From Darkness to Deliverance: Noriko Reid’s Story of Healing and Hope
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In This Episode:
Noriko joins Pastor Dave for an honest and powerful conversation about surviving childhood trauma, living with deep emotional wounds, and discovering the gentle, healing presence of Jesus. Born in Japan and now living in Australia, Noriko shares how abuse, fear, and silence shaped her early years — and how faith, therapy, and community began to rewrite her story.
This episode explores the emotional toll of keeping secrets, the slow road to healing from trauma, and the beauty of discovering you're still worthy of love. Noriko’s story is raw, hopeful, and a reminder that no pain is beyond God’s reach.
Key Highlights
The secret Noriko carried for decades
How childhood trauma shaped her mental health
Learning to name pain instead of hiding it
Her journey through therapy, prayer, and trust
How Jesus met her in the silence
Rebuilding identity after years of shame
What healing looks like for survivors of abuse
Her message for others who’ve been wounded young
Guest Bio
Noriko is a brave survivor, wife, and woman of faith whose story bridges Japanese and Australian cultures. After enduring trauma as a child in Japan, she found healing through faith, therapy, and the support of a loving community. Noriko now shares her journey to help others feel less alone in their pain and more connected to the gentle love of Christ.
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Podcast Transcript
Welcome to Somewhere Souls. My name is Dave Quak and on this show we speak about life and faith and our mental well-being. And today we get to hear from an awesome woman called Noriko Reed who actually got healed from borderline personality disorder. I know not all of us get healed this way, and for me, my healing is coming in the form of medication and counseling and all other things as well.
00:00:48:07 - 00:01:20:11
Dave Quak
But I found it super encouraging to engage and listen to somebody who got set free the way Noriko did, just by way of a content warning. We do speak about suicide and abuse and sexual abuse and other heavier topics. So if you need help, there is a get Help page on the Sunburned Souls website. Otherwise, sit back and engage and hear a story about God's restoration for another one of his daughters that he absolutely loves.
00:01:20:13 - 00:01:36:04
Dave Quak
Noriko read I'm here with my friend Noriko. She is married to Justin. Justin and Noriko are the senior pastors of Hope church here in Varsity Lakes on the beautiful Gold Coast. Noriko, thank you for my coffee. And thank you for coming on somebody else.
00:01:36:06 - 00:01:39:09
Noriko Reid
Oh, thank you for inviting me to. Come on. This is exciting.
00:01:39:09 - 00:02:01:11
Dave Quak
It's my pleasure. I, have wanted to chat to you for ages. We've had a few cracks at this, and one had to cancel them the other. And, you know, we've walked a bit of a similar journey, but you might be on a bit of a spiritual high at the moment, because we, as the Gold Coast Church has just put on the Easter United Festival, and you were our keynote speaker for the night.
00:02:01:11 - 00:02:02:01
Dave Quak
How was.
00:02:02:01 - 00:02:11:11
Noriko Reid
That? Yes, I was I had a privilege of sharing my story. Testimony. Yeah. And just. Yeah, it was an amazing experience. Really was. Yeah.
00:02:11:13 - 00:02:16:14
Dave Quak
Oh. That's amazing. And they were like 6 or 7000 people there, which is crazy, I believe.
00:02:16:14 - 00:02:18:01
Noriko Reid
So, yeah, there was a lot of people there.
00:02:18:06 - 00:02:23:13
Dave Quak
Yeah. Was it massive from the stage because it when we're all sitting I was looking around, I was like, there is a lot of a crowd here.
00:02:23:17 - 00:02:31:19
Noriko Reid
Yeah. Well it's funny now because when you're up there, you actually can't see who's on the ground, because there's no lights on the ground.
00:02:32:00 - 00:02:33:20
Dave Quak
And the lights are in your face, too, I guess.
00:02:33:22 - 00:02:44:08
Noriko Reid
So, yeah, it's like it looks actually pitch black. Almost. So I didn't know how many people were there until all the lights on the mobile phone went up. And then I thought, oh, people are still here. Yeah.
00:02:44:08 - 00:03:01:14
Dave Quak
And they were listening. I liked it that you approached it in such a way. I don't know, I just like the way you did it. But what you don't know is where I was sitting was right next to a bunch of the people from this church. So there was a young crew, and they were yelling at Pastor Noriko real loud, and they'll wave and flags and stuff.
00:03:01:14 - 00:03:02:19
Dave Quak
Do you know who I'm talking about?
00:03:02:21 - 00:03:03:21
Noriko Reid
No I haven't, no.
00:03:04:02 - 00:03:21:16
Dave Quak
And now we're into it. And I'll cheering you on because it was so cool hearing someone share their story, you know, about God's love and redemption to so many people. And I found it also interesting because I remember in my 20s, I was like, oh, I'd love to speak at a massive event like this. And now I'm in my 40s and I'd hate to speak.
00:03:21:16 - 00:03:22:22
Dave Quak
An event like this.
00:03:22:24 - 00:03:23:15
Noriko Reid
Is, you did.
00:03:23:15 - 00:03:25:24
Dave Quak
So well, I would have caved, I reckon.
00:03:26:01 - 00:03:52:07
Noriko Reid
Yeah, I did have my moments probably a couple weeks before the event. I yeah, I was just so overwhelmed emotionally. Yeah. Intimidated. Fear. What have I done? Like what? Why did I say yes to it? So I, I had a chat with my family and my sons and my husband and in daughters in. No. Are we lady as a family to tell my story which means we telling a family story.
00:03:52:08 - 00:04:12:19
Noriko Reid
Yeah. Are we are we ready to share the testimony and this story of our journey with so many people that we don't even know? Like, are we okay with that? So we had a really good chat about it. Yeah. And then my son said, my younger son actually said, oh, well, if God chose you to tell your story, this is a time.
00:04:12:21 - 00:04:14:18
Noriko Reid
So yeah.
00:04:14:19 - 00:04:25:21
Dave Quak
Yeah that's powerful because it is a that's the thing when we share our story, especially if it's got some deeper crevices in it, it does have implications for our loved ones. Yes. So I'm glad to hear your son was on board.
00:04:25:22 - 00:04:45:19
Noriko Reid
Yeah totally. Totally. And they were, helping me, guiding me of how much of details to share and what not to share, because we are very mindful. It's a family orientated gathering. Yeah, yeah. So we didn't want to give it too deep and too dark because the reality of the battling and journeying through the mental health issue can be quite dark.
00:04:45:22 - 00:04:49:18
Noriko Reid
Yeah, yeah. So I was I was very mindful of that. Yeah.
00:04:49:20 - 00:04:54:10
Dave Quak
Well, why don't we circle back to the start, if you don't mind. So where did this all start for you?
00:04:54:12 - 00:05:18:12
Noriko Reid
So this all started for me. After I had a second son, and I was diagnosed with postnatal depression. Okay, so doctor thought I just had a postnatal depression, but after a few years, it just. It did not improve in lift off. I start losing sleep. I was constantly anxious, depressed. I had a lot of death in my family at the same time.
00:05:18:12 - 00:05:38:09
Noriko Reid
So we saw maybe this is also a part of agree, but it just went on for quite some time until I was finally, yeah, diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, which came a total shock to me and, and my husband. Yeah, our children were still young back then, so they were only about, six and eight. Yeah.
00:05:38:09 - 00:05:43:07
Noriko Reid
So it was like what just hit us. Yeah. What, what do you mean? I will never be cured.
00:05:43:09 - 00:05:51:05
Dave Quak
Yeah. So going from having a baba to borderline personality disorder quite quickly, it would have been like a waterslide. That would have been such a whirlwind.
00:05:51:10 - 00:06:14:00
Noriko Reid
Yeah it was. And I was already on the, high dose of antidepressants at the time, so I think it was about 300mg a day. Yeah. Yeah. So it was just like, we didn't know what, just to hit us, and just being told by psychiatrist that there is no cure. It's like a you lose all the hope because until that point you're hoping you're going to get better.
00:06:14:02 - 00:06:31:05
Noriko Reid
Yeah. You're hoping I'm going to come out of this wrong and just been told that you can't be cured from it. So. Okay. Yeah I remember that feeling sitting in the psychiatrist office just listening to, you know, diagnoses ago. I don't understand what you just said to me. Like, what do you mean? I'm not going to be better?
00:06:31:07 - 00:06:31:16
Noriko Reid
Yeah.
00:06:31:22 - 00:06:37:02
Dave Quak
So is that a borderline personality disorder thing that they say once you've got it, you've always got it?
00:06:37:04 - 00:06:45:24
Noriko Reid
Apparently, according to today's US, as far as I know. Yeah. And and yet, Penny, there's still no cure. And to this day. Wow.
00:06:45:24 - 00:06:49:02
Dave Quak
That's crazy. So what's actually a day in the life of somebody with that?
00:06:49:02 - 00:07:16:03
Noriko Reid
Like, emotional instability up and down, anxieties to, there's a lot of emotions, self-harming. So had a self harming star. Some people don't do self-harm, but I think a lot of them do. Yeah. Self-hatred. Just to so many different layers. Yeah. No years of, and they, they do actually say that the study has been done.
00:07:16:04 - 00:07:39:03
Noriko Reid
A lot of people that get diagnosed with it has a chart of abuses in the background, which it was in my case, it was yes, I, I was abused as a child, physically, emotionally, sexually. Okay. Yeah. So but I kind of learned to live with myself, you know, so never thought about what has happened to me as a child will affect me that much as an adult.
00:07:39:05 - 00:07:42:15
Noriko Reid
Yeah. But everything came to the surface so. Yeah.
00:07:42:15 - 00:07:49:16
Dave Quak
Wow. And did that come to the surface in the sense that the doctor asking you questions and then that came out or I.
00:07:49:16 - 00:08:13:22
Noriko Reid
Think he was more of the pressure of being a young mum and. Yeah. Now being responsible for, you know, children. And I think I feel like I had in no way out. I feel stuck and I think that's what started. And then of course, throughout the therapy, throughout the, counseling with, appointments with a psychiatrist.
00:08:13:24 - 00:08:29:10
Noriko Reid
Yeah. Yeah, that that was a final diagnosis the doctor gave me. So I was like, okay. Yeah, I do remember her actually saying, you don't know who you are. Yeah, I remember that's that's being a part of my conversation with Doctor for many times actually. Yeah, yeah.
00:08:29:12 - 00:08:35:10
Dave Quak
And in that process, do you go back and sort of pull apart the abuse or do you leave it in the past or.
00:08:35:12 - 00:08:59:04
Noriko Reid
So I did have to work through, a lot of my abuse trauma. Yeah. Unresolved, I guess unforgiveness towards my own father who was my visa. Yeah. And now this. But, yeah, I went through a lot of counseling and healing process after I became Christian, so I think it was over seven years. Yeah, it was over and over.
00:08:59:04 - 00:09:25:05
Noriko Reid
It's like you work one things and I go just bring something else to work. Yeah. It was like a peeling onions, layers and layers of feelings. But yeah it was not a fun process. Not very painful. Yeah. Yeah. But a you could just every time God just brought the healing in, you know, areas of my life there was like freedom, you know, freedom and a light in the darkness over and over.
00:09:25:07 - 00:09:26:22
Noriko Reid
This is normalizing. Yeah.
00:09:26:24 - 00:09:32:08
Dave Quak
What did the did they try to medicate you with the BPD in the early days? What was that.
00:09:32:10 - 00:09:56:15
Noriko Reid
So it was just antidepressant. Yeah. Yeah. Mostly antidepressant. And I had to go and see, psychiatrist and a psychologist who was expert in treating people with BPD. So, helping with your thinking process to, basically learning how to cope with your you yourself. Yeah. So that was just, Yeah, it was, it was a lot of counseling sessions.
00:09:56:18 - 00:10:10:24
Noriko Reid
Yeah, a lot of counseling sessions. A lot of medications, sleeping tablets because I couldn't sleep at all. Yeah, I couldn't eat at the time, so, yeah, my weight dropped to I think was about 43 K. Oh, wow.
00:10:11:01 - 00:10:14:23
Dave Quak
Gee, that sounds dark. And what about you and Justin? How did you guys go?
00:10:15:00 - 00:10:33:08
Noriko Reid
So a marriage was on the breaking point. Yeah, my husband's very, very patient, but I actually ran away once, so I actually went back to be on my. On. Did you? Yes. Because I just could not cope with myself, so I left. I left the kids, I left my husband. So we were separated for quite a few months.
00:10:33:10 - 00:10:55:11
Noriko Reid
Yeah. I had in my first suicide attempt while I was in Japan. Wow. And my husband found out and he just called me back to come home. Yeah. So I made a lot of poor choices during that time. And yeah our marriage was just on a breaking point. That's when my husband start going back to church and then got to start turning things around.
00:10:55:12 - 00:10:57:03
Dave Quak
Doing a work in his life as well.
00:10:57:05 - 00:10:58:11
Noriko Reid
Yeah absolutely.
00:10:58:16 - 00:11:06:13
Dave Quak
When you're in Japan where you connecting with your family like during the time you attempted suicide or was that independent of them?
00:11:06:15 - 00:11:24:24
Noriko Reid
Yeah. I was staying with my family and I was contacting, husband and children nightly, so I'll be calling them at night. Yeah. Talking to my case. Yeah. So I did have a contact, but it felt like a total isolation, to be honest. Like nobody understood what I was going through.
00:11:25:00 - 00:11:25:24
Dave Quak
Yeah.
00:11:26:01 - 00:11:39:20
Noriko Reid
Nobody. Yeah. Felt what I felt that moment. Especially, Night time. Yeah. Torment of the night. Yeah. That was a horrible. It really was. Yeah.
00:11:39:20 - 00:11:54:17
Dave Quak
That was horrible because he seems like such a patient guy and no one rationally chooses I'm going to leave my kids. But there's more going on beneath the surface when you're in that place. Yeah. You know that was years of getting to that place wasn't the last.
00:11:54:21 - 00:11:55:10
Noriko Reid
Yeah.
00:11:55:12 - 00:11:57:03
Dave Quak
The first thing you decided?
00:11:57:04 - 00:11:57:15
Noriko Reid
Yes.
00:11:57:16 - 00:11:58:17
Dave Quak
The last thing you decided?
00:11:58:17 - 00:12:19:06
Noriko Reid
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I guess I just wanted to run away from all the pains. Yeah. And I didn't know where to so. Yeah I, I pretty much everything I tried drinking alcohol was to. Yeah I was unfaithful to marriage, I tried everything to numb my pain. And just things just start getting more intensified and got worse.
00:12:19:20 - 00:12:32:00
Dave Quak
Yeah I think some of us around us. Hey I'm wired like you. Like when I.... When the pressure's on. You know, some people want to, like, digging in for. I want to be, like, on the next yacht to wherever it goes. Yeah. I don't even care where it goes.
00:12:32:00 - 00:12:36:17
Noriko Reid
Party. Yeah. I used to have a multiple access plan in my head. Yeah.
00:12:36:19 - 00:12:51:18
Dave Quak
Yeah, I do too, I know, sorry. Yes, I did back in the day. I don't have one right now. Jess is my wife's. Okay. So then you came back from Japan obviously wanting some sort of like reconciliation or.
00:12:51:19 - 00:12:52:09
Noriko Reid
Yes.
00:12:52:11 - 00:12:53:18
Dave Quak
Otherwise you would have stayed in Japan.
00:12:53:22 - 00:13:10:23
Noriko Reid
Yes. Yeah. So my husband actually said to me, well, he was back in a church back then by then, so he invited me back home to said he will look after me until I get better. Yeah. Then I can think about if I want to spend lot of time with him or not. Yeah. So he just. Yes.
00:13:10:23 - 00:13:33:00
Noriko Reid
He just offered, his loving care unconditionally, which only when I became a Christian, I understood that was a love of Jesus. But I didn't know. You know, I didn't know the Lord back then. So. Yeah. So he looked after me. And it was during that time, after I came back from Japan, that he got me to see specialists in psychologist, and then that that's when diagnosis came.
00:13:33:03 - 00:13:36:04
Dave Quak
Okay. And so at that point you weren't walking with Jesus.
00:13:36:08 - 00:13:37:01
Noriko Reid
No.
00:13:37:03 - 00:13:39:00
Dave Quak
But he just started going back to church.
00:13:39:00 - 00:13:57:16
Noriko Reid
Well, he was saved as a teenager and he's being out of church for like ten years. So first, any of our marriage. Yeah, he was he was not walking was a little closely. So according back first he was in a church was at Jordan and he was working on my husband's heart first. Yeah, yeah.
00:13:57:22 - 00:14:01:15
Dave Quak
And then how did you end up getting hooked into the Jesus stuff?
00:14:01:17 - 00:14:21:07
Noriko Reid
So this is, funny story, though. I didn't actually get to share a whole story on that issue. Nodded. So I used to tell my husband that I would be the last person to become Christian. Well, I'm a good Christian. Yes. Wow. It's not Christians. I used to mock him, call him Holy Boy and all sorts of things.
00:14:21:09 - 00:14:44:11
Noriko Reid
So I, I was working on the, TV and film at the time. Yeah. So I was working on the film set just at the Television creek. Beautiful place. And someone stole my mobile phone and money on film set. So I got a stack on a film set, and that the guy I knew from the the, acting class saw me and just offered to take me out for dinner.
00:14:44:13 - 00:15:11:02
Noriko Reid
So we sat and then he sat, witnessing to me about his mum, who, lost her battle to depression, and he she actually did commit suicide. So he lost mum when he was young. So he said telling me the story just out of blue while we were having dinner. And I thought, this is really strange. And this guy sat saying, well, you might think I'm strange, but I'm Christian and God is telling me to tell you about my mum.
00:15:11:04 - 00:15:20:03
Noriko Reid
She had a depression and she lost her battle and she commit suicide. And he said, I don't want your children to grow up without mum like we did.
00:15:20:05 - 00:15:21:04
Dave Quak
Wow.
00:15:21:06 - 00:15:21:20
Noriko Reid
So I was.
00:15:21:21 - 00:15:22:20
Dave Quak
I didn't know, he didn't.
00:15:23:01 - 00:15:24:10
Noriko Reid
Know. He didn't know.
00:15:24:12 - 00:15:25:00
Dave Quak
Anything.
00:15:25:01 - 00:15:48:16
Noriko Reid
Yeah. And he also didn't know I was I had attempted suicide for months before that day. Yeah. Yeah I ended up in a hospital in emergency. So he knew nothing about that. And he just start telling me this story now. So, no. Now, the question this is so, Lisa, I said to him, now I've got I've got one at home husbands, Christian and I don't I don't want to have anything to do with this.
00:15:48:18 - 00:16:07:08
Noriko Reid
And I, he just said to me, well, you don't know how to help yourself, so, but I know someone that can help you. So I said, okay. So he took me aside and I thought, oh, maybe he's going to give me a number of psychologists or doctors or somebody, something useful. And he just pointed to Sky. Yeah. And I just looked up and that's when I saw the stars.
00:16:07:10 - 00:16:28:06
Noriko Reid
They were just moving towards me. Yeah. Wow. They really were, you know, some 19 talks about it. You know, the heaven declares God that that really was my experience really was. Wow. Yeah. And I just fell on the floor past that weeping, crying. And the cry I didn't even know was crying, but I was sobbing on the footpath by the beach.
00:16:28:08 - 00:16:39:23
Noriko Reid
The current Garda and, after crying for quite some time, just sort came to my head and said, I need to become a Christian, Yeah. Nobody told me to, I just, I just and said I need to become a Christian.
00:16:39:23 - 00:16:41:21
Dave Quak
That is amazing. And then what?
00:16:41:23 - 00:17:00:20
Noriko Reid
And then my friend said, why? And I said, I don't know. I don't know, because he didn't preach Jesus to me. He told me about his mum, but he didn't say anything about the Bible or Jesus or even God. I said, I don't know why, but if I don't become Christian tonight, I don't think I'll be alive much longer.
00:17:00:21 - 00:17:16:23
Noriko Reid
Wow. So that's how I, yeah, encounter God. Supernatural. I still don't know how, but I look back and go, yeah. No, it was God reaching out to me, reaching out to me as a lost sheep stuck in a pit. Yeah.
00:17:17:01 - 00:17:29:03
Dave Quak
It's crazy. And so then you go home covered in sand from falling on the beach and mascara running from crying. Justin's like, what has happened here? You know what I mean? Like, how was it when you told him he was.
00:17:29:03 - 00:17:43:14
Noriko Reid
Well, to start with, we. I took my friend. So who's a, you know, young male model looking. Oh, yeah. So we knocked on the door and Justin answered the door. And then my friend said, we have something to tell you. So my husband, he saw that we were having affairs.
00:17:43:14 - 00:17:46:17
Dave Quak
Yeah, that's a scary thing to do. Don't ever turn up with a model at the front door.
00:17:46:18 - 00:18:07:18
Noriko Reid
I know, but I wasn't thinking that. So. So he did invite us, he said as on the couch, and my friend said, no, I want to become a Christian. Yeah. And so he said, no, no, no, no, she's not that kind of woman. You're mocking me. Yeah. Well, and I said, no, I really want to become Christian. And he said, no, you're mocking me.
00:18:07:20 - 00:18:18:05
Noriko Reid
And I said, no, I'm not. I really want to become a Christian. So yeah, they said, are you going to go to church with me? I said, yes, are you going to read a Bible? Yes.
00:18:18:07 - 00:18:19:01
Dave Quak
That's amazing.
00:18:19:01 - 00:18:38:11
Noriko Reid
So yeah. So then my husband and my friend lent me to the Lord in our living room. Yeah. And I remember actually something like a or something coming out of me, when I accepted a lord. Yeah, right. Yes I did. I do believe there was spiritual that even if something's going on as well. Yeah, yeah.
00:18:38:13 - 00:18:47:11
Dave Quak
It sounds like it because as well, it's been such a battle for your life. Like, you can see God wrestling for you for your whole life. So there was a spiritual battle going on.
00:18:47:11 - 00:18:52:18
Noriko Reid
Yeah. So my, my grandfather was actually Buddhist priest, quite high ranking.
00:18:52:18 - 00:18:53:08
Dave Quak
Yeah.
00:18:53:10 - 00:19:10:08
Noriko Reid
Yeah. And then my other grandfather on my mum's side, it was the, ordinary Shinto temple. So when I became a Christian, I had a dream. And one night I had a dream and a white dragon appeared in my dream and said. Do you belong to me? It was a big, big dragon. It's not. Got no Chinese dragon.
00:19:10:08 - 00:19:26:06
Noriko Reid
Do you seen the movie? Yeah. And I said, no, I belong to Jesus Christ. And a dragon said, no, you belong to me. I said, no, I belong to Jesus. A be gone in name of Jesus and I disappeared. I wake up, call my mum as a mum. I saw this white dragon in my dream. Do you know what it is?
00:19:26:06 - 00:19:40:05
Noriko Reid
And? And I found out, my parents in here. Very good intention. Dedicated me to a Shinto temple as a two month old baby and a Shinto temple goddess was a white dragon. Yeah. Okay.
00:19:40:07 - 00:19:42:15
Dave Quak
So you had to kind of get rid of some of the the strongholds.
00:19:42:15 - 00:20:03:18
Noriko Reid
Oh, yeah. Very much, very much so. Yeah. Yeah. My mum actually got saved, probably about ten, 11 months after me. Yeah. Well, yeah. So then now when I went back to Japan to visit, my mum went to her church and her pastors took a few hours praying with me, breaking those strongholds. Yeah.
00:20:03:20 - 00:20:08:13
Dave Quak
And especially when their priests and, you know, like, there's some serious battling to be done there.
00:20:08:15 - 00:20:16:08
Noriko Reid
Yeah, 100%. And it was like a despair was hovering over me all my life. Yeah. And I look back. Yeah.
00:20:16:10 - 00:20:19:20
Dave Quak
And probably like through the abuse. And that was where the doorways. Yes.
00:20:19:22 - 00:20:30:19
Noriko Reid
Opened her hands up anything. Yeah. All the evil demonic unforgiveness and it yeah. Rejection of I mean all of that. Yeah.
00:20:30:21 - 00:20:36:07
Dave Quak
Wow. That's crazy. Okay. So but your mum became a Christian too. Did you share your testimony with her.
00:20:36:12 - 00:21:00:19
Noriko Reid
I did, I did, and my mum actually lost everything to. Okay. It's a long story in the family. Very sad. So, my parents were divorced when I was young, but my my father came back to my mum's life, took everything she had. Wow. And so she was left with nothing. And just before that happened, God actually warned me to say, go gone when your mother is just going to lose everything.
00:21:00:19 - 00:21:21:09
Noriko Reid
So I told her, you're going to lose everything. And my mum didn't believe me. And it happened six months later. Wow. But when she lost everything, all she had left was a, you know, holding on to Jesus. So when she lost everything, I was on the phone with her one night, and I saw Jesus standing outside of her door.
00:21:21:11 - 00:21:38:21
Noriko Reid
And I've never been to her apartment because she moved to house. And I said to mum, was it? Oh, I can see the two bedrooms you're sitting in the your phone is on the floor and I'll side of your door. There's Jesus standing, but he's not going to force his way in unless you open the door. Yeah, yeah.
00:21:38:21 - 00:21:56:24
Noriko Reid
And I, I saw the light light bulb, on the entrance door that was out. So I said to mum, your light bulb is out. And mum said, how do you know? You know, you've never been here. Yeah. I said, go, just show me your light bulb is out. You need to get a new light bulb. Yeah. So, next day.
00:21:57:01 - 00:22:16:03
Noriko Reid
Funny enough, my mum walked across the road, found a little church, walked in. There was American minister visiting. Oh, yeah. Preaching on that day, who was a missionary, more than 40 years ago. And he used a pastor in that church, and he sat talking about two little girl. They used to come visit him at the church.
00:22:16:05 - 00:22:25:02
Noriko Reid
And sunny, my mum. Remember when she was eight, she used to go and visit the church with her friend? No way. And she put her hands up and said that little girl was me.
00:22:25:03 - 00:22:25:16
Dave Quak
No way.
00:22:25:17 - 00:22:28:19
Noriko Reid
Come on, I know. Crazy, isn't it? That's how God works.
00:22:28:20 - 00:22:29:10
Dave Quak
Oh, that is so.
00:22:29:10 - 00:22:47:07
Noriko Reid
Cool, I know, so she gave love to the Lord? Yes. And then the night that she gave that to Lord, I had a dream. My mum was having communion with Jesus. So I called her next morning, said, hey, mum, have you accepted Jesus? And she said yes. How do you know? I went to church yesterday. I said, I saw I had a dream.
00:22:47:07 - 00:22:53:06
Dave Quak
Yeah that's amazing, I know. Did you learn about all the prophetic stuff before becoming a Christian or.
00:22:53:09 - 00:22:54:23
Noriko Reid
No, no, because.
00:22:55:00 - 00:23:00:02
Dave Quak
You know, you've spoken a few times about dreams and visions and things, and so you sort of just started having them.
00:23:00:02 - 00:23:18:06
Noriko Reid
Yes. When, you know, when I become Christian, I said, dream a lot. Yeah. And that's how I started counting a Lord. I heard his voice. So over 20 years, so 20 exact 20 years. From the that you see now that we just had 20 years ago, I had a dream. And in a dream I saw a city of Gold Coast.
00:23:18:10 - 00:23:40:08
Noriko Reid
Yeah. Wow. An inner, like, half dome shaped, you know, like egg shaped. Yeah. Container. And I heard a voice say, the Gold Coast needs to be hand back to the Lord before he hatches. So it's a being on my prayer when I get 20 years to go. Because I belong to God. To Jesus. Yeah. So I found a really interesting because I didn't know what they were.
00:23:40:08 - 00:23:46:05
Noriko Reid
But I learned to pray. I ran to prophesy, cast a demon out of my dreams. Yeah.
00:23:46:07 - 00:23:55:05
Dave Quak
That's amazing. Hey. Yeah, well, I think it's cool because, like, God has to train us in that stuff. And if there's not a person to train us, then he'll train us. Do you know?
00:23:55:08 - 00:23:56:08
Noriko Reid
Yeah.
00:23:56:10 - 00:24:00:13
Dave Quak
Good timing. Preaching 20 years after having that dream. I know you nodded.
00:24:00:17 - 00:24:07:14
Noriko Reid
Yeah, but God knew. Hey. Not you. The 20 years later, I'll be standing to tell the whole city what he has done. Yeah.
00:24:07:16 - 00:24:08:17
Dave Quak
Isn't that so powerful?
00:24:08:17 - 00:24:09:19
Noriko Reid
Yes.
00:24:09:21 - 00:24:24:19
Dave Quak
So. Okay. You right now don't look like someone who's walking, you know, with suicidal tendencies or BPD. Now, what's happened since the post-natal depression to now in that realm in the in the mental health. Sorry. Okay.
00:24:24:19 - 00:24:31:11
Noriko Reid
So the pretty much the all the symptoms are traits of BPD lifted off, disappeared almost instantly.
00:24:31:14 - 00:24:32:16
Dave Quak
Was that when you fell on.
00:24:32:16 - 00:24:56:18
Noriko Reid
Yeah. When I yeah when I actually, accepted the Lord. Yeah. On the night. And pretty much all of those symptoms had stopped. Emotional pains. Everything self-harming stopped. Yeah. Feelings of up and down still did happen. Yeah, because I was still processing my trauma. My abuse from the child food. So that side of the healing still needed to come.
00:24:56:18 - 00:25:02:19
Noriko Reid
Yeah. Yeah. So. But it never reached a point of depression or anxiety or panic disorder.
00:25:02:21 - 00:25:03:16
Dave Quak
Really? Cool.
00:25:03:17 - 00:25:30:00
Noriko Reid
Yes. But it doesn't mean, you know, every day is a happy day. We all have a good day. Bad days. Yeah, but yeah, probably over seven years. I had to go through of the healing of the traumas and then abuse from the BS. Yeah. So that was another part of a healing. I didn't really go into the details of it, but as far as a BPD, or the symptom, lifted off, I remember having conversation with my psychologist over the phone and he just couldn't get over it.
00:25:30:01 - 00:25:40:21
Noriko Reid
He said, what do you mean? Like, you don't seem to present anything at the moment. I said, no, I believe I'm healed. Yes.
00:25:40:23 - 00:25:59:13
Dave Quak
What is it like? Because I want to hear more stories like this that you know, when we're walking with mental ill health and God doesn't work in, at lifts. So I believe for that. Absolutely. And I also believe this all of us that are walk in and still take medication. Yes. And there's that messy. Yep. As you know, you know what?
00:25:59:13 - 00:26:14:21
Dave Quak
I stand and I know you're similar. What is it like when you're somebody who was walking with mental illness and then it seems to be lifted in a spiritual capacity, and then you got to go back and tell your doctors and friends and stuff that you're not going to therapy anymore.
00:26:14:23 - 00:26:15:14
Noriko Reid
Yeah.
00:26:15:16 - 00:26:18:05
Dave Quak
What was that process like?
00:26:18:07 - 00:26:43:04
Noriko Reid
It was strange to start with because being treated for mental health issue was my identity really has become part of me for a long time. Yeah. And then suddenly it lifted off. So there was so many months. Even first a few years, I went back in my soul's am I really healed. So every time I felt down, every time I felt, you know, depressed.
00:26:43:04 - 00:27:00:00
Noriko Reid
Not that I was depressed, but, you know, you have a bad days. Every time you have emotional struggle, there were thoughts coming, you know, and the battle starts in your mind. Am I really healed or am I going back to what it was? So that went on for the quite a few years. You know, it was like, I have to fight for it.
00:27:00:00 - 00:27:19:16
Noriko Reid
Every time I said, no, I know it's gone. It's lifted off. But it was as if the enemy was trying to pull me back into their camp. Yeah. So that went on for quite some time, with some of the nightmares. You know, a demonic stuff in the dreams. Yeah. Those those things also did happen.
00:27:19:16 - 00:27:42:13
Noriko Reid
Yeah. Yes. It was like a learning in a warfare. Having seen that, being a pastor of course, over the years in, in, you know, being put in a pastoral capacity in church, I didn't need to have a, you know, supervision, I didn't need to have counseling sessions. Because when Metis arises a within a church, you need also go and process your own emotions.
00:27:42:13 - 00:27:59:22
Noriko Reid
Yeah. Sometimes those things that happen to other people's life triggers my emotions. Yeah. And so in in those sense, I didn't need to have counseling sessions in staff just to process for the time being. Yeah, yeah. But and not, not as like I was being treated any more.
00:28:00:03 - 00:28:02:00
Dave Quak
Yeah. That's what so just preventative.
00:28:02:00 - 00:28:15:24
Noriko Reid
And yeah it's a preventative. Yeah. Yeah. That's which I think it's very important for anyone, anyone that's in a care role. We need to look after mine. We need to define our emotions. We need to look after yeah. Yeah.
00:28:16:01 - 00:28:37:12
Dave Quak
In our movement they just mandated it. That all pastors need to have at least four official supervisions with a counselor or something a year. Oh, great. We should. Yes. You know, then there might be less of less pastors falling as well. Yeah. All of that sort of thing too. Yeah. Did you become a pastor? How how long between meeting Jesus and becoming a pastor?
00:28:37:14 - 00:28:57:04
Noriko Reid
Okay. Yes. I was saved. That's far. So maybe seven, eight years. Oh, yeah. I think it was less than ten. Yeah. My husband became a pastor first. We went to Bible college together. Yeah, he became a pastor in ours. Just, volunteering, helping, assisting. He in the between my work works. And then one day, my pastor came to me.
00:28:57:04 - 00:29:07:03
Noriko Reid
He said, I think you need to go for credential. Yeah. And my first reaction was, oh, no, I don't think I want. Yeah. Yes.
00:29:07:04 - 00:29:16:16
Dave Quak
And now usually like Hope church he has a lot going on. You know the church which is busy in Austin is the Bible college sort of things. Is it.
00:29:16:17 - 00:29:18:00
Noriko Reid
We had a community training.
00:29:18:00 - 00:29:18:15
Dave Quak
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:18:17 - 00:29:26:04
Noriko Reid
Tell us all about it. And also a disability service as a is set up a separate entity. But it is a ministry of hope so. Yeah.
00:29:26:04 - 00:29:29:13
Dave Quak
Yeah that's amazing. What does the disability service do?
00:29:29:15 - 00:29:47:22
Noriko Reid
So we have a three, in-house care services. So we have a three residential homes where the clients are living there 24 seven. And we, our support workers provides care for 24 seven. Yeah, yeah. And then we also have a short stay list by facility as well. Yeah. Nice. Yeah.
00:29:48:03 - 00:29:52:12
Dave Quak
Because the Bible College is good too. Some of the people from our movement study in yours. Oh, great.
00:29:52:13 - 00:30:07:03
Noriko Reid
It's good. Yeah. So it was all actually set up by our founding pastors. So the founding policies. And I heard that vision from the Lord and they set it up many years ago. So we we just been a good steward. Yeah, yeah. Keep running with that.
00:30:07:05 - 00:30:28:17
Dave Quak
It's a great facility for for anyone who's like, probably. Let's put you back in. I don't want to bring up any yucky this, but put you back in the conversation before the one on the beach on the precipice. Okay? God's chasing me. Justin's nagging me about coming to church. The Holy Spirit seems to be tugging me a certain way.
00:30:30:12 - 00:30:40:03
Dave Quak
That sort of person. When Noriko was there, what would you say to anyone who feels there where they're close to God, but they're like, I don't know, man.
00:30:46:15 - 00:31:13:00
Noriko Reid
It's just a surrender, isn't it? In that moment, yeah. Yeah. I think I was ready to surrender that moment. I just got to the point where I could not figure my life out myself. Yeah. Or control my own issues anymore. I didn't know where to turn. So I think yeah letting go of overthinking, letting go of trying to control, letting go.
00:31:13:02 - 00:31:33:03
Noriko Reid
I didn't know what the outcome would be. I had no idea, as far as I was concerned. Even on that moment, I knew that I would not be cured, because that's what I was told. Yeah. So I did not accept the Lord because I wanted to be cured for mental health issues. I already was at the point where I was willing to walk with it for the rest of my life.
00:31:33:07 - 00:31:55:10
Noriko Reid
Love it. And a God just done it. Just above and beyond what you know, my heart desired. And I think that's what our father does. So if anybody's still in that dark place, I just, you know, I said that, and, on Easter, too. But I just want to remind everyone that you're not alone. You know, our loving father, his presence is with us.
00:31:55:10 - 00:32:12:06
Noriko Reid
In a dark moment, I look back at my life when I was in that room being abused. When I was going through that darker moments of my life, God was still there with me. Yeah. You know, he saw. He sees us, you know, God is who sees us. So yeah.
00:32:12:08 - 00:32:29:18
Dave Quak
Yeah, that's such a big moment. And I think you make such a great point. Like, if we commit to Jesus on the condition that he'll heal us or give us that life or husband and, yeah, you know, it's never gonna work, but we we surrendered to him. Yeah, maybe he adds that stuff to us anyway.
00:32:29:18 - 00:32:32:12
Noriko Reid
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:32:32:14 - 00:32:52:00
Dave Quak
Well, now what's your, I guess, rhythms, like, with Jesus? Like how, you know, you've gone through a season of hectic life. The kids sound grown up. Yeah. Grown up man. Yeah. You know, you got a bit more time on your hands. How do you connect with Jesus now? Like, what do you love to do?
00:32:52:02 - 00:33:15:08
Noriko Reid
I love, I love spending my morning with him. Some early Eliza and no money before the sunrise. Oh, really? Yeah. I just wake up. I think it's my eyes, too. So, But, no, I love being up in the morning. I love watching sky in the dark sky turning into the light. Yeah. So, most of the morning, I'm up around five.
00:33:15:08 - 00:33:36:03
Noriko Reid
Oh, actually, this morning was a little bit earlier. Yeah, yeah, I'll be spending time. Quiet time with the Lord, you know. In a word. Yeah. I just recently stopped, you know, picking up on guitar, so I just taking my little guitar, worshiping, praying. Yeah. Sometime I just go down the beach, to watch the sunrise and pray on the beach.
00:33:36:06 - 00:33:55:12
Noriko Reid
And I love just having a quiet time. Just a real quiet time. Yeah. With the Lord. Yeah. The morning is, probably my favorite time in the day because it reminds me of giving another day to live. Because I should've been dead 20 years ago. Yeah. So every morning when I see the sun rises. Jesus, I'm ready to hang out with you.
00:33:55:14 - 00:33:59:02
Noriko Reid
Yeah, I'm ready to do what you want me to do today.
00:33:59:04 - 00:34:12:01
Dave Quak
Yeah, that that's really, Yeah, that's cool, because I especially like how, you know, he met you in a place where the heavens were declaring his glory, and that's sustaining you to. That's what you still love.
00:34:12:06 - 00:34:12:16
Noriko Reid
Yeah.
00:34:12:20 - 00:34:16:21
Dave Quak
You know, and being thankful for every day, like when we've been close to not having any more days.
00:34:16:21 - 00:34:17:22
Noriko Reid
Yes, yes.
00:34:18:00 - 00:34:18:24
Dave Quak
That's amazing. Hey.
00:34:18:24 - 00:34:32:05
Noriko Reid
Yeah, we just had a, eldest son got married in November, last November. So the younger ones already be married for me was, like, so significant because.
00:34:32:07 - 00:34:52:19
Noriko Reid
As far as natural concern, if it wasn't for Jesus, I would've never got to see my children grow up or see them get married. Yeah. You know, just God's goodness, his mercy. Yeah. His kindness goes beyond. And I know it doesn't happen to everyone, so I don't take that lightly. I know that a lot of people have gone through a hardship and then lost a loved one young and all that.
00:34:52:19 - 00:35:11:01
Noriko Reid
So I'm just so forever grateful for ever grateful. At the same time, I, I do feel the weight of that, you know, what is the Lord keeping me here on earth? Yeah. Feel like he's got something for me to do today. Yeah, and whatever that means, you know?
00:35:11:02 - 00:35:33:15
Dave Quak
Yeah, absolutely. I think God's blessed us on the Gulf Coast with you guys, and especially for such a time as this. Like, you know, it's not a coincidence. 20 years after the dream, you preach, it acknowledged, which is the statement on the Gold Coast that we're together as churches. And though it's not perfect, it's a visible statement. You know, that where as the body of Christ standing as one.
00:35:33:17 - 00:36:04:22
Dave Quak
Yeah. You know, and when this unity, God commands a blessing and you're such a integral part of that. And so it's just and so, you know, I just want to thank you and only you guys for what you bring to the Gold Coast churches and also the body of Christ, and declare blessing over your sons and their partners and their kids and future kids, you know, and and naka if in a moment you could pray for us, I just want to thank you like your story is necessary because God gets those that are broken and brings restoration.
00:36:04:22 - 00:36:07:02
Dave Quak
Yes, it's his best plan. If it's.
00:36:07:02 - 00:36:07:17
Noriko Reid
This.
00:36:07:19 - 00:36:20:16
Dave Quak
It's the thread of the Old Testament and the threat of the New Testament getting broken things and restoring them. So thank you for being a testimony of restoration and for sharing your story. And if you could pray for us that.
00:36:20:18 - 00:36:43:22
Noriko Reid
Well, thank you for having me. Thank you Lord. Father, we just thank you. Thank you for this time together. Lord, thank you for the every person listening to this conversation more than knowing that you are miracle working. God, you are a loving father who cares who who really do care. But are struggles in our dark moments. Lord, you see everything that we go through in your life that you know from beginning to the end.
00:36:43:24 - 00:37:03:14
Noriko Reid
So, God, I just pray to every person listening to this would just, have a sense of hope for their future, that you will remind them you have a plans over their life. You will remind them your plan is not to harm them, but to give them hope in the future. And and father, just to thank you for your loving kindness.
00:37:03:14 - 00:37:27:03
Noriko Reid
Your love endures forever. So, God, we pray to every person listening to this who experienced a father's love as they listened to this podcast. Lord and I just thank you for Dave in the family. Lord God is. Thank you for keeping this conversation real. Yeah, it's okay to talk about it. It's okay to talk about it because we have a healer who cares about our struggles.
00:37:27:09 - 00:37:31:21
Noriko Reid
And then every test will become a testimony in Jesus mighty name.
00:37:31:23 - 00:37:36:19
Dave Quak
For more candid conversations on faith and mental well-being, check out some Sunburntsouls.com
00:37:42:24 - 00:38:08:05
Dave Quak
Subscribe to our podcast on any major provider, or contact us directly to book us to preach or speak somebody at souls is a faith based ministry, and we want to thank everybody so far for their generous support. If you want to get behind us, pray our message reaches the ears of those that need to hear it. Feel free to donate financially online, but if you feel obliged or manipulated to give you better off sharing a loved one a coffee instead.
00:38:08:07 - 00:38:12:09
Dave Quak
I'm Dave Quak from Sunburnt Souls. Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Noriko Reid known for?
Noriko Reid is a Christian speaker and mental health advocate known for her testimony of healing from borderline personality disorder (BPD), trauma, and childhood abuse. Her story has inspired many through podcasts, churches, and mental health events.
Can borderline personality disorder be healed?
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is considered treatable but not usually curable. However, some people report complete remission of symptoms. In Noriko Reid’s case, she experienced a dramatic recovery after a spiritual transformation through faith in Jesus Christ.
How does trauma in childhood affect mental health?
Childhood trauma can lead to long-term mental health issues like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and personality disorders. Noriko Reid's story shows how early abuse can deeply impact identity and emotional health, but healing is possible with support, therapy, and faith.
How can faith help with mental illness?
Faith can provide hope, purpose, and a sense of peace for people living with mental illness. Noriko shares how her Christian faith helped her find freedom from suicidal thoughts, shame, and emotional instability.
What is BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder)?
Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental health condition marked by emotional instability, intense relationships, fear of abandonment, and identity struggles. Noriko Reid was diagnosed with BPD before experiencing a powerful healing journey through faith.
Is it possible to recover from mental illness without medication?
Yes, some people manage or recover from mental illness without long-term medication. Noriko initially used antidepressants but later experienced healing through prayer, spiritual deliverance, and trauma-informed pastoral care.
Can God heal emotional trauma?
Many Christians believe that God can heal emotional trauma through prayer, faith, and the work of the Holy Spirit. Noriko Reid’s story is an example of someone who found deep emotional healing after surrendering her pain to God.
What are signs of healing from trauma?
Signs of healing from trauma include emotional stability, healthier relationships, reduced anxiety or flashbacks, and a stronger sense of self. Noriko describes her healing as freedom from torment, restored joy, and peace in her identity.
How do Christians cope with mental illness?
Christians cope with mental illness through prayer, worship, scripture, community support, counselling, and sometimes medication. Noriko’s journey shows how combining spiritual and psychological tools can lead to breakthrough and lasting change.
Where can I hear Noriko Reid’s full story?
You can listen to Noriko Reid’s full story on the Sunburnt Souls podcast, available at sunburntsouls.com.
