Sacred Scars Podcast

About Sacred Scars Podcast

Two voices, one wound—Sacred Scars brings together masculine and feminine, clergy and congregant perspectives in honest conversations about deconstruction, grief, healing, and rebuilding after a crisis of faith. Hosts Lori Bickel and Mike Loy, both certified existential health practitioners, explore what it means to lose certainty, grieve former identities, and find new meaning on the other side of belief. Wherever you are on your journey, there’s a seat at our table. sacredscars.substack.com (https://sacredscars.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Lori Bickel & Michael Loy

Category

education · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 May 2026

Latest episode

9 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Aug 2026

   Ep.7: Not Who We Were: Grief, Growth, and Healing Forward

   The final episode of this series focuses on the ways we process and cope with grief—whether from finite or non-finite losses like leaving religion, losing identity, or saying goodbye to old roles and communities. Lori and Mike discuss why healing is not linear and how new meaning, identity, and rituals emerge as we move forward. Key topics and stories include: - Why the five stages of grief don’t always fit, and how grief isn’t a straight line - The metaphor of kintsugi: embracing the cracks and scars as part of your story - Coping styles: creative (art, journaling, music), rational (research, learning), emotional (storytelling, rituals, therapy), and physical (organizing, letting go) - The overlap between grief and mental health struggles, and the importance of validation - The needs of a mourner: acknowledging loss, embracing pain, remembering who you were, developing new identity, searching for meaning, and receiving support - Reframing your story, making meaning, and learning to live in a new world This is the final episode in our first series — thank you for listening. Lori and Mike are certified existential health practitioners through the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality. Lori is also a certified grief companion. Links: Sacred Scars Substack https://sacredscars.substack.com/ (https://sacredscars.substack.com/) Lori Bickel www.loribickel.com (http://www.loribickel.com) https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/ (https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/) Michael Loy https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/ (https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/) https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/ (https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/) Center for Non-Religious Spirituality Center for Non-Religious Spirituality (https://nonreligiousspirituality.circle.so/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredscars.substack.com (https://sacredscars.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   2 Aug 2026

   Ep.6: After the Assumptive World Collapses: Processing Layered Grief

   This episode explores the reality of cumulative and disenfranchised grief after leaving faith. We look at how losses don’t arrive one at a time—they build, overlap, and often go unacknowledged. Key topics and stories include: - How deconstruction brings layered, compounding losses: community, identity, rituals, security, and belonging - The metaphor of losing Santa Claus: mourning the end of a story without ritual or closure - Mike’s journey through multiple shifts in belief, and the tangible costs of each - Lori’s “lifequake”: facing simultaneous losses of faith, marriage, job, and identity - The experience of disenfranchised grief—pain that isn’t seen or supported by others - How grief can be delayed by anger, numbness, or relief, and only surfaces when love or acceptance returns - The challenge of rebuilding and finding meaning after the assumptive world falls away Lori and Mike are certified existential health practitioners through the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality. Lori is also a certified grief companion. Links: Sacred Scars Substack https://sacredscars.substack.com/ (https://sacredscars.substack.com/) Lori Bickel www.loribickel.com (http://www.loribickel.com) https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/ (https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/) Michael Loy https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/ (https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/) https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/ (https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/) Center for Non-Religious Spirituality Center for Non-Religious Spirituality (https://nonreligiousspirituality.circle.so/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredscars.substack.com (https://sacredscars.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   19 Jul 2026

   Ep.5: No Closure, No Map: Ambiguous Loss in Deconstruction

   This episode continues our honest conversation on grief and loss after deconstruction. We go deeper into the experience of ambiguous loss—the kind of grief that lingers without closure or ritual, shaping our lives in ways that are hard to name. Key topics and stories include: - The difference between finite, non-finite, and ambiguous loss - What it’s like to lose community, certainty, identity, and rituals after leaving faith - Navigating life in the same town, encountering old friends, and feeling the silence left behind - The challenge of strained or surface-level relationships with people who don’t share your journey - Missing metaphysical anchors, shared language, and intimacy with loved ones - Grieving imagined futures and versions of yourself who once belonged - Moving from external to internal sources of meaning and identity - Redefining community and learning to embrace mystery in the aftermath Lori and Mike are certified existential health practitioners through the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality. Lori is also a certified grief companion. Links: Sacred Scars Substack https://sacredscars.substack.com/ (https://sacredscars.substack.com/) Lori Bickel www.loribickel.com (http://www.loribickel.com) https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/ (https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/) Michael Loy https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/ (https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/) https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/ (https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/) Center for Non-Religious Spirituality Center for Non-Religious Spirituality (https://nonreligiousspirituality.circle.so/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredscars.substack.com (https://sacredscars.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

4. 

   5 Jul 2026

   Ep.4: Silent Losses: Mourning What Was Never Named

   Leaving behind beliefs, identities, and communities can bring grief that rarely gets acknowledged. In this episode, we explore the weight of losses that have no rituals or names—the ache that comes not just from leaving a person, but from stepping away from a whole way of life. Key topics and stories include: - How grief can be delayed or hidden by relief, anger, or the urge to move on - The parallel between losing faith and other unspoken losses, like the death of a parent - The pressure to quickly redefine yourself after deconstruction or big changes - Layered losses: community, identity, belonging, and metaphysical security - The challenge of grieving when those around you don’t understand—or when you can’t name it yourself - The temptation to fill the void with new beliefs or certainty before sitting with what’s missing - Accepting that grief may come in waves and has no set timeline Lori and Mike are certified existential health practitioners through the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality. Lori is also a certified grief companion. Links: Sacred Scars Substack https://sacredscars.substack.com/ (https://sacredscars.substack.com/) Lori Bickel www.loribickel.com (http://www.loribickel.com) https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/ (https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/) Michael Loy https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/ (https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/) https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/ (https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/) Center for Non-Religious Spirituality Center for Non-Religious Spirituality (https://nonreligiousspirituality.circle.so/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredscars.substack.com (https://sacredscars.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

5. 

   21 Jun 2026

   Ep.3: From Map to Mystery: Leaning Into the Uncertainty of Spirituality

   Have you ever questioned the beliefs that once defined you? In this episode, we share the raw stories of unraveling faith, confronting uncertainty, and learning to trust ourselves again. We explore the emotional and existential turbulence that follows religious deconstruction—grief, loss of identity, and the gradual, sometimes messy work of rebuilding meaning on the other side. Key topics and stories include: - The vulnerability of sharing unfinished stories in public - What belief swapping looks and feels like—from Catholicism and Baptist roots to new spiritual paths - The restless pursuit of truth, and how it shapes the journey - The weight of religious authority and the challenge of reclaiming autonomy - Navigating liminal space: identity loss, grief, and the slow process of becoming - The risks of replacing one guru or system with another - Finding playfulness and possibility in belief—learning to hold things loosely Lori and Mike are certified existential health practitioners through the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality. Lori is also a certified grief companion. Links: Sacred Scars Substack https://sacredscars.substack.com/ (https://sacredscars.substack.com/) Lori Bickel www.loribickel.com (http://www.loribickel.com) https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/ (https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/) Michael Loy https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/ (https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/) https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/ (https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/) Center for Non-Religious Spirituality Center for Non-Religious Spirituality (https://nonreligiousspirituality.circle.so/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredscars.substack.com (https://sacredscars.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

6. 

   7 Jun 2026

   Ep.2: Letting Go, Leaning In: Finding Ground Beyond Belief

   What happens after certainty falls away? In this episode, we share the raw reality of those first steps into the unknown—where old beliefs no longer fit and new meaning hasn’t arrived. We talk about belief swapping, the ache of lost community, and the vulnerable process of learning to trust yourself again. Key topics and stories include: - Belief swapping—moving from one certainty to another, and why it’s so tempting - The relief, confusion, and grief that come with letting go of spiritual authority - What it means to sit with liminality and the loss of belonging - The unique challenges of deconstruction for women, and reclaiming agency - The embodied and emotional symptoms of spiritual crisis - The slow work of healing, autonomy, and learning to hold beliefs loosely - Moving from the need to be right to the freedom of curiosity and self-trust Lori and Mike are certified existential health practitioners through the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality. Lori is also a certified grief companion. Links: Sacred Scars Substack https://sacredscars.substack.com/ (https://sacredscars.substack.com/) Lori Bickel www.loribickel.com (http://www.loribickel.com) https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/ (https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/) Michael Loy https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/ (https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/) https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/ (https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/) Center for Non-Religious Spirituality Center for Non-Religious Spirituality (https://nonreligiousspirituality.circle.so/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredscars.substack.com (https://sacredscars.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

7. 

   24 May 2026

   Ep.1: When Certainty Fades: Navigating Life After a Crisis of Faith

   Have you ever questioned the beliefs that once defined you? In this opening episode, we share the raw stories of unraveling faith, confronting uncertainty, and learning to trust ourselves again. This conversation explores the emotional and existential turbulence that follows religious deconstruction—grief, loss of identity, and the gradual, sometimes messy work of rebuilding meaning on the other side. Key topics and stories include: - Personal journeys from clergy and congregant through deconstruction - The concept of "belief swapping” and why certainty is so hard to let go of - How grief and emotion show up physically during the process - The unique masculine/feminine dynamic in healing and rebuilding - The importance of community, storytelling, and finding resonance We hope you find connection in our stories, whether you’re just beginning to question or are years into your own journey. There’s a seat for you at our table. Lori and Mike are certified existential health practitioners through the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality. Lori is also a certified grief companion. Find more conversations and resources at: Sacred Scars Substack https://sacredscars.substack.com/ (https://sacredscars.substack.com/) Lori Bickel www.loribickel.com (http://www.loribickel.com) https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/ (https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/) Michael Loy https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/ (https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/) https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/ (https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/) Center for Non-Religious Spirituality Center for Non-Religious Spirituality (https://nonreligiousspirituality.circle.so/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredscars.substack.com (https://sacredscars.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

8. 

   19 May 2026

   Sacred Scars: Welcome to the Table

   Welcome to Sacred Scars. Lori Bickel and Mike Loy introduce the show and the questions at the heart of it — what lives in the spaces between the masculine and the feminine, the clergy and the congregant, deconstruction, and what comes next. Our trailer — the intro and theme song you'll hear at the close of every episode — says it best: the wounds we carry are "the gold that's glowing from deep within." This show is for anyone who's been through something and is still figuring out what it made them. Whether you're in the thick of deconstruction or somewhere on the other side, there's a seat at the table for you. Links: Sacred Scars Substack https://sacredscars.substack.com/ (https://sacredscars.substack.com/) Lori Bickel www.loribickel.com (http://www.loribickel.com) https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/ (https://spiritualunraveling.substack.com/) Michael Loy https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/ (https://www.thewanderingnautilus.com/) https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/ (https://thewanderingnautilus.substack.com/) Center for Non-Religious Spirituality Center for Non-Religious Spirituality (https://nonreligiousspirituality.circle.so/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredscars.substack.com (https://sacredscars.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Contact Sacred Scars Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.