Alyona Smoky - A Beautiful Liberation

Alyona Smoky - A Beautiful Liberation CW: War in Ukraine Alyona Smoky was born and raised in Ukraine, where her mother joined a high-control, conservative evangelical church when Alyona was young. As a result of family stressors, Alyona shouldered much of the emotional burden in her family as a child, and she grew up very quickly in a chaotic and emotionally intense environment. When she was 16, Alyona moved to the U.S. with her family due to political unrest in Ukraine. She found coming to the U.S. disorienting, having left behind community and structure while carrying internalized religious control with her. Alyona felt stuck between two worlds — Ukrainian and American — and didn’t feel truly at home in either. In this episode, Alyona shares her fascinating story of immigration and her liberation from high-demand religion and purity culture. Don"t miss her journey of becoming a coach, writer, and photographer, as she helps others recover from high-control systems, including religion, cults, and ideology-heavy environments. Alyona also hosts the Showing Up Sustainably Podcast. FIND ALYONA:  Alyona"s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/alyonasmoky?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=9c4ed103-f24b-4f70-8139-c914dbec5e59 FIND JANICE: Janice Selbie"s Best-selling book Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook is now available in the USA: Amazon.com https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF  and CANADA  Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP78TZZF Recordings are available for the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025! Get your Resource Ticket now:  https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/  Religious Trauma Survivor Support Group is happening on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific and Thursdays at 6pm Eastern (starting April 17). Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others for healing and support:  https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services  Need help on your journey of healing from Religious Trauma? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here:  https://www.divorcing-religion.com/services Follow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media: Threads: Wisecounsellor@threads.net BlueSky: @janiceselbie.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivorcingReligion TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@janiceselbie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisecounsellor/ Subscribe to the audio-only version here:  https://www.divorcing-religion.com/religious-trauma-podcast  The Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular mental health clinician. Support the show