Podcast appearances and mentions of Rachel Bernstein

First up on the podcast, producer Meagan Cantwell worked with the Science News team to review how the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's administration have impacted science. In the segment, originally produced for video, we hear about how the workforce, biomedical research, and global health initiatives all face widespread, perhaps permanent damage, with News staffers David Malakoff, Jocelyn Kaiser, and Rachel Bernstein.  Next on the show, acoustical analysis of ancient music from Greece and Rome shows different musical notation styles for different instruments. Dan Baciu, a professor at the Münster School of Architecture at the Münster University of Applied Sciences, talks with host Sarah Crespi about his analysis.  This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Meagan Cantwell; David Malakoff; Jocelyn Kaiser; Rachel Bernstein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up on the podcast, producer Meagan Cantwell worked with the Science News team to review how the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's administration have impacted science. In the segment, originally produced for video, we hear about how the workforce, biomedical research, and global health initiatives all face widespread, perhaps permanent damage, with News staffers David Malakoff, Jocelyn Kaiser, and Rachel Bernstein.  Next on the show, acoustical analysis of ancient music from Greece and Rome shows different musical notation styles for different instruments. Dan Baciu, a professor at the Münster School of Architecture at the Münster University of Applied Sciences, talks with host Sarah Crespi about his analysis.  This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Meagan Cantwell; David Malakoff; Jocelyn Kaiser; Rachel Bernstein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of Case Files, we're joined by Rachel Bernstein, a therapist specializing in cults and the host of the podcast IndoctriNation. Andrea and Rachel delve into the crossover between those in the sphere of Munchausen by Proxy perpetrators and cults. Rachel talks about the complexity of cult dynamics, the emotional and psychological impacts on families, and the challenges faced by individuals trying to break free from manipulative environments. Andrea and Rachel touch on navigating relationships with abusive family members and the importance of community, safe spaces, and support. *** Listen to IndoctriNation: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indoctrination/id1373939526 Order Andrea's new book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-mother-next-door-9781250284273/ View our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you're listening and helps us keep making the show! https://www.nobodyshouldbelieveme.com/sponsors/ Follow Andrea on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: https://www.instagram.com/andreadunlop/ Buy Andrea's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Andrea-Dunlop/author/B005VFWJPI To support the show, go to http://Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe or subscribe on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nobody-should-believe-me/id1615637188?ign-itscg=30200S&ign-itsct=larjmedia_podcasts) where you can get all episodes early and ad-free and access exclusive ethical true crime bonus content. For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit http://MunchausenSupport.com The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children's MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here: https://apsac.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Munchausen-by-Proxy-Clinical-and-Case-Management-Guidance-.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this conversation, Rachel Bernstein and Andrew Pledger explore the themes presented in the movie 'Wicked', particularly focusing on the concepts of difference, acceptance, and the struggle for authenticity. Andrew shares his personal reflections on how the story resonates with his experiences growing up in a high-control religious environment. They discuss the dangers of black-and-white thinking, the importance of understanding emotions like anger, and the need for community and connection in the healing journey. The conversation emphasizes the significance of speaking out against oppressive systems and the power of self-discovery.

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination This week's bonus episode is a recording of Rachel's presentation with Dr. Glenn Doyle, for the Seek Safely Summit hosted by Anne Peterson. Rachel and Dr. Doyle discuss how to know if we are in an unsafe (aka Culty) environment. This can happen within one-to-one relationships, social or learning groups, or even the workplace. Learn about deconstruction (aka understanding what the heck happened) and healing (aka recovering our autonomy) from these kinds of relationships. You can find out more about Dr. Glenn Doyle here: www.realisticlifechange.com/ If you or someone you know is wrestling with recovery after being involved in a high-control group, relationship, or any organization, consider joining the Healthy Healing and Recovery Group w/ Rachel Bernstein: ilumn8.life/op/lgat-recovery-group/ Purchase a ticket to access the full set of recordings and gifts from the SEEK Safely Summit here: ilumn8.life/sss/?utm_source=soc…rm=rachel-bernstein Not only does your ticket get you the Summit session recordings and Gifts it includes a contribution to SEEKSafely.org Consider becoming a regular contributor to SEEK Safely (501c3) to support their work in consumer education as well as consumer protections: seeksafely.givingfuel.com/seek-safely-inc

Send us a textWhat if leaving a controlling organization feels like escaping an abusive relationship? This question forms the backbone of our conversation with Rachel Bernstein, a renowned therapist and cult recovery expert. Rachel shares her personal journey, sparked by her sibling's brief involvement in Scientology during their childhood, which led to shifts in family dynamics and piqued her lifelong curiosity. Together, we navigate the deceptive nature of cult front groups and the extreme measures Scientology employs to silence critics, revealing the monumental challenges faced by those supporting cult recovery.Stories from individuals who have felt trapped within Scientology bring to light the parallels with abusive relationships, where fear of the outside world is ingrained. Support groups become lifelines, offering solidarity and community to those who have left, helping to reduce feelings of isolation. As we explore the gradual journey of recovery, we underscore the importance of recognizing the world as a welcoming place and embracing the help and support available. This transformative process involves understanding Scientology's control methods and finding empowerment through storytelling and reclaiming personal identity.Rachel emphasizes the necessity of reclaiming one's voice and emotional intelligence post-Scientology. She provides insights into practical skills like setting boundaries, engaging in small talk, and learning to navigate mainstream society. Our discussion also highlights the importance of therapists familiarizing themselves with the unique lexicon of those from cult backgrounds, akin to learning a new language, to truly understand and support their recovery. Join us for an insightful episode filled with personal anecdotes and strategies to empower listeners in their own journeys of transformation and healing.Support the showBFG Store - http://blownforgood-shop.fourthwall.com/Blown For Good on Audible - https://www.amazon.com/Blown-for-Good-Marc-Headley-audiobook/dp/B07GC6ZKGQ/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=Blown For Good Website: http://blownforgood.com/PODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2131160/shareApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blown-for-good-behind-the-iron-curtain-of-scientology/id1671284503 Spotify: ...

In this special episode of the Indoctrination podcast, host Rachel Bernstein discusses the aftermath of the election with Andrew Pledger. They share their initial reactions and delve into the impact of the election results on survivors of high-control groups. The conversation explores the emotional turmoil, fear, and triggers associated with the election, highlighting the significance of community and self-care for those affected. Andrew shares his insights from his experiences within the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist movement, drawing parallels between cult dynamics and the current political climate. They emphasize the importance of maintaining personal well-being, fostering genuine connections, and staying grounded amidst uncertainty.Listen to the IndoctriNation Podcast: https://linktr.ee/indoctrinationAndrew's Links: https://andrewpledger.mypixieset.com/links Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this captivating episode, Rachel Bernstein welcomes back Dan Shaw, a distinguished psychotherapist and expert in psychoanalysis specializing in narcissistic abuse and cult survivor recovery. Dan shares his transformative journey from being an actor and missionary to leaving a cultic organization in 1994 and becoming a mental health professional. His extensive training and personal experiences have made him a prominent figure in the field, earning him the prestigious Margaret Singer Award for his work on undue influence. The episode delves into the intricacies of traumatic narcissism, a theory Dan introduced to the field, which he explores in his acclaimed books. Rachel and Dan discuss the chilling characteristics of narcissistic leaders, the seductive allure of their personalities, and the profound impact they have on their followers. Dan provides insights into recognizing these traits and the importance of boundaries in protecting oneself from manipulative individuals. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on the dynamics of power and control in relationships, whether in cults or personal interactions, and the significance of reclaiming one's voice and autonomy. Dan's upcoming work on traumatic narcissism theory promises to further illuminate these complex issues, offering hope and guidance to those affected by such relationships. Connect with Dan Shaw: Website: www.danielshawlcsw.com Facebook: Daniel Shaw LCSW (Author Page) Listen to Dan's Previous Episodes here: https://on.soundcloud.com/1MPVg41KJQ5hya7p7 Connect with Us on Social Media: Twitter: www.twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast Your reviews and ratings on Spotify and Apple/iTunes are greatly appreciated and help the show reach a wider audience.

In this episode, I talk with Rachel Bernstein LMFT, MSEd who is also a cult specialist and the host of the IndoctriNation Podcast. In this discussion, Rachel aims to define the subtle line between education and indoctrination. I also dig into my own experiences to explore the subtle tactics used to control information and manipulate beliefs. Together we discuss the warning signs of indoctrination and how to recognize it in a variety of learning environments.Listen to the IndoctriNation Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indoctrination/id1373939526IndoctriNation Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/indoctrinationAndrew's LinksFacebook Discussion Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1153866318625322/Join my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/4ndrewpledgerMy Substack: https://speakingupandrewpledger.substack.com/Social Media: https://andrewpledger.mypixieset.com/links-Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you watched the Netflix special (un)well, you may have seen Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Rachel Bernstein, in the episode on Tantric Sex. She is a mental health professional specializing in cult psychology, manipulators & systems of control. In this episode, we discuss what defines a cult, who is most vulnerable to cult recruitment & a gut-wrenching listener question. She also tackles Scientology, gangs & Jehovah's Witnesses & even MLMs.This episode originally aired on November 16, 2020.If you liked this episode, you'll also like episode 134: HE VOTED OBAMA & JOINED THE KKK: THE HOW & THE WHY (PART 1)Request to join my private Facebook group to give your opinion & participate in giveaways https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfrcuriousinsiders/Guest: https://www.patreon.com/join/indoctrination | Support After Manipulation (SAM), a ZOOM support group for people who have been in cults, in manipulative relationships, and other environments that enforce intense amounts of control. Concerned friends and family of those in these environments are also welcome to attend. Every other Wednesday from 6:00 pm-7:30 pm PST. $50 per group session. To register please contact Rachel at bernsteinlmft@gmail.com | https://twitter.com/RBernsteinLMFT | https://www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ | http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/ | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indoctrination/id1373939526Host:  https://www.meredithforreal.com/  | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovertSponsors: Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert1 to save 20% off anything you order  https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. We get emails and messages from people every day who are looking for guidance on what to do when someone they love is in a cult, so we called in an expert. Here's our chat with Rachel Bernstein, LMFT, of the mighty helpful and always bingeable IndoctriNation podcast. Is this technically a crossover episode? We don't make those rules, but we do feel pretty confident in saying that this episode is a power hour on what to do if your loved ones become culty collateral damage.   SHOW NOTES: Rachel Bernstein is one of our all-time favorite cult awareness and recovery podcast hosts. She's a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist from Los Angeles, California who has specialized in cult intervention and re-acclimation for over 30 years. She serves on the advisory board of the International Cultic Studies Association and has worked with the Department of Justice providing therapy to cult victims who testify against their perpetrators. She's also made many media appearances over the years as a cult expert on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, NPR, Bloomberg, and many other news outlets. Ms. Bernstein is also the host of IndoctriNation: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control where she has interviewed hundreds of cult survivors, journalists, and experts. Her book, "Kids Talking to Kids about Divorce" is available now on Amazon.   Her Website Her Book Her Podcast & Socials   Also…Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…   The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.   OTHER LINKS:   Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty' on Patreon Get poppin' fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin    

This episode marks now the second time I've done a crossover episode with Rachel Bernstein, host of the fantastic IndoctriNation podcast.   As a therapist, cult expert, and specialist in dealing with folks who suffer from religious trauma syndrome, Rachel is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to dealing with a wide variety of issues caused by cults, fundamentalist religions, and other high-control groups.   If you suffer from RTS, or have come out of a controlling religious or group background, you'll benefit from this discussion. And don't forget to head over to the IndoctriNation podcast platform to catch Part 1, Rachel's interview of me!   Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community!   Follow me on X @MindShift2018  

Rachel Bernstein LMFT, MSEd discusses what it's like working with survivors from high-control groups. This episode is for survivors looking for a mental health professional or for mental health professionals looking to work with the demographic of survivors of cults, high-control groups, and spiritual abuse. University of SalfordTranscript (Transcript is unedited for typos and misspellings)Katherine: Hello. How are you doing today?Rachel: I am doing really good. How are you doing today? Katherine: I am good. I am a little tired. I went to a midnight book release. On Monday nights, and I don't ever stay up that late, and I'm still sleeping.That was a new thing for me. I was like, this is what teenagers do. These are not what people who are almost 40 do. But it was fun. It was a fun experience. I'm glad. Very excited to talk to you today. I know you have indoctrination podcast, and you do a lot of different work with a lot of different clients, but the particular demographic that I would [00:01:00] love to talk to you about is the demographic of folks who've And cults or high control experiences.And I would love to hear from you, what prompted you to work with this demographic and what was the story that led you to working with this type Rachel: of client? Nice. Okay. So there's so much to this story. I'll try not to make it overly long, but Okay, great. No, go for it. Tell, tell, tell whatever. It's slightly long, longer than it needs to be, not overly.Right. Huh. Right. So, When I was growing up, my, one of my siblings who was eight years older got. Kind of a new friend through a friend, and they started hanging out a lot. Next thing we know, she's not really spending time at home. She has taken the money out of her [00:02:00] account and it's gone.Which she had really worked hard for. In my family, we were supposed to work from when we were young. If we needed cash for anything, even to go to the movies, well, you need to earn it. You know, it was like that. So it, you know, we didn't take spending lots of money all at once lightly. Cause we know how much we had worked to make it and suddenly liquidated gone.And she was speaking differently. She was acting in a very kind of in your face way. And we're like, what is going on? So then she said that she has this friend of a friend who's introduced her to this place. It's called Scientology. Got it. And and it's a church, but we're a Jewish family, but it's not a church church.That would, that became a line in our family forever. It's not a church church. Like what? I'm sorry. It's not a church church, but it's not. So. Because there really wasn't the idea of a word cult that was known at the time, and this was in the 70s. So there [00:03:00] was no one to call. There were no resources that, you know, the books out there at the time before the interwebs, the, the books were written by cult leaders.Like there were L. Ron Hubbard novels out there about Dianetics and his science fiction books, but nothing about what is Scientology and that it is a cult. And the, the cult books that were out there too, were more about like working with POWs who had been indoctrinated and watching the Manchurian candidate and are like, yeah, fit, but not.So the turning point was. And I learned a lot about this. My, my parents responded different ways to stressful events. My mom was more of a kind of in your face, you have to stop this right now, finger pointing. I mean, that, that does sometimes come in handy, right? And my father instead was the, let me link arms with this person, see what they like about it, see what's interesting to them.But also I want to ask my questions about what I'm concerned about. So, They had tension and [00:04:00] she had tension with my parents and she said this group is going to teach me how to get along better with, with all of you. And And my friend said she's gotten along better with her parents since she's gotten involved.And so my father, in a very nice way, said could we call her parents and find out? Like, if this really has helped, then I'll say, okay. And she got the number of this person and their parents and the parents said, in this kind of panic tone, where did you see our daughter? Whoa. Right? That was a whoa.And my dad goes, what do you mean? We haven't, we don't know where she is. She left home six months ago and she said for the last six months she's been getting along better with her parents. She hasn't seen them. So this is the way the group defined getting along better, right? No contact. Katherine: No contact. Rachel: Cut them off.Oh my. That actually startled my sister. She didn't know. She didn't know [00:05:00] that's what that meant. I'm sorry. And she tried to get her money back. That was impossible, but. That you could see the personality change right away, and you could see that being in your face and she was having problems with her friends at school for the first time, too, because she was learning other ways of communicating the Scientology way of communicating, which is very in your face.So that became dinner table conversation. How can this happen that people can just take over someone's mind and convince them that something is true. That's really not true. That's totally the opposite of what is true. And then. Because I then was raised hearing about this and that there are many groups that do their recruiting also on college campuses, and they use front names, I then went to college, and I saw it.I saw these groups with their front names that I had learned, and they're at the student union, you know, passing out their pamphlets having people join, taking them on weekends, the bus picked up in front of my dorm, and I remember, because I was now cult educated, [00:06:00] I said to these people, Where are you going?And they said, Oh, we're going on a church weekend. What church is it? We don't know. Really? You don't know. And where are you going? Well, we're going to the mountains. I go, you know, that's not a place like mountains are these geographical structures and geological entities. That's not a place. Do you know where you're going?Is there going to be a phone there? Like, how are you going to leave? And they just thought I was being a drag. And I remember the leaders coming on the bus and asking me who I was and why I was harassing the people who were going. But I thought some of them are going to be dropping out of school after this and needing to show their devotion to this group and not school because that's what would happen.Suddenly these people were gone. Yeah. And then. So there are just two more parts of this story, and it really is, this is a shorter version. When I then went on to grad school to become, to, to become a therapist, to learn [00:07:00] counseling, there was a, a group therapy course where you learn to do group therapy that turned out to be run like a cult.The leader of it, who was the teacher, used, utilized almost every technique of influence and manipulation. And that was just her personality and I did a social experiment in that class, which was interesting because I noticed. This was the year before my dad passed away the year before I broke up with my boyfriend the year before my favorite dog passed away like I was just on the cusp of going through lots of trauma.Yeah, but until then life had been okay, but we were supposed to share our traumas. And if we didn't have trauma to share like if we hadn't gone through abuse or something, we were withholding, we were being resistant to the process. And then I could see people folding like I could see them making stories up just to be liked.And then they would be hugged by the people in the group. Thank you for [00:08:00] trusting us with your trauma and with your, with your past. So people were just crafting stories to please the teacher. I thought, wow, this is happening in a therapy class. I remember talking to my Dean about that. He was actually a little alarmed and I did one of my, I did my dissertation on what happened in that class for that school.That was controversial. But then I, I thought, you know, I want to do this work because there were so few resources for people and. I, yes, I want to do general counseling. I still do some general counseling, but about 80 percent of the counts counseling I do is former cult stuff. And then I start that they were looking for a clinician at a place called the cult clinic in Los Angeles, which was effectively shut down by Scientology.But that was my first taste of harassment, Scientology harassment, which did scare me. I mean, they had. discredited LAPD officers that they hired to harass people to follow people. They were scary, [00:09:00] scary mofos, if I can say. Leaning on my car when I'd come out of the office following me home sending people into poses clients.And I get this note saying, just to let you know, we're watching and listening and thought, what the hell is this? And so I remember staying home for about a week, my father had passed about a year before this, and suddenly I heard his words, which were, you can't let the bullies win. That was his way of looking at the world like you cannot let the bullies win.And I thought, Okay, but I need a week. I just have a week. I'm like talking to him wherever he is. He's already passed. And I had to get myself together and See what my rights were. Yes, we're not. Take a little break, right? Yes, we're not letting them win, but I do need a break. I need a break, because they're outside my house, and I need to know if I'll be protected.I need to contact the police. And then I went back to work, and I thought, what I'm dealing with in terms of harassment is only slightly what former Scientologists deal [00:10:00] with. And other people from other groups. They're pretty intense. Yeah. Scientologists are very intense. Really intense. Katherine: Stopping them is intense, right?Mm hmm. Rachel: Yeah, yeah. They've complained to my board many times to try to have my license taken away. They, they're no nonsense, but it's what happens to me and to a couple of my, you know, colleagues. And, and I think to me, especially because where I started doing my work, my counseling was very close to the Scientology buildings in Hollywood.So I started working with a lot of Scientologists and have continued working with them. So they don't like me, but okay. So that's, that's sort of how I got started in this. So yeah. And then how many years would you say Katherine: that this has been like the folks? Is it kind of been from the Rachel: beginning? Yeah, it's been since I've been doing counseling.It's been 32 years and it's morphed over time in that before it really was. It was, I thought this was fascinating. [00:11:00] This was a human rights issue to me, especially the way in a lot of these groups that women were treated and children were treated or mistreated, neglected and, and then over time it morphed to include now people who have been in relationships with narcissists because I would do a talk on cults or something and someone would call me and say, that sounds like my husband.Oh, what do you mean? And I kind of learned from people responding to my words about cult saying, no, that was my family that or that was my relationship. So I realized to now with. You know, with political landscape and so many people having polarized views of things and group think that I think is very scary.That's happening right now in the world to that I care about this on a micro level and also macro that. As the descendant of Holocaust survivors, I'm, I care a lot about group think and how people can be, kind of, how you get to Katherine: that place. It Rachel: doesn't Right. Caught up into a ffr, the [00:12:00] torch and pitchfork way of Right.And then also still on the micro person by person listening to what they've been through and trying to help them individually. Katherine: Mm-Hmm. Two, two observations. First of all. I noticed that when you were talking to those people who were getting on this bus to go to the quote unquote mountains, and that your father's approach to your sister, a lot of questions, there was like a lot of asking questions and I sure I'm sure we'll get into that.In just a minute, but I, I noticed that and then also I do appreciate that you address the fact that like a narcissistic relationship can have that similarity because I feel like I know like in the world that I work in, we have a much better, a broader. view of like what a cult can be, what a high control relationship can be, and what a high control religion can be.But most folks [00:13:00] still think of a cult as like something happening in a bunker somewhere, or out in the desert, and Expanding what that can be and what that high control relationship can be. And there are so many people who experienced that, but then have that very, just invalidating experience of like, nobody knows what this is like.It feels like a cult, but I can't call it a cult because it doesn't look like this. And, and so I appreciate that. You made that connection between that narcissist and that cold, cold experience. The impact can be very, very similar. Rachel: The impact is very similar.I think because not every cult is run by a narcissist. Some really are. You know, they have their delusional disorder and they get people into this diagnosis that is called fully I do, which is shared psychosis. Like they invite people who are maybe vulnerable to that way of thinking into their psychosis, but by [00:14:00] and large, I'd say a good 90 percent of cult leaders have a narcissistic bent.And so then. Whether it's your partner, your parent, even your child, there's some people who contact me because their children are narcissistic and run their life. Because that it's the same disorder that's prompting it, you're going to have similar techniques. Like they've read the same manual. It's kind of amazing.And, and then when you have similar techniques of, of manipulation, gaslighting, all of it, you're going to have similar outcomes. So it could be a one on one situation or it could be hundreds of thousands of people. Katherine: Yeah, and that can be helpful for someone who is recovering from that type of relationship, like even looking for someone who has the high control experience when they are looking for a mental health professional.Right. That would be maybe not necessarily just a narcissistic relationship, but someone who has that experience might be able to relate with that a little more. One of the things that's unique about your story is you didn't get into [00:15:00] this demographic because you had a personal experience being in a cult.So I think that's really unique. I feel like everyone that I know who gets into this demographic also had an experience. In it makes your story very unique to me, but then also, what are some things that you have learned over the years from your clients about what they need for Rachel: recovery? Right. It's a great question.So yes. And it, it is unique that I haven't. Been in one myself, and I think that's why I work almost equally with the families and friends of people who are in situations like this or in relational situations like this and have a webinar for them too, because I was. One of those, like being on the outside, needing to figure out how to have these conversations, how to manage the anxiety that comes up when you see your loved one getting slowly stolen away from you.And you don't [00:16:00] know what this forces that's on them and how to. See if you can get them back and if it's even possible and learning about the ways to communicate that are in a kind of counterintuitive way that are specific for this has been something I noticed from my own family, but also now for further doing this work and learning about that.So, right. I mean, what. People need. It's interesting when you talk about doing this kind of counseling for the people specifically who were in situations like this, whether it is a cult or a relationship that took over their life, multi level marketing, abusive teen treatment place, whatever it was, or is, or having been with a therapist who was dangerous, which I talk about a lot.I, well, it's unconscionable to me. To use that power in that way makes me mad. And so there are, [00:17:00] there are some things that. Are really important. I think for specifically when people are coming out of this, they need to know that they're believed because so often they're made to feel that they're exaggerating the story or they didn't get it right.That's part of the gaslighting that they can't trust the evidence of their senses and how they are deciphering what happened. And they also will often underplay it. And really downgrade how much they've been traumatized because it wasn't supposed to be seen that way in the group like you're supposed to just deal with being abused, or you're, it's for your benefit.You're supposed to be appreciative of being treated that way, being selected for something that turned out to be abusive. So. Abuse, neglect get underreported a lot of the time by people who leave. And what helps is defining for them what they've been through. Like, Oh, [00:18:00] that actually is abuse. That's why you're having nightmares.That's why you break into a cold sweat when you hear someone who has similar voice to the person who did that to you. I want you to understand yourself and your reactions, and you'll only understand it if you know what happened to you. And also that it wasn't your fault. That you didn't bring it in, that it wasn't because of you.Because, you know, within a cultic system, as you know, anything that's good that happens to you is because of the leadership. Anything that's bad is because of you. Katherine: And because you didn't Rachel: follow the leadership. Right, because you didn't follow the leadership. You, or you weren't feeling it in your heart or whatever, whatever it is, it's always back on you.So to be able to have a clear sense of who the culprit is, and you can take it off of you is also a really important thing. It's also good for people to understand that they have strengths, that they have capabilities. That they can live in the world and be successful at it, even [00:19:00] though they have been told that they don't have these strengths and these capabilities and to have them understand why they were convinced of that and how that fed the.Need of the leader to have you be dependent on them and to never want to leave because you don't feel equipped to be in the world. I think helping people understand why they were taught what they were taught and how it wasn't for them. It was right. It was for the control that the leader or the group needed to have over them.That's really helpful just to understand the source and the reasoning for the things they were taught as truths about them. And I think it's really helpful to connect people with other people. That's why I run a support group. So people don't feel isolated and alone. And I will often talk to people about how they They are having trouble relaxing and resting because when you're in a cult, you're going, going, going, you're doing, doing, doing, you learn that you matter the [00:20:00] least and you don't have to sleep.And it's fine if you're not eating and you're, you're supposed to somehow be devoted to the cause. And I try to shift that in my counseling work. So people know they are also the cause that it's important for them to take care of them. And that that's not selfish and it's not being lazy and it's not having pride.It's not all the other things that it's called when you care about you. And that you have to be a good steward of the self in order to then do work that you might want to do that's in service of others, but it needs to happen in that order. And there's nothing wrong with you for doing it in that order.And I also, I guess I want people to know that the world outside is actually not going to be as scary and not going to be as critical and not going to be as gossipy, like they'll have more privacy. There, there aren't people who are going to give them a hard time about everything. I have Clients who [00:21:00] panic if they're running even 30 seconds late for a session, or they come on to a zoom call a little bit late, or they come to the group a little bit late.I'll sometimes see them in the waiting area on zoom and then they're gone. They're missing. And I realized they're panicking because they're sure. That I'm going to give them a hard time and I'm going to berate them for not showing their allegiance to this group and not showing that it matters enough for them to be there on time, all the things that they went through in their cultic group.And they're also They've expressed to me they're worried about not showing up for the group because when they didn't go to things, that's when they were talked about in their absence and waited and given a hard time. So they were afraid of walking back into what suddenly felt like an unsafe. Situation.So I let people know we do not talk about you. And if someone does want to talk about you while you're not here, if it's something positive, like, oh, it's so [00:22:00] nice to meet that woman last time. And I hope she comes back. That's fine. And I'll be happy to tell you about that. But, you know, someone who just wants to.Berate. Not allowed, not allowed. So it always needs to feel safe. You just, if they're doing this work and learning from people and what makes them so anxious and you just see how much they've been mistreated and how much they've been under a microscope that has been so unfair to them and has made them so tense and so worried needlessly.Katherine: Absolutely. So I heard you say. Believe them. Let them know that you believe their story. I heard you say, give them like language to name what happened and then validate even that it was like a big deal, like naming it as abuse or naming it as as gaslighting. I heard you say, help them access.Like the internal [00:23:00] resources that they have and access their own, you didn't say the word power, but their own, their own resources, their own internal resources reframe things. So learning that like outside world is not scary and, and just having that, like a lot of like compassion for. The trauma that results in anxiety or fear or mistrust or anything like that.All like super, super, super important things. And I just think about like your support groups and like the courage that it takes for someone to show up to something like that when they have, a lot of times it is a group. Right. That happened in the first place. And that can be very scary, yet such a huge part of the recovery process to be able to engage with a group again.And yeah. Oh yeah. Again, Rachel: very, very important. Yeah. There are people also who. [00:24:00] Have been in support groups that have really, really been unhealthy. And also ones where they dealt with being in a treatment center that were kind of patterned. Well, they took off from Synanon, which started this this horrible practice.It was a cult in California started a whole horrible practice of something called the game where. You are supposed to berate people in a group. You're supposed to shout at them, call them things. They would sometimes need to grovel, like walk around on, on their hands and knees to show that they were they knew they were less than or they needed to wear a sign around them, around their neck that would say something.It could say whore, could say anything and whatever they may have been labeled that day. I mean, it was, so it was attack. Therapy. I don't even want to call it therapy. And so people coming out of that have interesting reactions when I do counseling with them. [00:25:00] And, and what is one of the reactions that's kind of sad is that some of them think that I don't care about them because I'm not shouting at them.Translation. I get that Katherine: though. I, I totally get that. Yeah. Rachel: Yeah. Right. That was the justification for someone being cruel. Like, no, this is for your benefit. And so I remember one person saying, I don't know if this is going to work because you've never raised your voice, but it's like someone raised by an abusive parent, you know, like this is how I show you that I care.It's, oh, it's such a perversion of how it should be. Katherine: No, absolutely. No. And I, I mean that I'm remembering how like I migrated to someone who was like a known abusive pastor in the evangelical world is Mark Driscoll. And I remember migrating to him as a leader because he yelled from the pulpit and because he was so angry from the pulpit.And I had without realizing it been conditioned to see [00:26:00] that a strong, trustworthy leadership in it. I was like very just Very disorienting when I realized that that happens and that I like read into that anger as good leadership. It totally, totally, really. Rachel: Okay. Yeah, it's really terrible. And people get that they, they then wind up sometimes in relationships with people who are really mistreating them because.That was translated as love. That's another thing to define. Like, what is love? And what can that look like in a relationship? And what are rights? I mean, I remember one time, I, I was flown to Texas to help with the, the raid, which had already taken place on the FLDS compound. And I, I don't like raids, even though I've worked with a lot of people who did feel traumatized by [00:27:00] them, but also relieved knowing that there were people out there who cared about what was happening behind closed doors.Like it's very mixed thing. So I wasn't involved in all planning it, but they asked me to come in to, to help to train the social workers who were working with the people who had been taken off the camp compound even temporarily. And they were talking to these women or young, well, they're really still girls who are these sister wives about rights, that they had rights.And they were looking blankly and and they said, they, they don't seem to believe us that they have rights. I said, They don't know what rights are. We have to go back. We have to teach them that there are these things that are called rights. That, that there is things called boundaries, that you have the right to say no or to control your body.But that's not true in their group. So they're not gonna believe you that they have these rights. They probably don't even know that there's this thing called a constitution. Mm-Hmm. . [00:28:00] That says that they have rights that are legally protected. And they don't even Katherine: have a Rachel: concept for it. Right. And that if they were to impose those rights, they would be abused or they would be kicked out.And so it's not safe for them to have them. So we can't jump in assuming that they've had the same life and same education and same exposure. Like we have to educate them about the fact that these things exist. And that maybe that will help them leave at some point, knowing that these things exist, but only outside the compound.Katherine: Absolutely. Absolutely. And I know that. You and I probably come from the same position of just because someone has a credential doesn't make them someone as as you as you discovered with these social workers doesn't make them equipped to work with this demographic. But if someone were to be interested in working with this demographic and wanted to.Equip themselves and get the resources to be able to work with this demographic. [00:29:00] What would you point them to and what would you direct them to? And what are some recommendations for things that they could pursue to become equipped? Rachel: Okay. I think it's a great thing. And yes, just because someone has, has initials after their name doesn't make them healthy people.And I have seen that and I've seen it for people who have dealt with abuse at the hands of psychiatrists who have an MD and You know have these very advanced degrees, but they have a disorder that makes them totally misbehave. So, and, and there are people who don't have credentials who I think have been great.So it's still buyer beware, unfortunately, even it's, it's important just to be a smart spiritual consumer and a smart therapeutic. consumer. I think what people also need to know is that now there are a lot of people who are running what they're calling support groups, and they're not necessarily credentialed people.And some run a lovely group, but they're not quite sure what to [00:30:00] do when there is an issue. And they'll sometimes call me like this happened and then someone felt ganged up on and we started talking about someone. Thinking it would be helpful, but then they felt traumatized and like, it can go down kind of a rabbit hole if there isn't someone who's had training in how to run a support group.So you want to go to someone who's had training and also there are people who have left cults who will sometimes run them as cults. That's how they manage, right? That's what they know. Yeah. And then there's a group of favorites and that, you know, and they feel, they know it and other ones are feeling ostracized.It's very culty and they're feeling judged. So see how you feel. Know that if you get involved in a group, that's not your only option. You can go shopping around, don't owe them anything. You don't have to keep coming back if it doesn't feel safe. There is, this needs to be part of. The curriculum for social work schools.Katherine: Oh, my gosh. Yes, right. It does because it's [00:31:00] so common. Rachel: It's it's so common. I'm sure you've had the experience. And if you talk about this issue, invariably, when I'm out somewhere and someone asked me what I do, there's at least one other person who's going to say, Oh, yeah. I was in something or my family member was like, it happens so frequently now that I think it should be curriculum and for people who are learning to to become therapists of any sort.It's just really not, and it's still not seen as something really as important as it should be. I've, I've taught a class at. USC about how to run support groups for people who have been abused in groups. But it's just, they'll invite you with just that Katherine: extra awareness of like, they're coming into this and they're instantly going to feel anxious because and just that extra layer of awareness that someone who has never had that experience would have no idea that someone would come in to that Rachel: environment.No, right. It's it is. It's a niche. And and I'm [00:32:00] just I'm asked when I'm asked, but most of the time not because they have other things that they think are more important to teach them and maybe they are. But still, this happens. And so the there is a program out of England run by Colleagues of mine who are lovely and wonderful have had a lot of experience.It's through the University of Salford and I think you can take courses online. It's a master's in coerce coercion and coercive control. And It teaches you about what that is. I don't know to what degree it teaches you to do the counseling piece, but it is a master's in it. So you have a good framework for understanding it.And it's new few years old, and I there need to be more programs like it. But I think If people want to go to conferences, or if they want to attend like the International Cultic Studies Association conference online, where there is a section that is [00:33:00] for professionals, how you do this work, I do some lectures on it, how you also do interventions how they're different than regular interventions and, Yeah, just understanding the nuanced differences in this work is important and to understand why those things are important.So I think attending conferences, if you want to learn reading some books, I'm in the process of writing one that is going to be about my counseling work. So hopefully that will be out soon. I hope. And, and. It will be a little bit more of like a how to this is what happened to this person. And this is how I thought to help them.And because that's missing out there. So, yeah, so I think this program in England and also attending workshops at This at the International Cultic Studies Association Conference, which is yearly, is a good place to start. And and then reading books, you know, from people who are professionals who are talking about how they do this [00:34:00] work.I, because again, there were so few resources I really have learned most of what I've learned. From my clients really taking notes, like, okay, that worked better than this. And why understanding it. And, you know, we've been a learner of the Katherine: people that you're working with. And that sounds like that's part of your story is you learned from the actual people that you were working with.And, and that can be, I think, really empowering to, I think, for someone on the client side of. This person maybe doesn't understand, but they are, they want to understand and Rachel: they want it. I mean, now I can come in feeling that I have an expertise, which is great, but I also come in with enough humility to know I don't know everything, which is a really important thing for someone who's been involved in the cult to see that someone coming in, who seems to have this position of authority is saying.I'm open to you teaching me. Katherine: [00:35:00] Absolutely. Absolutely. Rachel: And I'm open to being wrong. I'm not an actor on you. Right. Exactly. I can know about cults, but I don't know you. And I don't know what's going to work for you. Some of this is going to be trial and error. I'm not going to punish you or, you know, I'm not going to stop treating you because something I provided for you turned out to not be the best thing for you.And you let me know that I'll be happy that you let me know that so we can fine tune it for you. But yeah, that dialogue does not happen. Katherine: In the cold, like, yeah, like you have something to offer here that I don't have and like having that kind of relationship when you don't know and when it isn't your expertise, but it is something that you're interested in for something for someone who is.And I, I mean, I encounter this so often just with like [00:36:00] my clients and it typically comes up even just in their first initial consultation of trying therapy and admitted and immediately realizing it's not helping and it's not the person doesn't get them and doesn't understand and then. to have to go through the process of finding someone, you know, when you're, when you're traumatized and when you're exhausted and we're just trying to figure things out, what are some guidelines that you can give to someone who is looking for a mental health professional to help them that they can maybe look for just immediately when they.Look on someone's website and questions that they can ask during the consultation to kind of help them narrow down someone who might be able to Rachel: help. Right. So first, you know, I think you and I are going to be equally reactive to going onto people's websites who seemed who, [00:37:00] who are trying to come across.Like they have the answer. They are the one. And they need to be talking all about their credentials and how they can provide something that no one else can. That is a huge red flag because they're never also typically going to be able to admit that they were wrong because they know it all. So if it feels collaborative, collaborative.Like we will work together to help you get to where you want to go that kind of language. Like, I'm going to hold your hand while we kind of muddle through this together. I can offer what I know, but this is something that, you know, I'm not going to be coming in and I'm going to be the expert and you have to listen to everything I say.And so, yes, if it has that kind of we're working together language. And that I'm open to hearing, and I want to understand you so that I can help you. That is, it's nice that you get to be, as the former member or the person who's been through this, you get to be the expert in [00:38:00] that space too, because you know your story.And you know what you feel, you intuit that you need, and you want a therapist to be open to that. It's also important for people to notice when they first start going to a therapist, if they get the sense that they have to make a commitment for a certain amount of time. That is something I think people should not necessarily agree to cause then you're locked in and then if you decide that it really isn't working for you, you might feel like you have to keep coming back because you're of that mindset of you made a commitment and you have to stick with your commitments, but it only matters if it's helping you.And so you want it to be open ended. you want to be careful to, to not work with a therapist who keeps changing the subject. Like if you really want to talk about your cult experience or the manipulation that you went through or something that's specific to your experience and the therapist just isn't trained [00:39:00] in that.And instead of saying, you know what, you have a book that would be good, or maybe I'll do some research or cause I have. Katherine: Right. Rachel: And I've had therapists contact me and say, listen, I'm not telling you, I want you to meet with my client. We have a good relationship, but I don't know about this. Can you guide me on this?And can you give me some resources? I really value that. I think that's really wonderful. So if the therapist is open to learning so that they don't keep just kind of ignoring when you bring it up, cause it's not their expertise and saying, well, now let's just talk about your mother. Or whatever, like the usual suspect.No. And you want a therapist who honors your boundaries. And if you have a therapist who asks you questions and you don't know if you want to share so much information about yourself, even though in the cult you've been trained to share everything with anyone at all times, because you have to If a therapist says, actually, that's, I'm, I'm kind of glad that you're saying [00:40:00] no, because you don't really know me yet and you don't feel comfortable talking and you don't know how I'm going to respond to your information.That's good, then that's safe. And so what can I do, I'll ask my clients is what can I do to provide a feeling of safety here for you to let you know that I'm going to handle what you tell me. In a healthy way and something that would feel safe for you. There are therapists and I've told people this. If you have a therapist who tells you, who uses either of these two words, which are like nails going down a chalkboard for me, resistance and withholding.Katherine: If they tell you that Rachel: you are resisting or you're being resistant to this process or you're withholding information from them. Right. Just because you're saying, yeah, I don't know if I feel like force. Yes. Yes. Katherine: And it also indicates that they're almost taking offense. that the client doesn't trust them.And someone who is aware of this experience will know it is going [00:41:00] to take a lot for this client to trust me. So I'm not going to force them and I'm not going to push them. I'm going to let them lead. And how much they want to share and even just say that, Ooh, I felt my internal haunches. Yes. Wow. Rachel: Right. And you, and that somehow the client also was told they need to make a commitment to this work. That this work is the thing that's going to change them. But that is just filled with too much ego and too much stress. And just let the person be and let them breathe and let them bring snacks.Just let them relax. Right. Katherine: . Maybe don't sip a glass of wine, but having a cup of tea is fine. Exactly. Yeah. I remember one one thing that I think my therapist said that felt me helps me feel really safe was I had mentioned sexual abuse pretty early on in our, our therapeutic relationship together.[00:42:00] And it was probably a good year before I was like talking about something else. And she was like a while back, you mentioned the sexual abuse. There's a chance that that has some you know, impact on what's happening here. Like, would you mind sharing about that a little more? And so I did. And then at the end of the session, she said, Do you want to bring this up again, like if it feels important to you or do you want me to ask you about it?Like, would you prefer to bring it up or would you prefer for me to ask you about it? And that just felt, I just felt very empowered with that. And just like, she was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna leave this in your hands. If you want to bring it up again and you want to talk about it, we will. If you. Want me to ask you about it?I can do that as well. And it just felt, you know, just very, it felt very empowering and it, and it definitely created a sense of safety for me. And I've [00:43:00] definitely like implemented that in, in with my own clients too. Just like, is this, is this something that you want to talk about more or do you want to just wait and bring it up?Later when you're ready and you just giving, yeah, just empowering the client and when they have been so disempowered and teaching them little ways that you're allowed to take this back, you're allowed to take this voice back. That's great. That is great. I, yeah. Is there anything else that you want to share about what a client might need or what a mental health first step?Professional might need in. Rachel: In this process, so starting with mental health professionals, there are going to be times like I've, I've gotten to a certain degree desensitized to hearing some pretty horrific stories. I was not at the beginning, of course, but it is good if you find that. You know, you want to be open to this [00:44:00] population.Sometimes they've been through really horrendous, horrendous things. And so it's good. It's important for you to take care of you. And if this really is too much for you, or if it's too triggering, cause you went through something similar, get more support for yourself. So that you can be able, right. Or you can choose if there are certain parts of this population you don't want to work with, that wouldn't be healthy for you.And it's okay to say that. It's okay to know that. And then it's good for you to have a resource list, because I never liked saying no to a client when I didn't have someone else to offer them, you know, like, how about try this person. And so then if you know that you're starting out and you're still very much affected by the things that you're being told.It is good to have at least three or four other names to refer people to for those cases and really, you know, again, you know, really make sure that you feel protected along the way until you get [00:45:00] maybe a little more able or desensitized. For clients. I think it's really good to know that, at least the way I talk about it that.They're the ones having the power in that space, and they might not know it, but I will let people know that like I make sure it's where it might. I'm not at all I don't have OCD traits sometimes I wish I had more of them in my house would be cleaner. But Right. But, I measure the furniture in my office, which is a weird thing. That might sound weird, but I make sure that my therapy chair isn't higher than the other chairs or the couch. Like I want us literally to be seeing eye to eye that we are equals here. And not lording over them just because I'm in my chair, you know, I don't have power.I will tell clients that I'm going to provide for them. My 31, 32 years of experience, but that they're hiring me, they're in charge. If I'm not giving them what they want, [00:46:00] they don't have to stay. It's like if you take your car to a mechanic and they don't fix the problem, go somewhere else. Or say, this is actually not what I'm needing.I'm needing more of this. Like, guide me to know what you would like, and then maybe I can provide that with more clarity, and we can work on defining what might be helpful here. But really, you can call the shots. And you can, you know, you can cancel your next appointment and that's okay, if you have stuff to do you can, I think it's also important when someone has been involved in a cult, sometimes they get very attached to the next person who is guiding them and leading them and they can get dependent.And it is my job, I think, to be a transitional object. And it's fine if people want to be dependent on me for a time, but I will say at some point, even though I know you're calling me to ask me what decision you should make about something, I would love it [00:47:00] if you, if we could work together where you will feel confident being the one where you can ask yourself that question and feel good about the answer you give yourself and trust it.So I can be that person for a while. But part of the goal here will be to hand the baton back to you, you know, I think it's an important message. Katherine: Absolutely. Yeah. And not just. I think that that for someone looking for a mental health professional that they can work with to, as you mentioned that collaboration and that mutuality and, and, and someone not showing up in that space and like I am the expert I know.This is what you need, et cetera, et cetera. That that's a good distinction to make. And, and you can typically sense that a little bit in that first meeting and that first consultation. Not always, but I feel like that's [00:48:00] something that that will come up. And. Yeah, and I also feel like it's, it's totally fine to ask a mental health professional in that initial consultation what are some books that you have read about this?What is, what is training that you have had on this? When you say that you're trauma informed. What does that mean exactly? Have you had training in that or is it just, you know what trauma is, you know, like, like having that you can ask those questions right out of the gate and and that's okay.And a good mental health professional is not going to get defensive. Rachel: Right. Even if people want to take a break, like I'll say sure. I mean, of course I don't even have to give them permission. They can take a break whenever they want, but if they want to see if they are able to take what they got from therapy and kind of just Use it on their own and, [00:49:00] and feel like they're able to call the shots in their life and see what they can do by themselves.I think it's really important to have people have that time. And then there's no shame in calling me and saying, well, something came up. And I realized I'm not equipped for that thing that just came up yet. So can I come back for a while? And yeah, I mean, you know where to reach me, you know, you have my number if you need to come back, great.But, and then when you're done with that, feel free to, you know, I also, I don't mind collaborating with other professionals. So if someone does EMDR, and I think that would be really good for. Client, then I'll, I will refer them or say, sure, they can go see someone else. The only time that becomes an issue is if someone else is seeing someone who I think is fraudulent in some way, like they're consulting with their psychic, you know, who's telling them that they don't need counseling.They just need to pay the psychic 10, 000 and they will free them of their negative energy. Okay. Then we're going to have a discussion [00:50:00] about that. But if it's someone healthy. Who is an adjunct. I think part of the wisdom that we have in this world is knowing who our resources are and utilizing them.And so I'm, I never feel in competition, but I will warn someone if I think they're getting advice from someone who is taking advantage of them. Katherine: Absolutely. Well, this has been amazing. And I know that. Both mental health professionals and folks looking for one are going to find this episode very, very helpful.If folks want to know more about you and the work that you do, where is the best place to find you? Rachel: Right. So you can listen to my podcast. It comes out each week. It's called indoctrination. It's on every platform, as far as I can tell, which is lovely. And I can be reached. All my information is on my website, Rachel Bernstein therapy.com. I'm Los Angeles based, but I work with people all over the world. And I have this support group. That's every other Wednesday [00:51:00] night on zoom. And I work with families with people who are trying to reach out to loved ones. Trying to plan a way to intervene if they feel they need to do that and doing just general counseling day to day in my office in Los Angeles but mostly still on Zoom.And so, yeah, there are a lot of places to reach me and I'm excited to have people reach out if they think it would be helpful. Is Katherine: your support group just kind of anyone can join at any time or do you have like Is it for like a certain amount of time and you Rachel: just right. Yeah, that's a great question.So it's open ended. But I just need to vet the person before because we have had issues with people just jumping on who were from a particular group and they were. spying basically on the group to see if former members of that group were coming to this and wanting to get their information. So I, as a safeguard talk to everyone [00:52:00] first to vet them before I give them the zoom link.And and then I do have right of refusal, like if someone was pretending to be someone turns out that they're not and they really are there to wreak havoc, they're no longer invited back, it needs to remain a safe place. And it really has, except for Scientology at the beginning. And that's why I have that.I have to have that interview process now because of them. But it's been great and it's been safe and it's a really nice feeling, nice kind of supportive, collaborative feeling in that group. But yeah, so people can join at any time. And it, people come when they come. It's very open ended and which I think people.Value that there isn't the expectation and I'm not going to contact them. Like what was wrong? How come you didn't Katherine: come? Yeah, that's great. And then one final thing you mentioned a [00:53:00] university that has a master's degree about coercive control I'd love to Drop that in the show notes as well. What was Rachel: the university?University of Salford. It's in England. And It's S A L F O R D. They have a program in coercive control. Katherine: Alright, I will look that up and I will make sure that makes it in the show notes. Thank you so much for Rachel: being here. Yes, thank you. Thanks for interviewing me. It was lovely to talk to you.

Hear Eric Skwarczynski's appearance on the IndoctriNation Podcast.The IndoctriNation Podcast is a weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control. Each week therapist Rachel Bernstein sits down with former cult members, intervention experts, and people who have left narcissistic and controlling relationships of all kinds to hear their stories and discuss their past experiences.  You can listen to IndoctriNation on Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and many more.For more from the Indoctrination Podcast, visit: https://rachelbernsteintherapy.com/podcast.html✖️✖️✖️Support the Preacher Boys Podcast:https://www.patreon.com/preacherboysPurchase a Preacher Boys shirt, mask, sticker, or other merch to rep the show! https://www.teepublic.com/user/preacher-boys-podcast✖️✖️✖️CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:- preacherboyspodcast.com- https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/- https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc- https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Rachel Bernstein is an LA-based therapist who has specialized in cult intervention and re-acclimation for over 30 years. She serves on the advisory board of the International Cultic Studies Association and has worked with the Department of Justice providing support to cult survivors. Over the years she has made many media appearances as a cult expert and is also the host of IndoctriNATION, a weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control, where she has interviewed hundreds of cult survivors, journalists, and experts.In this episode, Rachel speaks about some of her therapeutic approaches to those who are in cults or have exited them and offers some advice to loved ones on how they may be able to reach someone who has become enmeshed in one of these organisations.Episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:IndoctriNATION podcast — Rachel Bernstein's podcastRachel Bernstein Therapy — Rachel's website which includes webinars and video lecturesNow I Know — by Rachel Bernstein, Mascot Books, 2015Unique Ways to Reach Out to Loved Ones in Cultic Groups — by Rachel Bernstein, ICSA Today Vol. 12, No. 1, 2021If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Celine and Stephen speak to cult expert, therapist and podcaster, Rachel Bernstein about her introduction into the topic, her work as a therapist helping leavers and her thoughts on the anti-cult ecosystem. Such a thrill to speak to Rachel about her work, her experiences and her insights into cults. To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts Links about today's guest Indoctrination podcast: https://www.podpage.com/indoctrination/      

Rachel Bernstein is a cult expert, a marriage and family therapist, and the host of the podcast IndoctriNation. In this interview, Bernstein explains why some people are more susceptible to joining cults—and how the groups maintain a grip on their followers.Support us by supporting our sponsors.Planet Money: Listen to Planet Money from NPR wherever you get your podcasts!Audible: New members can try Audible free for 30 days! Visit Audible.com/AS or text AS to 500500.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I created a summary of my analysis of BJU from the previous episode and I sent it to two cult experts. The cult experts are Rachel Bernstein LMFT and Daniella Mestyanek Young. Rachel Bernstein, therapist, and renowned cult expert shares her insights on Bob Jones University. She is the host of the “IndoctriNation” podcast which covers cults, manipulators, and systems of control. For 30 years, she has helped former cult members and those who have loved ones in cults and highly manipulative relationships. Rachel has helped people from over 300 cults throughout her career. She provides individual counseling, family counseling, and, when possible, group therapy for former cult members. She also helps families trying to reach out to their loved ones in the cult. Listen to the IndoctriNation Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.Daniella Mestyanek Young is an American author and speaker who was raised in the religious sex cult, Children of God. She later served as an intelligence officer for the US Army for over six years, making the rank of Captain, and became one of the first women in US Army history to conduct deliberate ground combat operations when she volunteered to serve on a Female Engagement Team and received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Daniella lives with her husband and daughter in Maryland and holds a Master's degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the Harvard Extension School.Buy her memoir Uncultured: https://www.amazon.com/Uncultured-Memoir-Daniella-Mestyanek-Young/dp/1250280117Follow her on TikTok to learn her 10 part definition of a cult: https://www.tiktok.com/@daniellamestyanekyoungConnect with Andrew PledgerSocial Media: https://andrewpledger.mypixieset.com/linksJoin my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/4ndrewpledgerMore stories on 'Beyond BJU' on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.Sources: https://www.tumblr.com/survivingbjupodcast/7261048166690re81600/sources?source=share Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In many ways, this theatre troupe and Fourth Way school became the most secretive this podcast has looked into yet. Most members didn't know each other's jobs, marital status, or even surnames. They didn't see each other outside of what they referred to as ‘the work', they didn't know the classes they were going to each week had anything to do with the teachings of Russian philosophers, and they didn't tell anyone outside what it was they were attending two nights each week. Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now, and you can order Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album here.  With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Head here to enter our competition to win a pair of ATH-SQ1TW Wireless Earbuds!Links:Theater group, cult or stage? — by Jack Brooks, The San Francisco Progress, 22 December 1978Strange School — by Michael Taylor and Bernard Weiner, The San Francisco Chronicle, 23 December 1978‘Theater of All Possibilities' deserves a second look — by Jack Brooks, The San Francisco Progress, 10 January 1979My Life in a Cult — by Spencer L. Schneider, The East Hampton Star Magazine, 16 December 2019Manhattan Cult Story — Spencer Schneider's blog ‘Exposing the Sharon Gans Cult'Manhattan Cult Story: My Unbelievable True Story of Sex, Crimes, Chaos, and Survival — by Spencer Schneider, Arcade Publishing, 2022Seeing Into the Heart of Things — Bette Leahy's blog about OSGThe Gentle Souls Revolution — Esther Friedman's blog about ‘The School'The Gentle Souls Revolution — by Esther Friedman, GSR Healing Arts, 2023A Safety Guide For Gentle Souls w/Esther Friedman — IndoctriNation podcast with Rachel Bernstein, 30 August 2022 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Pledger was raised in the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement, and after completing his homeschool education, attended Bob Jones University. He is the creator of the limited podcast Surviving Bob Jones University: A Christian Cult. His podcast explores the school's history, the psychology of fundamentalism, the criteria for cults, and survivors' experiences.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com).If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at www.iasp.info.Links:Surviving Bob Jones University: A Christian Cult — Andrew Pledger's podcastAndrew's LinktreeReligious Trauma is Trauma — a fine art photo series by Andrew PledgerIndoctriNation podcast — with Rachel Bernstein Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deep Cut pulls from our bonus episode archive to unearth previous ideas that remain relevant today. Survivor shame over what has been lost, and how one has been complicit. Apologist shame: turned inside out and externalized as aggression. Popular shaming, which tries to deflect attention from how close to home cultic dynamics really are. In the cult landscape, shame is a common denominator. In this contemplation, Matthew unpacks various aspects, with help from the writing of cult theorists and recovery counselors Alexandra Stein, Daniel Shaw, and Holocaust survivor Primo Levi. Deep Cut Intro Music Single Origins — Pete Kuzma Show Notes Primo Levi: The Drowned and the Saved The Relational System of the Traumatizing Narcissist — Shaw Rachel Bernstein's “One More Thing” at the end of Betrayal and Power w/ Nitai Joseph, former Hare Krishna — S4E5. All of Rachel Bernstein's IndoctriNation podcast. What's Behind the Blowback You'll Get When You Engage Cult Members "Deception, Dependence, Dread of Leaving" — Langone "I Got Mine-ism" Selected Bibliography: Ainsworth, Mary D. Salter. Patterns of Attachment: a Psychological Study of the Strange Situation. Routledge, 2015. Arendt, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. Penguin Classics, 2017. Freyd, Jennifer J. Betrayal Trauma: the Logic of Forgetting Childhood Abuse. Harvard University Press, 1998. Freyd, Jennifer J., and Pamela Birrell. Blind to Betrayal: Why We Fool Ourselves We Arent Being Fooled. Wiley, 2013. Hassan, Steven. Combating Cult Mind Control: the #1 Best-Selling Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults. Freedom of Mind Press, 2016. Kramer, Joel, and Diana Alstad. The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power. North Atlantic Books/Frog, 1993. Lalich, Janja, and Madeleine Landau. Tobias. Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships. Bay Tree Pub., 2006. Lalich, Janja. Escaping Utopia: Growing up in a Cult, Getting out, and Starting Over. Routledge, 2018. Langone, Michael D. Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse. W.W. Norton, 1995. Lifton, Robert Jay. Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: a Study of “Brainwashing” in China.W.W. Norton, 1961. Miller, Alice, et al. For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2002. Oakes, Len. Prophetic Charisma: the Psychology of Revolutionary Religious Personalities. Syracuse University Press, 1997. Shaw, Daniel. Traumatic Narcissism: Relational Systems of Subjugation. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2014. Stein, Alexandra. Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ya'll ready to get real culty? Of course you are! You may recognize our guest from the Starz documentary Seduced: Inside the Nexium cult, or the Netflix series Unwell. She's also made many media appearances over the years as a cult expert on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, NPR, Bloomberg, and many other news outlets. When you're finished with this episode, you'll be thinking EVERYTHING IS A CULT. Here is our super special crossover episode with IndoctriNation podcast. You can go on over to her podcast and listen to our episode that dropped on April 19th.  Rachel Bernstein is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist from Los Angeles, California who has specialized in cult intervention and re-acclimation for over 30 years. Rachel Bernstein is also the host of IndoctriNATION: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control where she has interviewed hundreds of cult survivors, journalists, and experts. Her webinar lecture for cult survivors entitled "Living In Freedom" is available at Rachelbernsteintherapy.comPodcast: https://linktr.ee/indoctrinationWebsite: https://rachelbernsteintherapy.comBook: https://www.amazon.com/Now-I-Know-Rachel-Bernstein/dp/1620867893Facebook Suppport Group: Cheers to Leaving - Exvangelical Support Group | Facebook

Thirty years ago this week, a fire broke out at a compound occupied by an apocalyptic cult outside Waco. The blaze ended a weeks-long standoff between federal authorities and the Branch Davidians. As it turned out NewsRadio 1080 KRLD in Dallas-Fort Worth played a central role in the early days of the standoff. News anchor Mike Rogers covered the standoff for KRLD and recounts his memories of the weeks spent in Central Texas. Then, therapist Rachel Bernstein, who specializes in cults and hosts a weekly podcast about them called IndoctriNation, explains what draws people into these types of groups.

Working with people in cults or who have escaped them requires much empathy, compassion, and knowledge. Rachel Bernstein has all those and more, which she's used for the last 30 years in her work in cult intervention and re-acclimation. I have known and worked with Rachel for many decades now. Bernstein is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) from Los Angeles, California. She is the host of IndoctriNATION: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control, where she has interviewed hundreds of cult survivors, journalists, and experts.  Learn more about Steven Hassan and Freedom of Mind Resource Center. Visit freedomofmind.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry Palmer transformed his Scientology Franchise into Avatar in the 1980s. Despite staff allegations of misconduct, he was able to create a worldwide movement with more members than the International Association of Scientologists. Ariela Sarai graduated from Columbia University in philosophy and religion and then spent six months working with Mother Theresa's outreach program before studying Tibetan Buddhism in the Dalai Lama's community. Returning to the US, she received a Master's in Social Work and was a practicing psychotherapist when therapist friends recruited her into Avatar; she was at the top of the organization by the time she left - after 21 years. Jon discusses the training methods - which borrow extensively from Scientology - the abuse within the group, and her departure and recovery from it. One of the most interesting chats on the channel! Notes from Ariela: -The Avatar courses were held in conference rooms in hotels with 200-4000 people from 50 countries attending. When we didn't have a student, we paid an internship fee of $650 plus hotel and airfare to teach the course. I was in the top inner circle, having daily contact with Harry Palmer's wife Avra Honey-Smith. I ran international teams, helping them recruit students and making sure they all had good results using the tools. I was on a course for 14-17 days per month. -I am now a therapist with a full private practice, and I also work as a leadership coach at a Venture Capital firm. I am dedicated to helping people understand the tactics of manipulation and how to protect themselves and heal from this type of abuse. Although I don't actively seek to get people out of Avatar, I have helped many Avatars who reached out to me and needed help leaving and recovering. -I am writing a memoir with my partner Mark to share our inner journey of this experience. I am also starting a Newsletter here. To sign up please go to www.ArielaSarai.com Additional Links: Ariela's talk with Chris Shelton Rachel Bernstein interviews Ariela's son Ariela on Rachel Bernstein's podcast: part one part two Avatar's "forgiveness option" Taylor Swift documentary, Americana Girl

For this week's miniseries, I had the chance to sit and chat with Rachel Bernstein. Rachel has her own podcast which is doing amazing work, as you may know it is titled IndoctriNation and we have spoken to a lot of the same guests regarding their experiences of coercive control. Rachel is a Licensed Family & Marriage Therapist, working with cult survivors, creating webinars for recovery and even assisting in/leading cult interventions in the safest of ways. You can find more about Rachel and her work here - Rachel Bernstein LMFT, MSEd - Home (rachelbernsteintherapy.com)Featured Podcast - The Cult of Christianity - HomeCrimecon tickets available here - www.crimecon.co.ukGet in Touch or Support -Patreon - patreon.com/thecultvault Cult Vault Shop - cultvaultpodcast.com/shop Crimecon UK 2022 - https://www.crimecon.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultvaultpod/Twitter: https://twitter.com/CultVaultPodReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/Cult-VaultGmail: cultvaultpodcast@gmail.com

For this week's miniseries, I had the chance to sit and chat with Rachel Bernstein. Rachel has her own podcast which is doing amazing work, as you may know it is titled IndoctriNation and we have spoken to a lot of the same guests regarding their experiences of coercive control. Rachel is a Licensed Family & Marriage Therapist, working with cult survivors, creating webinars for recovery and even assisting in/leading cult interventions in the safest of ways. You can find more about Rachel and her work here - Rachel Bernstein LMFT, MSEd - Home (rachelbernsteintherapy.com)Featured Podcast - The Cult of Christianity - HomeCrimecon tickets available here - www.crimecon.co.ukGet in Touch or Support -Patreon - patreon.com/thecultvault Cult Vault Shop - cultvaultpodcast.com/shop Crimecon UK 2022 - https://www.crimecon.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultvaultpod/Twitter: https://twitter.com/CultVaultPodReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/Cult-VaultGmail: cultvaultpodcast@gmail.com

Well Oh My Gosh! What a wonderful conversation I was honored to be a part of. Please don't miss this conversation where I am able to chat with the amazing Cult specialist Rachel Bernstein. So much goodness!!!! And please go subscribe to her podcast RIGHT NOW!!! She has so much to share.Rachel Bernstein, therapist, and world-renowned cult expert shares her story for the first time. Rachel is the host of the “IndoctriNation” podcast. For 30 years, she has helped former cult members and those who have loved ones in cults and highly manipulative relationships. Rachel has helped people from over 300 cults throughout her career. She provides individual counseling, family counseling, and, when possible, group therapy for former cult members. She also helps families trying to reach out to their loved ones in the cult.She has led workshops and classes at USC in the School of Social Work and the Department of Psychiatry, at California State University at Northridge, and at various colleges and universities in the New York area. She is also a yearly presenter at the International Cultic Studies Association conferences and was a guest lecturer for the Clergy Emergency League and Wisconsin Council of Churches. She has presented at the Pacific Rim Conference for people in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and China who are affected by cults and relationships with narcissists, and, with colleagues, developed the program "Stronger After", a free 5-session program for initial support and education for people newly out of highly controlling, abusive, and restrictive environments.Connect with Rachel BernsteinWebsite Her Podcast: Support Her Work: LinktreeInstagram〰️〰️Shanny Pants〰️〰️YouTubeTikTokwww.ShannyPantsShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination As some of you may know Rachel has recently started a webinar series in order to further provide resources to those who have been harmed by cultic control as well as help their loved ones better understand their experiences. In this special bonus episode presentation, Rachel premieres her upcoming video lecture which will focus on explaining the many reasons and circumstances that keep people trapped in systems of control for long periods of time. Entitled "Why did I Stay?" Thanks so much to our supporters for making this episode possible!

"The most psychologically damaging was the hateful sermons on the LGBTQ+ community.I'm a religious trauma survivor who escaped fundamentalist Christianity (the IFB cult). I bring awareness to spiritual and religious abuse. My podcast Speaking Up with Andrew Pledger offers a platform for people to share their stories of surviving toxic religions and cults. Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, and experiencing religious trauma has inspired me to pursue psychology to help survivors. In the meantime, I'm a religion recovery coach helping people grapple with life after religion. I am an influencer on the rise and my vocation started with a controversial interview with Josh Harris (Kissed Dating Goodbye, author). I've appeared on several podcasts like Preacher Boys, IndoctriNation, This Little Light of Mine, The Phil Drysdale Show, and many more. I am the Social Media Manager for the IndoctriNation podcast which is hosted by renowned cult expert Rachel Bernstein. I'm now on a mission to spread awareness of these issues by using social media platforms"To contact Andrew: https://4ndrewpledger.mypixieset.com/...Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Rachel Bernstein, therapist, and world-renowned cult expert shares her story for the first time. Rachel is the host of the “IndoctriNation” podcast. For 30 years, she has helped former cult members and those who have loved ones in cults and highly manipulative relationships. Rachel has helped people from over 300 cults throughout her career. She provides individual counseling, family counseling, and, when possible, group therapy for former cult members. She also helps families trying to reach out to their loved ones in the cult.She has led workshops and classes at USC in the School of Social Work and the Department of Psychiatry, at California State University at Northridge, and at various colleges and universities in the New York area. She is also a yearly presenter at the International Cultic Studies Association conferences and was a guest lecturer for the Clergy Emergency League and Wisconsin Council of Churches. She has presented at the Pacific Rim Conference for people in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and China who are affected by cults and relationships with narcissists, and, with colleagues, developed the program "Stronger After", a free 5-session program for initial support and education for people newly out of highly controlling, abusive, and restrictive environments.Connect with Rachel BernsteinHer Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1prXo4iIxUfjYpfX671cUD?si=KOWPMrAsROyysB1vXNu3dwSupport Her Work: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination?utm_campaign=creatorshare_fanLinktree: https://linktr.ee/indoctrinationIG: https://instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=Connect with Andrew PledgerLinktree: https://www.liinks.co/4ndrewpledgerSocials - @4ndrewpledger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time, Rachel Bernstein, therapist and world-renowned cult expert is sharing her story and recounts being raised in Judaism. Rachel is the host of the “IndoctriNation” podcast. For 30 years, she has helped former cult members and those who have loved ones in cults and highly manipulative relationships. Rachel has helped people from over 300 cults throughout her career. She provides individual counseling, family counseling, and, when possible, group therapy for former cult members. She also helps families who are trying to reach out to their loved ones in the cult. She has led workshops and classes at USC in the School of Social Work and the Department of Psychiatry, at California State University at Northridge, and at various colleges and universities in the New York area. She is also a yearly presenter at the International Cultic Studies Association conferences and was a guest lecturer for the Clergy Emergency League and Wisconsin Council of Churches. She has presented at the Pacific Rim Conference for people in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and China who are affected by cults and relationships with narcissists, and, with colleagues, developed the program "Stronger After", a free 5-session program for initial support and education for people newly out of highly controlling, abusive, and restrictive environments. Connect with Rachel Bernstein Listen on Rachel Bernstein's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrinationHer Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1prXo4iIxUfjYpfX671cUD?si=KOWPMrAsROyysB1vXNu3dw Linktree: https://linktr.ee/indoctrination IG: https://instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Connect with Andrew Pledger Linktree: https://www.liinks.co/4ndrewpledger Socials - @4ndrewpledger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode, you can hear the episode in its entirety by becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this very special bonus episode, Andrew Pledger turns the tables and interviews Rachel, getting her to open up about her own religious background, her motivation for entering the cult education world as well as lessons she's learned from her work as a cult interventionist for the past 30 years. Andrew is well suited for this task as he recently began his own journey as a podcast host on"Speaking Up with Andrew Pledger" a show offering a platform for people to share their stories of religious trauma. You can find out more about Andrew and listen to "Speaking Up" here: https://liinks.co/4ndrewpledger Register for Rachel's new webinar series Living In Freedom here: https://rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html

It's another summer bonus episode, and you're all invited to put this in your ears and enjoy it from your favorite pool floatie. This time, we're chatting with the righteous Rachel Bernstein, LMFT, on her Indoctrination Podcast about our trip in and out of that thing we did for a while that turned out to be a notorious cult. Just some light summer listening about sex cults, trauma, and coming back from hell. Pairs well with watermelon frosé. About Rachel: She's an OG cult awareness and recovery podcast host, and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist from Los Angeles, California who has specialized in cult intervention and re-acclimation for over 30 years. She serves on the advisory board of the International Cultic Studies Association and has worked with the Department of Justice providing therapy to cult victims who testify against their perpetrators. She's also made many media appearances over the years as a cult expert on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, NPR, Bloomberg, and many other news outlets. Ms. Bernstein is also the host of IndoctriNation: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control where she has interviewed hundreds of cult survivors, journalists, and experts. Her book, "Kids Talking to Kids about Divorce" is available now on Amazon.Website: https://rachelbernsteintherapy.comBook: https://www.amazon.com/Now-I-Know-Rachel-Bernstein/dp/1620867893Podcast: https://linktr.ee/indoctrinationHear Ye, Hear Ye: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad. Support the ALBC Pod:We've made a link where you can support A Little Bit Culty with a one-time, weekly, or monthly contribution. Your support will be repaid in cosmic love and light. To make a contribution, smash this link.Check out our Linktree to sign up for our mailing list. We've got some fun things coming your way soon. It rhymes with “t-shirts.” Okay, it's t-shirts.Producers: Will Retherford & Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week I am joined by licensed therapist and cult exit counsellor Rachel Bernstein to discuss some of the basic principles behind cult recovery and where we think people might best start. This video is meant for those who are even in a cult now and are thinking about getting out or escaping but don't... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #347: Cult Recovery 101 – Some Basics appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

Brian and Troy talk with Rachel Bernstein, a licensed therapist who specialises in cult intervention and re-acclimation. She is the host and producer of the podcast IndoctriNation which explores cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control. This episode is the second of a crossover we did with Rachel. You can hear her interviewing us on her podcast here: https://www.podpage.com/indoctrination/ You can also connect with Rachel here: https://rachelbernsteintherapy.com/  Our links: https://linktr.ee/iwatf  Email us: hhandhillsong@gmail.com 

We don't know what we don't know.  Today we are talking with Rachel Bernstein about cults and stories of healing. It's a dark world that most know little about, and most won't until it hits home. But, as we discuss today, research into the topic is just getting started on the physiology of influence and manipulation.  With every episode, perspective is a powerful tool to influence how you see and interact with the world, even when stories are hard to hear or imagine. Those stories will shape and leave you with a lasting feeling and empathy towards others. Key Topics: ·     How do you specialize in the study of cults (1:21) ·     How prolific are cult-like groups in the world (6:44) ·     What inspired this work to become a podcast (8:43) ·     How do you get people to listen to a show like this before they need it (11:41) ·     What have been some of the impacts you heard as a result of the podcast (15:52) ·     From a napkin to launch, what were some of those first steps (19:23) ·     What is your advice to others who might be looking to start a podcast or heal from a cult-like trauma (25:44)  Support thehttps://www.patreon.com/indoctrination ( Podcast Indoctrination) Website link: (https://www.podpage.com/indoctrination/ (https://www.podpage.com/indoctrination/)) Podcast Links: ·     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indoctrination/id1373939526 (Apple) ·     https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLmNvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjM5NTE3NDU5Mi9zb3VuZHMucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwjIytmp6ej2AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&hl=en (Google) ·     https://open.spotify.com/show/1prXo4iIxUfjYpfX671cUD (Spotify) Charity: International Cultic Studies Association (https://www.icsahome.com/home (https://www.icsahome.com/home)) Donation: https://icsahome.networkforgood.com/projects/56244-icsa-donations-and-memberships (Donate Now) Social Links ·     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC67JLTD22dSnVadqXKcYPcA (YouTube) ·     https://www.podpage.com/indoctrination/ (Twitter) ·     https://www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast (Facebook) ·     https://www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ (Instagram) Thanks for Listening! Be sure to subscribe onhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/causecasts/id1398644299?mt=2 ( Apple),https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vY2F1c2VjYXN0cy9yc3MueG1s ( Google),https://open.spotify.com/show/3hmQQrfFDPznEqEAEeRVm8 ( Spotify), https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/67ea3876-ad03-4d6f-814c-c5395544f5c6/Causepods?ref=dm_wcp_podcast_link_th (Amazon), or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at mathew@causepods.org. Follow Mathew on Social Media to stay up to date on Causepods – https://www.facebook.com/MathewPassy (Facebook) |https://twitter.com/MathewPassy ( Twitter) |https://www.instagram.com/mathewpassy/ ( Instagram) |https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathewpassy/ ( LinkedIn) For help, resources, and community support, please join thehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/causepods ( Causepods Facebook Group) if you are already producing podcasts for a cause or are thinking about launching one. And if you would like to be a guest on Causepods, please fill out this form and schedulehttps://bookme.name/thepodcastconsultant/lite/causecast-podcast-booking ( your chat here).

It's a loooong weekend, everybody! Come join us for our coverage of Chapter 14 of "HP Book One": "Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback"! In addition to our recap of this chapter, we also have a very spicy voicemail from our resident detective, some discussion about how being a wizard is inherently pervy, and of course, our latest Harry Potter Poll! This one gets way off course, very quickly, as per usual. Grab your drinks and settle in for another ridiculous episode with your favorite Chicks!

Listeners: there's a revolution going on. Legions of Twitter counselors and Instagram therapists has risen up to offer unsolicited sermons on cults, cult leaders, and cult recovery. With COVID closing down the studios, every third yoga teacher has become an expert in trauma. They're starting Facebook groups. They're selling courses. They're doing their Family Systems work out in the open, displaying heroic levels of vulnerability. We're just waiting for the first QAnon recovery MLM to launch on Kickstarter.  We know it's coming. There will be oils, and breathing exercises, and some very long emotional check-ins on Zoom.Meanwhile, Netflix is distinguishing itself from GaiaTV, the Netflix of cults, with an explosion of cult documentaries. There's a gold rush on. Scouts for all of the streaming companies are lined up outside of the ashrams, vetting survivors to see who has the chops to carry a series. We seem to love them, but sometimes not as much as the sociopaths themselves. The cult doc is the new true crime chill.Beneath the feeding frenzy, there's real work to be done. The QAnon Casualities subreddit has 235K followers as of today. We get dozens of emails and DMs from people who have had their lives upended by conspirituality and cults. We have hints and whispers to offer them, but no answers. Yes, we live in a capitalist hellscape in which emotional turmoil of the people is commodified and sold back to them in the form of workshops and bingeable series. But we are also able to host Rachel Bernstein, cult recovery therapist, to get some clarity on the basic phenomena that dominate our commons today.Program note: We're going to try to stretch this out to 90 minutes so that we can each say we got a 45-minute free consult on why TF we're doing this job.

We are thrilled to give you this episode with Rachel Bernstein! Bernstein is a therapist in LA specializing in cult recovery and has worked With India Oxenberg in her healing from the NXIVM cult as well as her mother, Catherine Oxenberg. Her popular podcast, IndoctriNATION has had over 900K listens from all over the world and features regular people who are healing from cults, high control groups and narcissistic relationships. Join us in the conversation as Bernstein helps us to understand how Baptiste Yoga is a system of control and what steps to take to heal from the influence so we don't join another culty group or relationship again. Rachel Bernstein, MSed, LMFT, has been working with former cult members for nearly 30 years. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Educator, who lives in Los Angeles, CA. She has been a member of ICSA for many years and has presented talks and moderated panels at ICSA conferences. Rachel previously ran the Maynard Bernstein Resource Center on cults, named after her father. She was the Clinician at the former Cult Clinic in Los Angeles, as well as the Cult Hotline and Clinic in Manhattan. She now treats former cult members and the families and friends of those in cults in her private practice. Rachel has facilitated numerous support groups for former cult members, for people who were in one-on-one cults, and for the families of those in cults. Rachel has published many articles, made media appearances, consulted on shows and movies about cults, and has been interviewed for podcasts and YouTube videos. Rachel is the host of her weekly Podcast, "IndoctriNation," about breaking free from systems of control. RachelBernsteinTherapy.com, bernsteinlmft@gmail.com 818-907-0036

In this special episode, Even The Rich's Brooke Siffrinn looks at what the series can tell us about coercive groups today. She talks to Rachel Bernstein, a therapist who has spent over thirty years working with former cult members, and Cassius Adair, consultant on the show and specialist on queer and trans storytelling.Please support us by supporting our sponsors!Article- Get $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more at article.com/FLAMEOSEA- Twin Flames listeners get 10% off your first order with promo code FLAME at OSEAmalibu.comOUAI- Get 15% off your entire purchase with promo code FLAME at THEOUAI.comPolicygenius- Get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save at policygenius.comSwitchcraft- Download Switchcraft for free and unlock the magical mystery!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week I am once again joined by therapist Rachel Bernstein, a long-time friend and associate who has been on the show many times and helps us this time dissect our emotional needs and how these relate to getting involved in cults and other unsavory ventures. There's a lot packed in to this episode. If... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #335: Cults and Emotional Needs, Part 3 appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am once again joined by therapist Rachel Bernstein, a long-time friend and associate who has been on the show many times and helps us this time dissect our emotional needs and how these relate to getting involved in cults and other unsavory ventures. There's a lot packed in to this episode. If... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #332: Cults and Emotional Needs (Part 2) appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

When Stephanie Sibbio, owner of Glowing Mama Fitness in Toronto, livestreamed herself harassing workers in her local health food store over COVID policy, the world was introduced to a now-familiar archetype: the petulant anti-masker who cares as little about science as she does about others. Sibbio has since developed this role with gusto, becoming a minor celebrity in the Canadian antivax movement. Recently, she threw her support behind the Occupation of Ottawa.But everyone comes from somewhere: a family, a network, a circle. Beneath a persona hardened by the social media spectacle, there's a person to be known, remembered, and perhaps welcomed back. Today Matthew sits down with four friends who have known and loved Stephanie since junior high school. They share stories of the bonds they nurtured growing up, and how quickly and violently antivax ideology and social media smashed their circle. An honest and transparent discussion about the emotional and social costs of conspirituality. Show Notes65: Long-Haul QAnon (w/Rachel Bernstein & Jitarth Jadeja)19: Hurtling Into the Q-Hole (w/Mike Rains) Glowing Mama Anti-Masker. Toronto Influencer Socially Toilets in… | by Matthew Remski | MediumThe Unbearable Feelings of the Anti-Masker | by Matthew Remski Oppression Fantasies of White Anti-Vax Moms | by Matthew Remski  That Time When I Was in a Cult and Got a Loving Letter from a Friend | by Matthew Remski | Medium 

This week I am joined by therapist Rachel Bernstein, a long-time friend and associate who has been on the show many times and helps us this time dissect our emotional needs and how these relate to getting involved in cults and other unsavory ventures. There's a lot packed in to this little episode. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #329: Cults and Emotional Needs (Part 1) appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

Kat Interviews former Baptiste yoga teacher Rachel Nelson and learns yet more unsettling aspects about the yoga world.Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darksideofthematFollow us on social media: @darksideofthematpod on Instagram @matdarkside on Twitter and http://facebook.com/darksideofthematpodBuy Justine's book:https://www.amazon.com/Starship-Therapise-Therapeutic-Fanfiction-RewriteBuy Kat's books: https://www.amazon.com/Embodied-Resilience-through-Yoga-Empowerment/dp/0738762490/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3BQWMQTQTIDUF&keywords=embodied+resilience+through+yoga&qid=1639698620&sprefix=embodied+res%2Caps%2C229&sr=8-1https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Where-You-Are-Customize/dp/1611807867/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=yoga+where+you+are&qid=1639698472&sr=8-1Support Rache's work: https://linktr.ee/rachelnelson_Instagram account referenced in this episode: @bpyi_yoga_truthRachel's new podcast “Journey into Yoga Cults: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/journey-into-yoga-cults/id1599860304?fbclid=IwAR16lPO6U6jWAa8yLrbIZLMsEXMArRrtFWLIUI4PaQROd_-L6zHYBpNgYWkLove & Light Confessional's recent episode “Culty Hot Yoga: Bikram, Forrest, Baptiste: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culty-hot-yoga-bikram-forrest-baptiste/id1515454301?i=1000544359063IndoctriNation podcast with Rachel Bernstein: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indoctrination/id1373939526

Ever heard of a cult specialist? Therapist and IndoctriNation podcast host Rachel Bernstein shares what healing looks like after leaving a cult, common themes in manipulation recovery, signs that someone is in a high-control group or experiencing dissociation, and advice for those with loved ones in a cult. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, leave us a voicemail at 513-900-2955, OR shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola

In this special bonus episode, which I've long been promising is indeed coming, I was able to interview therapist Rachel Bernstein of the IndoctriNation Podcast. This is actually Part 2 of two episodes we did--for the first half of the chat, you'll have to head over to the IndoctriNation podcast to catch Part 1. There, we discussed my backstory in evangelicalism, my deconstruction, and the journey to rebuild since leaving Christianity behind. In this episode, we focus specifically on the important question: how does religion affect people's mental health? What resources are available for those of us who have left it behind, and now need to reconstruct our lives from the ground up? I hope you will find this conversation with Rachel both enlightening and educational. Join the MindShift Podcast Patreon Community Contact Details Follow Rachel on Twitter @RBernsteinLMFT Follow Me on Twitter @MindShift2018

In this special bonus episode, which I've long been promising is indeed coming, I was able to interview therapist Rachel Bernstein of the IndoctriNation Podcast. This is actually Part 2 of two episodes we did–for the first half of the ... Read More »

Former QAnon follower Jitarth Jadeya and Marriage & Family therapist Rachel Bernstein join as guest hosts.

These clips from 12 episodes feature the BEST mental health hacks, perspectives, and advice from experts. You'll hear how about guilt-free self-care & boundaries from mental health professionals, learn the difference between depression & sadness, how an adventure journalist shed her fear in order to live, how to recognize cult recruitment & more!Click here to save a spot at my next ZOOM Room Mingle to meet other listeners & chat with me: https://forms.gle/rAHypH4NjAr9VuJE9 Some links are Amazon affiliate links. I make a small commission when you order the item 24 hours from clicking, at no extra cost to you.Episode 15: Melissa Garner, LMHC https://www.self-haven.com/Episode 24: Phedra Smith, LMHC https://greenhousecounselingfl.com/Episode 56: Phedra Smith, LMHC https://greenhousecounselingfl.com/Episode 33: Dr. Barbra Cohen, LMFT, Certified Adult ADHD Coach https://drbarbaracohen.mykajabi.com/Episode 50: Breanna Wilson, travel writer https://www.instagram.com/breannajwilson/Episode 57: Rachel Bernstein, LMFT https://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/Episode 58: Dr. Megan Stodard, clinical psychologist https://www.harbor-wellness.com/Episode 59: Jay Alders, award-winning artist https://www.instagram.com/jayalders/Episode 65: Briana Snellgrove, PR Firm owner https://www.instagram.com/brianasnellgrove/Episode 62: Jake Davis, LMHC https://santarosacounselingcenter.com/Episode 61: Jesse Coomer, practical breathworker https://www.instagram.com/i.am.jesse.coomer/Episode 63: Meredith Edwards, podcast host https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ Host:  https://www.meredithforreal.com/  | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovertSponsors: https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://itsyourmagazine.com/ | https://www.ensec.net/

For the first episode of Mental Health Awareness Month, I've decided to share an episode that is not only SO interesting but also sheds lights on a little known fact about myself -- I was once recruited into the NXIVM sex cult. For those who don't know, NXIVM was an American cult that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering while claiming to be a "Self-Help Group." This week, I sat down with Ifellow podcast host, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and cult specialist, Rachel Bernstein.  Together we explore the mentality and psychology of cult membership, and Rachel explains how and why people are drawn into cults, what keeps them there, and the aftermath that can occur if they leave. Rachel was recently featured in the STARZ Documentary Seduced: Inside The NXIVM Cult, and touches on her experience with that, too! To hear more about this subject or get in touch with Rachel, visit http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com, send her an email at bernsteinlmft@gmail.com and follow her podcast at @indoctrinationpodcast! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support

This week, it’s answers about recovering from Scientology and past mistakes, how Scientologists think about the numbers, how the OT 3 death trap really works and a lot more. Enjoy! Rachel Bernstein video on learned helplessness  (1) I find it fascinating that at least a dozen times in my Sea Org “career” in Canada (and […] The post Critical Q&A #312 appeared first on Chris Shelton - Critical Thinker at Large.

This week I welcome licensed therapist and cult recovery counselor Rachel Bernstein back to the channel to discuss the unique problems and techniques of talking to people in extremist belief sets such as those of QAnon. This reckless and all-consuming conspiracy has created radicalized extremists, making this much more than “just another cult.” It’s time... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #282: Talking to QAnon ft. Rachel Bernstein appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

I'm doing cartwheels about today's guest! Rachel Bernstein, LMFT, has been working with victims of cults and emotional abusers for 27 years. She believes that given the right set of circumstances, it's all too easy for anyone to fall prey to sociopaths and manipulators. She is the host of IndoctriNation: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and how to protect yourself from systems of control. She wanted to give survivors a chance to tell their stories and for experts to teach us what they know about high control groups. Her goal for IndoctriNation is to empower listeners to protect themselves and those they love from predators, toxic personalities, and destructive organizations.Little known fact...I've been mildly obsessed or perhaps just highly curious about all things cults this year. I'll tell you more about that in the show, or you can read about it here. Rachel's podcast has been extremely informative and healing to me, helping me understand some of my own experience navigating a high control group.  Some of the subjects that we get into on the show today are how to identify systems of control, the situations that make indoctrination possible, fervor and awe, betrayal blindness, how to remove yourself from a group, and how to support a loved one who is caught up in one.Rachel's approach to this subject is not only effective, but it's also very informative and very compassionate. I hope you enjoy, and if possible support her work!Here are the direct links to the shows I referenced: Consolidation of Church and State, Mark Vicente and NXIVM, QAnon, Fervor and Awe with Yuval Laor. And interesting that her most recent is about Kundalini Yoga!Our show music is from Shana Falana !!!Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org** Please: SUBSCRIBE to the pod and leave a REVIEW wherever you are listening, it helps other users FIND IThttp://iwantwhatshehas.org/podcastITUNES | SPOTIFY | STITCHERITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-want-what-she-has/id1451648361?mt=2SPOTIFY:https://open.spotify.com/show/77pmJwS2q9vTywz7Uhiyff?si=G2eYCjLjT3KltgdfA6XXCASTITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/she-wants/i-want-what-she-has?refid=stpr'Follow:INSTAGRAM * https://www.instagram.com/iwantwhatshehaspodcast/FACEBOOK * https://www.facebook.com/iwantwhatshehaspodcastTWITTER * https://twitter.com/wantwhatshehas

This week, fellow podcast host and LMFT, cult specialist, Rachel Bernstein, explores the mentality and psychology of cult membership with Emmalee and Jen. Rachel speaks about how and why people are drawn into cults, what keeps them there, and the aftermath that can occur if they leave. She was recently featured in the STARZ Documentary Seduced: Inside The NXIVM Cult, and touches on her experience with that, too. To hear more about this subject or get in touch with Rachel, see below:http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/bernsteinlmft@gmail.com@indoctrinationpodcast stronger-after.org

In this episode of Asia Insight, Rachel Bernstein interviews NBR senior fellow Nadège Rolland and other contributors to the NBR Special Report “An Emerging China-Centric Order: China's Vision for a New World Order in Practice” about the types of mechanisms, institutions, norms, and rules China wants to see established in new international systems.

Join Lindsay as she interviews cult expert and therapist Rachel Bernstein, who was recently featured on the new Starz documentary, Seduced. Links mentioned in this podcast: Rachel's website IndoctriNATION podcast

2020 is the year of the cult. TV shows, documentaries, bestsellers, and podcasts flood popular culture with stories of charismatic leaders and their brainwashed followers. The word is even being used to describe Donald Trump and his conspiracy-loving acolytes. But what is a cult? How do they work and why do otherwise normal people become involved in them? Our guest is therapist Rachel Bernstein, an expert in cultic groups who counts over 80 former cult members as clients. Rachel is also the host of the terrific podcast Indoctrination, which features interviews with former cultists.  

Join Lindsay as she interviews cult expert and therapist Rachel Bernstein, who was recently featured on the new Starz documentary, Seduced. Links mentioned in this podcast: Rachel’s websiteIndoctriNATION podcast

If you watched the Netflix special (un)well, you may have seen Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Rachel Bernstein, in the episode on Tantric Sex. She is a mental health professional specializing in cult psychology, manipulators & systems of control. In this episode, we discuss what defines a cult, answer a gut-wrenching listener question & active cults in Florida.Guest: https://www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-bernstein-56423136/ |http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/ | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC67JLTD22dSnVadqXKcYPcA | https://twitter.com/RBernsteinLMFT | https://www.facebook.com/rachelbernsteintherapy/ | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indoctrination/id1373939526 Host: www.meredithforreal.com | www.instagram.com/meredithforreal | meredith@meredithforreal.com | www.youtube.com/meredithforreal | www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovertSponsors: https://itsyourmagazine.com/ | https://www.ensec.net/

Rachel Bernstein is a licensed marriage and family therapist who delved into the world of cult recovery after a family member almost succumbed to the seductive and manipulative world of Scientology. She has over 27 years of experience in working with victims of cults and emotional abusers. In this episode, Rachel shares with us the top characteristics of cults, why they’re so effective, and how they’re incredibly similar to the indoctrination and thought reform, or behavior modification, that took place in the WWASP programs and other facilities that use similar modalities. To Donate to Inside the Program you can CashApp --> $FuckWWASP IndoctriNATION (Rachel Bernstein's Podcast) Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/indoctrinationshow iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indoctrination/id1373939526 Rachel's Website - http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/ Other Resources: WWASP Survivors: http://wwaspsurvivors.com/ Breaking Code Silence: https://www.breakingcodesilence.net/ Connect with me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/theprogrampodcast_ www.instagram.com/caroline.the.divine If you would like to share your story, have additional information, or to just contact the host, Caroline Lorson....please e-mail Caroline@carolinethedivine.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/insidetheprogram/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/insidetheprogram/support

Rachel Bernstein is our guest this week! She is a certified therapist and helps people recover from cult experiences, and she also has a podcast on the subject. She’s here to walk us through what a cult is, how to watch out for manipulators and narcissists, and what recovery from a cult looks like.   Find Rachel: bernsteinlmft@gmail.com http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/   IndoctriNation, the Podcast: https://twitter.com/_indoctrination https://www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast   Follow Us: Instagram: www.instagram.com/candicekayla/  Twitter: www.twitter.com/CandiceKayla  Website: www.candicekayla.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

QAnon is gaining followers fast. Social media algorithms are putting QAnon posts in front of their users, QAnon is infiltrating GOP politics and, experts say, increasingly QAnon seems less like a fringe conspiracy theory and more like a cult. Molly speaks with Rachel Bernstein, an educator and therapist who is on the advisory board of the International Cultic Studies Association. She says most cult movements take hold in times of trouble.

QAnon is gaining followers fast. Social media algorithms are putting QAnon posts in front of their users, QAnon is infiltrating GOP politics and, experts say, increasingly QAnon seems less like a fringe conspiracy theory and more like a cult. Molly speaks with Rachel Bernstein, an educator and therapist who is on the advisory board of the International Cultic Studies Association. She says most cult movements take hold in times of trouble.

QAnon is gaining followers fast. Social media algorithms are putting QAnon posts in front of their users, QAnon is infiltrating GOP politics and, experts say, increasingly QAnon seems less like a fringe conspiracy theory and more like a cult. Molly speaks with Rachel Bernstein, an educator and therapist who is on the advisory board of the International Cultic Studies Association. She says most cult movements take hold in times of trouble.

QAnon is gaining followers fast. Social media algorithms are putting QAnon posts in front of their users, QAnon is infiltrating GOP politics and, experts say, increasingly QAnon seems less like a fringe conspiracy theory and more like a cult. Molly speaks with Rachel Bernstein, an educator and therapist who is on the advisory board of the International Cultic Studies Association. She says most cult movements take hold in times of trouble.

The unknown and uncertain can be frightening, especially when it comes to the darker side of human nature. In this podcast, I speak with licensed marriage and family therapist and Indoctrination podcast host Rachel Bernstein about the appeal of cults, how to help someone who gets involved in a cult, the difference between cult leaders, narcissists, sociopaths and psychopaths, if it’s possible for a psychopath to heal, how to recover from emotional abuse, and how to find freedom and safety in a relationship. **Special Offer from this episode's sponsor: Interested in getting your own Sunlighten Sauna? Right now they have a special offer just for my listeners! Get $200 off any cabin unit and $99 shipping when you visit https://www.sunlighten.com/dr-caroline-leaf/ and mention my name at checkout! Podcast Highlights 3:34 How Rachel helps people who get involved in cults 8:21 Why do people join cults? 15:28 How to spot a cult 21:36 The different kinds of cults 26:30 How do you recognize emotional manipulation and abuse? 33:10 What is the difference between a narcissist and being selfish? 36:11 How do we protect ourselves from abusive relationships? 42:00 How to help someone recover from an abusive relationship? 46:36 What is the difference between sociopaths and psychopaths? Read the show blog here: https://drleaf.com/blogs/news/why-people-join-cults-the-difference-between-sociopaths-psychopaths-tips-on-healing-from-abusive-relationships-with-therapist-rachel-bernstein For more info on Rachel and to listen to her podcast visit: Twitter: @_indoctrination Instagram: @indoctrinationpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/indoctrination-Gb1JeZ/episodes Additional resources: -Sign up to join my free text program and receive mental health care tips and strategies, exclusive offers and more! Just text DRLEAF to 1 (833) 285 3747 (*Only available for U.S numbers at this time) -Get my new brain detox app SWITCH on sale now! Get 50% off a 3 month subscription. Just look for Switch on Your Brain in the App Store or Google Play or visit: https://theswitch.app -Visit my website at https://drleaf.com for more free resources, tips, and tools to help you improve and heal your mental health! Follow me on social media for daily mental self-care tips! -Instagram: @drcarolineleaf: https://www.instagram.com/drcarolineleaf/ -Facebook: Dr. Caroline Leaf: https://www.facebook.com/drleaf -Twitter: @drcarolineleaf: https://twitter.com/DrCarolineLeaf -Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/drcarolineleaf If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5 review on iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you are listening! And don't forget to subscribe and share this podcast with friends and family! I love seeing your posts on social media! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app · The Daily Shine Podcast: The Daily Shine is a podcast-meets-meditation forum that helps listeners navigate their stress and anxiety. https://open.spotify.com/show/0q5HKfqOiwSh2bwsiz2keP

Rachel Bernstein brings the extraordinary lives of ordinary workers in New York City. Gene Weingarten tells the extraordinary things that go on in 24 hours in America.

CW: Abuse against minors Katharina Meredith grew up in a New Age cult from age 10 years old until 20. This week in the second part of her episode, she moves forward into what she experienced as a teen. Girls in the group were partnered with adults and taught to hide any disgust or dislike that they felt. Every day was a battle with normal emotional responses because, with the school of thought, it was a ‘weakness’ they needed to put aside to be like gods. She protected herself by always operating on “I’m fine.” Pushing away any emotions or trauma was how she survived. When Katharina wanted to have children, she went to therapy and counseling to help her accept and transform her reactions to be more productive. She is now a PhD student focusing on subjects like Community Psychology and Extremism. Katharina Meredith helped to further develop and eventually spearhead the non-profit "Stronger After" which was started by Rachel Bernstein, Lee Marsh, and Frances Peters: https://www.stronger-after.org/ Stay tuned, Before You Go: Survivors sometimes defensively retreat when they finally begin to feel comfortable and vulnerable again. Years of daily stress or repressing emotions to survive can have continuous physiological effects even long after leaving an abusive relationship.

CW: Abuse against children Katharina Meredith is a PhD student studying subjects like Community Psychology and Extremism after spending her childhood in a cult called Lichtoase. The New Age beliefs of Lichotase (translated to Light Oasis) were modeled off of Ramtha's school and adapted into workshops across Germany and Austria. Eventually, the group formed communes where children were raised separately from their parents by caretakers who never cared for children themselves. Katharina's parents joined the cult when she was 10 years old. After leaving the cult 17 years ago, she has helped to further develop and eventually spearhead the non-profit Stronger After which was started by Rachel Bernstein, Lee Marsh, and Frances Peters. Learn more on about this program at: Stronger-After.org Stay tuned, Before You Go: Peer pressure. Where is the social tension really coming from?

How do you get strong enough to leave someone when you've felt shaky for so long? Narcissists have a way of pushing your needs aside and making you believe that decisions you make for yourself are the wrong ones. Rachel encourages listeners to find the strength to set boundaries and stick to them. Listen to Part 1 here: https://soundcloud.com/indoctrinationshow/rachel-on-narcissism Before You Go: Why do people stay so long in relationships that are unhealthy?

Have you ever wanted to know what it's like to be with a narcissist? Rachel walks us through a deep psychoanalysis of narcissistic types; tying in real stories from her experience as a therapist. Learn tips to distinguish bad social behavior from manipulation. Unfortunately, this type of abuse can be present in relationships with parents, partners, employers-- people you should be able to trust. Some take advantage of others' loyalty for their own benefit. Rachel debunks common excuses they use to dismiss their own behavior and project blame onto their victim. Hear Rachel's first solo episode, "Home Invasion": https://soundcloud.com/indoctrinationshow/episode-16-home-invasion Stay tuned, Before You Go: Rachel shares the story of a girl whose relationship with her narcissistic father led to her being manipulated again by her partner as an adult. She describes many of the unhealthy relationships she's seen as a therapist and gives advice on separating yourself from a parasitic person. Have you been in a relationship with a narcissist? Share your story in the comments, or the IndoctriNation Facebook Discussion Page.

In this episode Rachel Bernstein lifts the veil on what Cult Therapy is about. We discuss: * What types of services cult therapists provide * Why she must observe subtle cues from her patients * What families can do to cope with waiting for family members to leave * How to be a supportive family member when a loved one does leave a cult * What the unique challenges are for cult survivors * How to access resources if you need a cult counsellor * And more... Visit Rachel Bernstein's website (http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/) Find out more about the IndoctriNation podcast (http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/indoctrination-podcast/) Special Guest: Rachel Bernstein.

Some people join CULTS freely, others are born into them, and some are abducted. The term cult has come to usually refer to a social group defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or its common interest in a particular personality, object or goal. But what happens to a persons MIND and mental health in these organized groups? What happens to their freedoms? What happens to their families? And what happens to their sense of self? In this episode our guest Rachel Bernstein answers all these questions and more as we explore "The Cult Obsession." We also discuss how groups like "cross Fit and Big Pharma" can be considered CULTS and how healthcare professionals can often misdiagnose a patient who has been in a cult with a mental health disorder. Rachel Bernstein is a mother of 3, an educator and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has been in practice for 28 years. She is the author of a children's book about divorce - Now I Know: Kids Talking to Kids about Divorce. (Mascot Books) She has been working with general clients as well as those who have been ensnared by cults and narcissists. She also advises families and friends of those in systems of control about ways to reach out to them. She has spoken world wide about many related issues like undue influence, women in cults, children born and raised in cults and narcissistic control and abuse. Rachel is on the advisory boards of the International Cultic Studies Association and The Open Minds Foundation. She runs a weekly support group for former cult members and their families. And Rachel is the host of her weekly Podcast "IndoctriNation" -https://soundcloud.com/indoctrinationshow www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com ;bernsteinlmft@gmail.com, or by calling 818-907-0036. Throw us some bucks, and help support our cause! Venmo: @Nurses-Hypo https://www.gofundme.com/nurses-hypochondriacs-podcast Give us a rating on iTunes... Need consulting or have questions: nursesandhypochondriacs@gmail.com

Rachel Bernstein, therapist and creator of the show IndoctriNation, talks to us about cults, manipulators, and narcissists.

This week I am joined by Rachel Bernstein, licensed therapist and cult recovery expert, to discuss “doubling down” and why people will cling to beliefs which have been proven to them to be untrue but which only makes them believe it more. This led to many examples from social media and some discussion on that... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #181: The Psychology of Social Media ft. Rachel Bernstein appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

Dhyana Levey, host of Generation Cult, was recently interviewed on another podcast called IndoctriNation. It's hosted by Rachel Bernstein, who was just a guest on our last episode titled "Let's Call an Expert!" Today we will share the interview from Rachel's show IndoctriNation. We hope you aren't confused. Just listen.

Although we love a good personal story, we also love a good expert -- so we're going to call one. For this show we're chatting with family therapist and cult specialist Rachel Bernstein, who has spent 27 years counseling people who grew up in high-demand groups. She'll tell us about common struggles these people face when trying to get on with their lives, and where anyone seeking resources can go to get help.

This is a special preview of a new show produced by Jonathan. It's called Indoctrination and it's a weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control. It's hosted by Rachel Bernstein, a therapist who specializes in working with victims of cults. Find out more about the show at https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination Episode 2 - The Secret Family History of L. Ron Hubbard w/Jamie DeWolf In today's episode, Rachel chats candidly with filmmaker, performance artist, and activist Jamie DeWolf about the dark legacy of his great grandfather, Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

This week, Rachel Bernstein and I discuss what to do if you know or suspect someone you know is in a narcissistic relationship. What’s the right thing to do or not do? Rachel Bernstein’s website: http://rachelbernsteintherapy.com The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #130: Helping Someone in a Narcissistic Relationship appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week, I talk with Rachel Bernstein about co-dependency, a loaded term which needs some clarification and accurate definition. We discuss it from many angles including how this manifests in destructive cults. Rachel’s website is here. The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #119: Codependency 101 ft. Rachel Bernstein appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week, cult recovery therapist Rachel Bernstein and I discuss the ups and downs of counselling second-generation cult members, what sort of issues come up different from those who chose to be in a cult and besides counselling, what else can they do to help themselves once they’ve escaped from their cult upbringing. Music by... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #107: Helping Second Gen Cult Members ft. Rachel Bernstein appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

Recovery from a destructive cult or toxic relationship can be difficult. How do you know if the therapist or counselor you found is right for you? Are there questions you can ask or things you can do to make sure you have the right fit? This week, cult recovery counselor Rachel Bernstein and I discuss... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #79: Recovery Counseling, What to Look For ft. Rachel Bernstein appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Rachel, she addresses the contradictions of a Cult follower, sympathizers, Bible based cults and more plus10 Questions!! Do Therapists handle politics better? Can David Miscavage be counseled? Why are there so many songs about rainbows? Am I Crazy??? Find out the answers to these questions and more on P2 of my special Scientology Extra Friday edition with Rachel Bernstein!!!     http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/ Follow on Twitter @RBernsteinLMFT Email: rbpsychology@gmail.com Phone: 818-907-0036  

In this first part of our 2 part conversation, Rachel Bernstein addresses how and why she became a Therapist, Claims of the CCHR ( A Scientologist Co Founded Org to fight and end Psychiatry) and the way children are seen by L Ron Hubbard and in Scientology.  Is Psychiatry "The Industry Of Death"? Are AntiDepressants causing people to murder large groups of innocent people? Is the text in Dianetics Pedophelic?  Find out the answer to these questions and more on this edition of Come Get Sum!! Plus a tribute my fallen friend: Mark Chambers http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/ Follow on Twitter @RBernsteinLMFT ADDED NOTE:  At some point in the interview I mention being on Prozac for a month. In hindsight I'm fairly certain this was not Prozac but another Doctor prescribed medication which name I cannot recall. In the end the medication prescribed may not have had the same if any properties of most SSRI. I make this note in full disclosure in case it comes up again in the future. I was simply mistaken.

Join host Monica Richardson, filmmaker of The 13th Step now streaming on AMAZON for a 1 hour show with Cult Deprogrammimng expert Rachel Bernstein. We wll be taking "live " callers to ask questions.

Join host Monica Richardson, filmmaker of The 13th Step now streaming on AMAZON for a 1 hour show with Cult Deprogrammimng expert Rachel Bernstein. We wll be taking "live " callers to ask questions.

This week cult recovery therapist Rachel Bernstein and I discuss the differences and similarities between narcissists, psychopaths and sociopaths, how to detect them in your life and what to do if you find yourself in the vicinity of or around them. Rachel can be contacted by email at rbpsychology@gmail.com and her website is www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com. Music... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #68: Narcissists, Psychopaths and Sociopaths – Oh My! appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

What is a toxic relationship? How do you know if you are in one? What are the early warning signs so you can take action before it’s too late? Relationship therapist Rachel Bernstein and I talk about these points and more in this week’s podcast. Rachel Bernstein can be contacted by email at rbpsychology@gmail.com or... The post Sensibly Speaking #52: Toxic Relationships ft. Rachel Bernstein appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

Join Host Monica Richardson for a 1 hour show with Expert  cult deprogrammer, Rachel Bernstein.  Rachel lives locally in Los Angeles, CA and has a busy practice. Recently Rachel started a group for indiviuals who have left a Cult- or wish to get help dealing with controlling people. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, 1991. (MFT28267) Credentialed Teacher in General and Special Education, 1987 Education USC, 1987-1989 – Masters of Education in Counseling Psychology – Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy Boston University, 1983-1987 – Bachelor of Science in General and Special Education – Teaching Credentials University of Liverpool, 1985 – Department of Education – Cross-Cultural Education

Join Host Monica Richardson for a 1 hour show with Expert  cult deprogrammer, Rachel Bernstein.  Rachel lives locally in Los Angeles, CA and has a busy practice. Recently Rachel started a group for indiviuals who have left a Cult- or wish to get help dealing with controlling people. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, 1991. (MFT28267) Credentialed Teacher in General and Special Education, 1987 Education USC, 1987-1989 – Masters of Education in Counseling Psychology – Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy Boston University, 1983-1987 – Bachelor of Science in General and Special Education – Teaching Credentials University of Liverpool, 1985 – Department of Education – Cross-Cultural Education

The weekly show where I answer question from viewers left in the comments section of my Q&A videos or sent by email to AskChrisShelton@gmail.com.   Rachel Bernstein contact info: Website: http://rachelbernsteintherapy.com Email: rbpsychology@gmail.com Phone: 818-907-0036 Checklist of Cult Characteristics: http://goo.gl/tS0Jcb (1) I was wondering if you might be able to compare and contrast destructive cults such […] The post Critical Q&A #41 appeared first on Chris Shelton - Critical Thinker at Large.

Rachel Bernstein is an Educator and a Marriage, Family and Child Therapist. She has a private practice in Encino, CA.   While continually meeting with clients who present a variety of concerns and issues, Rachel has simultaneously been working for the past 24 years with people affected by cults.   Rachel Bernstein has been the Coordinator and Psychotherapist at the Cult Clinic of Los Angeles (now closed), and the Therapist and Community Education Coordinator at the Cult Hotline and Clinic of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services in New York.   She has trained former cult-members, and families who have lost a loved one to a cult, to go out and speak about their experiences. She has run support groups for former cult-members and groups for the loved ones of current cult-members.   Rachel is on the Clinical Board of the International Cultic Studies Association, is an Editorial Advisor for the Cultic Studies Journal, and a Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.   Rachel has spoken at many cult-related and human rights conferences, and has been interviewed in newspapers, magazines, on local radio, as well as BBC News and Japanese radio. Rachel has appeared on ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, Dateline NBC, Fox News, and CBC News in Canada. She most recently appeared on the National Geographic Channel and on Larry King Live.  Rachel Bernstein, MSEd, LMFT RachelBernsteinTherapy.com   In April of 2008, Rachel was asked by the Family Protective Services of Austin TX to help with the children who had been taken from the Yearning for Zion polygamous compound. She offered techniques to help the case workers more successfully engage with these children, and help them learn they don’t have to be afraid of the world outside the compound. 

Rachel Bernstein is an Educator and a Marriage, Family and Child Therapist. She has a private practice in Encino, CA.   While continually meeting with clients who present a variety of concerns and issues, Rachel has simultaneously been working for the past 24 years with people affected by cults.   Rachel Bernstein has been the Coordinator and Psychotherapist at the Cult Clinic of Los Angeles (now closed), and the Therapist and Community Education Coordinator at the Cult Hotline and Clinic of the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services in New York.   She has trained former cult-members, and families who have lost a loved one to a cult, to go out and speak about their experiences. She has run support groups for former cult-members and groups for the loved ones of current cult-members.   Rachel is on the Clinical Board of the International Cultic Studies Association, is an Editorial Advisor for the Cultic Studies Journal, and a Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.   Rachel has spoken at many cult-related and human rights conferences, and has been interviewed in newspapers, magazines, on local radio, as well as BBC News and Japanese radio. Rachel has appeared on ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, Dateline NBC, Fox News, and CBC News in Canada. She most recently appeared on the National Geographic Channel and on Larry King Live.  Rachel Bernstein, MSEd, LMFT RachelBernsteinTherapy.com   In April of 2008, Rachel was asked by the Family Protective Services of Austin TX to help with the children who had been taken from the Yearning for Zion polygamous compound. She offered techniques to help the case workers more successfully engage with these children, and help them learn they don't have to be afraid of the world outside the compound. 

How can hair extensions be such a huge business? Listen to our Interview with Melissa Barone of Cashmere Hair Extensions to find out! Melissa Barone and her partner Rachel Bernstein began their hair extension business Cashmere Hair Extension out of their need. Both hair stylists, they created a top quality hair extension that produced $39,000 in revenue during the first 4 months they sold it online! They appeared on Shark Tank in December 2013 and though they didn't get a deal, the advice they received and the focus they've put into their business since has grown their company to $1.5 million! In this inspiring interview, Melissa shares about her partnership with Rachel, how they source the hair and how Shark Tank affected their business! http://www.BizWomenRock.com/87