What is it really like growing up in foster care — and how can faith, resilience, and unexpected kindness change the course of a life?
In this powerful episode of the Rybickulous Faith Podcast, host Sarah Rybicki sits down with Dr. Sharon Zaffarese-Dippold, a licensed psychotherapist, bestselling author, and foster care advocate, to share her deeply personal foster care testimony.
Dr. Sharon opens up about her childhood spent moving through the foster care system, often carrying her belongings in garbage bags — an experience that shaped her voice, her faith, and her lifelong commitment to healing and advocacy. Through her Garbage Bag Life Series, written from the perspective of her younger self, she invites readers into the reality of foster care while offering hope, empathy, and resilience for those impacted by trauma.
This conversation explores:
What growing up in foster care is really like
How childhood trauma impacts identity and faith
The power of kindness in survival and healing
Faith, resilience, and emotional healing after trauma
Breaking foster care stereotypes with compassion and truth
Why foster youth stories matter

⚠️ Content Note: This episode discusses foster care, childhood trauma, and abuse in a thoughtful and compassionate way.


Dr. Sharon Zaffarese-Dippold is a licensed psychotherapist with over 27 years of experience in mental health, a public speaker, and a foster care advocate. She is the author of the Garbage Bag Life series and donates a portion of all book sales to organizations supporting children in foster care.

https://drsharonzd.com
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The Rybickulous Faith Podcast is a space for real stories, real faith, and Rybickulous hope. We share honest Christian conversations for women and faith-curious believers navigating healing, purpose, and spiritual growth — without judgment or perfection culture.
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