‘I left the Mormon church and can deeply relate to Love Is Blind Marrissa’ says therapist
EXCLUSIVE: A licensed therapist who spent some of her life as a part of the Mormon Church gives her take on a Love Is Blind season 7 scene this fall. Afton Turner tells Reality Tidbit how she left the Mormon church years ago, and completely understands Marrissa George’s viewpoints when it comes to her wedding […]
EXCLUSIVE: A licensed therapist who spent some of her life as a part of the Mormon Church gives her take on a Love Is Blind season 7 scene this fall. Afton Turner tells Reality Tidbit how she left the Mormon church years ago, and completely understands Marrissa George’s viewpoints when it comes to her wedding day.
During Love Is Blind season 7 viewers get to follow along as singletons from the DC area meet in the pods and marry one another sight unseen. After forming emotional connections, the couples have a lot of getting to know one another to do in real life. This includes meeting each others’ family and friends, learning more about their values and religious beliefs, as well as living together and enjoying a luxury honeymoon.
‘I can deeply relate to Marrisa George’
Since Love Is Blind’s episodes dropped on Netflix, anyone who loves reality TV has likely heard about or feasted their eyes on the show this October.
Licensed therapist, Afton certainly got straight to watching the series and tells Reality Tidbit how she can “deeply relate” to one of the singles on the show – Marrissa George.
During one scene of the show, Marrisa and her fiancé, Ramses Prashad, talk about their upbringings and religious beliefs.
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The conversation saw Marrissa detail growing up in the Mormon Church. She ultimately expressed how she’d prefer to keep religion out of her wedding day.
Afton, of Fresh Pages Therapy, tells Reality Tidbit how she also grew up in the same faith but left the Mormon Church.
She says: “I left the Mormon church years ago, and I completely understand why Marissa wouldn’t want religion to be part of her wedding.
“Marissa mentions that she had always imagined getting married in the temple. When I got married in the temple, I thought it would be an ideal, meaningful experience. But instead, it felt like the day was more about meeting religious expectations than celebrating our relationship.
She draws on her experience even further, adding: “Only four of my family members—and none of his—could attend due to ‘temple worthiness’ restrictions, which made the experience feel exclusive and isolating.
“By not having a temple wedding, Marissa has the freedom to make the day truly hers, which could explain why she’s so clear about her expectations.
Afton adds how Marissa’s choice to keep religion out of her wedding allows her to focus on what truly matters to her: “It’s less about pleasing others or adhering to traditions, and more about building her life on her own terms—something I deeply relate to.”
‘My approach to relationships transformed’
Therapist Afton says her approach to relationships “transformed” after “leaving the church.”
She tells Reality Tidbit: “In the Mormon church—and many other Christian faiths—there’s a strong emphasis on forgiveness, which can sometimes lead us to tolerate behaviors we should walk away from. I tolerated a lot in relationships, forgiving things that crossed healthy boundaries.”
Nowadays, she says she’s “learning to define boundaries based on what truly matters to her, not what she was told to follow.”
Afton adds: “I’ve struggled with setting boundaries—sometimes I’m too rigid, other times too lenient—but I’m learning…”
After watching Love Is Blind play out for Marissa and Ramses. Therapist Afton also shares how she could relate to Marrissa on another subject.
Marrissa expresses a firm stance on birth control during the show and Afton tells us: “I related to how she communicated her boundaries with Ramses. She was clear and unapologetic, even if it risked his reaction.
“That’s something I’ve learned to embrace as well—making decisions based on my own values and instincts, rather than being guided by external pressures or religious doctrine. It’s freeing to step away from the strict guidelines I once followed and start making choices that align with who I really am.”
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