Learn How to Write Through Your Experience.
Eight course modules over three months guide you through a writing process designed both support your process, and to help you write a short but personally meaningful book.
In Every Woman's Life, There's at Least One Chapter that Nearly Broke Her.
When that chapter is the very Faith and foundation that was supposed to protect you, and promised you a "forever," the deconstruction can be especially devastating. And lonely.
But you are NOT alone.
I spent my deconstruction, deep in grief and despair, over several months.
I struggled to even get out of bed.
I had given 50+ years of my everything to my church, in the name of keeping my covenants, and saving my "eternal family." In spite of an abusive marriage, misogynistic church leaders, multiple gross Mormon men — and the damage all of that did to my daughters — I clung to my 'faith" in the "one true gospel."
Over the course of several years, I had gone to leadership with multiple pleas for help and support. I even reached out to (and heard back from) my once-favorite apostle. The ultimate realization that my church didn't care, and wouldn't ever actually protect or help my little family — it was unbearable.
Eventually this led me down a rabbit hole of heartbreaking truth-discovery.
Maybe you've also discovered some of the same things I found as I deconstruct(ed), including:
- Patriarchal roles that gaslit, shamed and abused women and children
- Multiple child sexual assault cases protecting perpetrators, and ignoring or silencing victims
- A church history that was deliberately hidden and never completely honest
- Financial sacrifice of needs and wants at home to pay tithes that didn't actually go to charity
- Discovering a richer than God church corporation with shell companies and billions in investments
For starters.
Months of shame, depression and regret created way too many moments where I truly just wanted to die.
I don't ever want anyone to deconstruct like I did – largely alone, deeply in shame, and hanging on by a thread.
And You Do NOT Need to Do This Alone.
Faith-holding women are often taught to bear their griefs and struggles quietly. Don't gossip. Don't complain. Definitely don't speak ill of men — especially those in leadership. Bear one another's burdens, of course, but bear your own burdens (doubts, shames, fears) silently.
When we then come to a crossroads, or a faith struggle — especially if that struggle leads us down a path of deconstruction — the process can be very isolating, heartbreaking, and even devastating.
Because it's more than a loss of faith — it's often the loss of your friends, community, the realization that your entire LIFE has been built on something that wasn't real. Every choice. Every decision. Who you dated. Who you married. How you were (or weren't) educated. What access you had to finances. How you raised kids.
All of it.
If you've found yourself moving through this process alone and in silence, not daring to share with your closest friends — much less family members — our small, non-judgmental, writing-to-process-it-all community may be just what you need.
Combine this community with the therapeutic-like power of writing ((link to blog post on this)), and the authoring of a book — YOUR book — the end results for you and those around you can be nothing short of a personal miracle. Only this one is ALL you. No patriarchy allowed.
And that's the point of Lemons to Lemonade!
We don't gate-keep here. Whether or not you join Lemons to Lemonade, I want you to feel supported.
If you're new to deconstruction, you may not know it yet, but there are dozens of resources available, waiting to greet you with open arms. Here are a few of my favorites, specifically for their compassion, religious trauma-informed approaches, and resources they share:
- Dr. John Dehlin, Mormon Stories Podcast, on YouTube
- Ashley Buckner, Utah Trauma Therapist, on Instagram
- Amy McPhie Allebest, scholar, author, and host of Bringing Down Patriarchy
- Gabrielle Blair, author of Ejaculate Responsibly – the book that opened my eyes and broke my heart for the real tragedies and systems of abortion
Of course I'd love to work with you in Lemons to Lemonade — but most importantly, I want you to find support, and this list is a great starting point.
Your Faith Deconstruction Story. A Carefully Curated Community.
Mutual Healing and Support.
Lemons to Lemonade is a three-month, supportive writing and deconstruction-processing community for faith-struggling women, with three main pillars:
Process Your Faith Grief With a Community.
A private (not Facebook) membership on our platform for posts, discussions, conversation, and support. Combined with at least bi-weekly group meetings to share, support, and encourage each other.
Write Your Own Healing Book – for You, or for the World.
Final modules help you tie all your writing together, wrapping it up into a short book about your experience. Keep it close, share it with others who are struggling, or publish it – that's entirely up to you.
*finish your book within the cohort timeframe, and get my KDP course free
Lemons to Lemonade Options:
Start with our Freebie, try the Starter Kit, or join the Lemonade Membership.
There's more than one way to make lemonade, afterall:
The FAQ Check: How Does the Lemons to Lemonade Membership Work?
Beta launches are fun! YOU get to help me create the best experience for future cohorts. We'll be flexible, and we'll grow and adjust the program as we work through it, but this is what I've got so far:
What's Included in the membership?
- Three month deconstruction cohort
- At least six live, online meet-ups
- One year of community access
- Eight "write your book" modules
- Over a dozen digital assets to support you
- One-year course access
- Free KDP course bonus if you finish
Who else will be in the cohort?
A carefully curated group of like-minded, but not carbon-copy women (yes, only women). Some of us may still be clinging to hope. Some of us may be just starting down the path of deconstruction. Some of us may have largely passed through the stages of grief. All of us will be supportive, respectful, and kind.
What are the virtual meetings like?
The typical plan will be a run-through of the current module, a writing exercise, and a community-driven discussion. These will vary, however, based on community conversations and expressed needs. We could see the need for "coffee chat" vent or comfort sessions, for example. Or we may find a need for more tutorials, or practice writing sessions.
Can I really write a whole book in 3 months?
Yes. Step-by-step, in about 30 mins a day, too. It won't be your life story. We're going for short and punchy or meaningful. You'll choose one aspect of your deconstruction, or one aspect of faith that was painful for you – and for this book, and for our purposes, you'll focus on that. You can also go back through the course and write multiple books, or even focus on chapters of a larger work.
Will my experience be kept confidential?
Each cohort member is asked to sign a confidentiality waiver. What we share in Lemons to Lemonade stays in Lemons to Lemonade — with the exception of your own book, and your own story. The dynamics of questioning and/or leaving your faith are complicated, and most women in the group will hold and honor this deeply – because we all get it.
What's the "KDP Bonus" If I finish?
Complete your book within the 3 month cohort window, and you get the KDP Course 100% free. You don't ever have to publish your Lemons to Lemonade book, but if you decide that's what you want, this is my way of making that easier. If it takes you a bit longer, I'll still give you a KDP Course discount of 50% if you finish within one year.
XThe End Results are Sweet, and Delightsome.
The process is still going to be painful.
There will still be tears shed, and feelings of despair and heartache.
You will still grieve the loss — maybe of the life you could have had, or maybe of the time you wasted focused on "coffee," or maybe for how you raised your children, or the marriage you settled for.
But the process of writing, and the sisterhood of "me too,"
In Lemons to Lemonade – you decide what to write, what to share, and when to pause. If for YOU, the process actually creates more anxiety, depression, or harm, step away and seek support from a qualified mental-health professional.
