Katherine Spearing MA, CTRC
Podcaster | Author | Spiritual Abuse and Religious Trauma Recovery Specialist | Career Coach | Writer
Two statements that describe Katherine’s early life are, “I grew up in a cult” and “I did my first two years of college in secret.” After obtaining the illicit college degree (English, BA), she went on to get her Masters of Religion and Cultures, but only after enacting an escape plan to leave the cult and taking an extended detour to help plant a church in Mexico. One master’s degree and five church staff positions later, Katherine found herself working for a church in Los Angeles where she discovered a dark side to the church that eerily resembled the cult she escaped. After leaving this church, she went on to start Tears of Eden, a nonprofit supporting survivors of Spiritual Abuse, hosting its affiliate podcast Uncertain, which has been quoted in scholarly articles, seminary papers, and PhD dissertations. While working daily with survivors, Katherine obtained a certification in Trauma Recovery Coaching from IAOTRC and and currently leads the Religious Trauma Cohort for this association. She’s a member of the Research Collaborative with the Religious Trauma Institute and has made an appearance on a number of podcasts and has spoken at a number of events and retreats. She’s written several nonfiction articles, including an article with CBE International titled Are We Continuing to Sideline Women in Conversations About Abuse? (Top 10 articles of 2022). Her greatest writing achievement thus far is her novel Hartfords (León Publishing, 2021) a romantic comedy that challenges gender roles in a patriarchal society. She writes regularly at katherinespearing.com and her most active social media presence is on Instagram.
"I highly recommend Katherine Spearing as a trauma-informed career coach. She played a pivotal role in helping me discover my next career steps by actively listening to my career aspirations while making me feel truly heard and understood. Her guidance was not only insightful but also practical, providing me with concrete steps to achieve my goals. Katherine's expertise in trauma and career coaching along with her empathetic approach make her an invaluable resource for anyone seeking career guidance and personal growth."
—Heather, Missouri
“Katherine’s attunement skills are amazing. She makes you feel seen, validated, and helps you make connections within yourself that you may not see. She is very knowledgeable in sexual abuse victims and how that can show up. She helped me become more focused in handling everyday stressors as well as my trauma experienced around patriarchy and sexual abuse. She is a nice blend of being personable as well as an expert in what she does. She is absolutely someone you need to walk hand in hand on your healing journey.”
— Elizabeth Furlow, Tennessee
