuilt her sense of self after escaping high control religion, including an unexpected friendship with her father's first victim that helped her reclaim her voice. Her memoir is being called a story of fierce honesty and radical freedom for anyone breaking out of controlling systems.

You can find Melissa and her book here:

Order "Holy Disobedience": https://www.lakedrivebooks.com/books/holy-disobedience/ Substack: https://melissadugespiers.substack.com/ TikTok: @theglorywhole Instagram: @the.glory.whole

The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy.

The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening.

And remember:

Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services.

There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

144: Humor and Healing within Mormon Culture Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

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Natasha sits down with Mikey Foley of "Mikey & The Mrs" (@mikeyandthemrs on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads), the husband and wife comedic morning show duo heard weekdays from 6 to 10 AM on Planet 105.1 in St. George, Utah. Together they dig into the intersection of Mormonism and comedy, exploring how humor becomes a tool for processing and healing within Mormon culture and where laughter and faith meet in everyday life.

The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy.

The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening.

And remember:

Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services.

There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

143: Faith Transition Guidance Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

Madison Daniels joins Natasha on this episode of the Natasha Helfer Podcast. They discuss transitioning out of Mormonism as Madison's soon-to-be published book (releasing June 23, 2026), "Letters to a Young Ex-Mormon" is set to release. You can now pre-order it on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Young-Ex-Mormon-Field-Moving/dp/B0GVGS28KP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1J9UJR2YFZAO6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XUKpgyNy_D67b8AZMA9TPaSKCV6qhb7vtNmVK3VKY5MOSoXRpqFiBDNBQUnAMdDSxKcfNQrK443Xo173orvVfnBT8ggsF7AdPvjMnlTZaBk.RXT1uvFRMC0KpOHxAVSXIYj2bvr2j5E1aqoL8uaPIuQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=Letters+to+a+Young+Ex-Mormon&qid=1781723661&sprefix=letters+to+a+young+ex-mormon%2Caps%2C200&sr=8-1

Madison can be found on instagram at: @MDDanielsbooks (https://www.instagram.com/MDDanielsbooks)

More about Madison: Madison is a dude living and breathing in the foothills of the Wasatch Front, where he celebrates his birthday four times a year because when you're an adult you can do what you want, and celebration needs no reason. He leads a Hobbit-coded life that revolves around eating great food, drinking all kinds of things, and yapping with anyone who will yap back. During the summer, you can find him gardening, river-guiding, paddleboarding, hiking through the desert, eating popsicles, and grilling with friends in the backyard. During the winter, he lives on soups and baths alone, dreaming of warmer days full of crisp tan lines and blessed barefeet. Madison takes great pride in being his niece's and nephew's favorite uncle, his three sisters' favorite brother, and his parents' favorite Recently, he has been trying to learn to skateboard, which is an extremely brave thing to do for someone over 30.

The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy.

The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening.

And remember:

Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services.

There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

142: The Impact of LDS Garments on Sexuality Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the Natasha Helfer Podcast, Natasha is joined by Nancy Ross and Larissa Kanno Kindred to discuss the impact that LDS garments have on sexuality.

Nancy Ross is an associate professor and the department chair of the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Department at Utah Tech University, where she has taught for 20 years. She researches LDS and Community of Christ women, women's ordination movements, and issues related to Mormon feminism. Her book, co-authored with Jessica Finnigan and Larissa Kanno Kindred, is titled "Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret" and was published by the University of Illinois Press in February 2026. The book examines the meaning and lived experiences of those who wear garments through the lenses of gender and belief.

Larissa Kanno Kindred holds a master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Massachusetts Boston and is currently a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Tennessee State University. Her clinical and research interests center on identity development, racial socialization, and the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, and religion. She works as a mental health therapist and has published research on neurodiverse-affirming approaches to couples counseling and the online tradwife movement. Larissa also writes at the intersection of religion, embodiment, and lived experience; she is a co-author, with Nancy Ross and Jessica Finnigan, of Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret, published by the University of Illinois Press, which examines the meaning of garments through the lenses of gender and belief.

The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy.

The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening.

And remember:

Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services.

There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

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