Finding a therapist can be mission critical when you’re recovering from a culty situation, but the process of finding a clinician with basic cult awareness can be a total cluster. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy chat with Dr. Natalie Feinblatt  about why more therapists need to get cult-informed and the Venn diagram overlap between trauma and addiction. She also chats with Sarah and Nippy about tangible techniques for getting unstuck when fight/flight/freeze mode takes over.

Dr. Feinblatt is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Los Angeles, California who specializes in the treatment of addiction and trauma. And one of her trauma sub-specialties is working with former cult members. She received her BA from UCSD and her Masters & Doctorate from Pepperdine University, where she wrote her doctoral dissertation on psychotherapy with former cult members and has specialized in helping them ever since. She also does EMDR, Brainspotting, and other trauma-specific therapies. She was also featured on the series finale of ‘Leah Remini: Scientology & The Aftermath.’ Learn more at her website or follow her on Instagram for tips, tools, and healing resources. 

Concepts/Resources mentioned in this episode:

Window of Tolerance

Dan Siegal, MD

Psychology Today

Hear 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 Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surprise! We loved chatting with Will Allen so much that we let the tape keep right on rolling.

Keep on listening for more about the Holy Hell filmmaker’s journey back from Buddhafield’s clutches. Oh, and here’s that My Favorite Murder episode we mention. Oh, and dear listener please be advised that  just like the first part of our chat with Will, this episode contains some potentially triggering conversations. Please listen safely, and seek help if you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted. 

Sexual Assault Crisis Resources and Hotlines

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, help is available.

U.S. Hotlines & Resources  

Canada Hotlines & Resources

See Find a Helpline.Com for the world’s largest resource of helplines. This site lists 1600 services across the world that offer immediate emotional support.

Hear 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 Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and Nippy watched Holy Hell closely when they were exiting NXIVM back in 2016. It hit close to home: The documentary is an intimate look at the implosion of Buddhafield, a mysterious self-help cult formed by a charismatic character with an iffy backstory. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy welcome the film’s director Will Allen to talk about what it was like to shine a light on Jaime Gomez, the so-called spiritual guru at the twisted heart of the group. Will didn’t just film it all: he lived it. After joining Buddhafield as a freshly-minted film school grad, it consumed his world for twenty odd years with life-altering consequences. He was looking for a sense of community and purpose, but after the love bombing phase it was far from the blissed-out communal dream it was cracked up to be.

Five years after the film’s release, Will chats with Sarah and Nippy about how he’s doing now; his journey from unofficial in-house cult documentarian to whistleblower; and what it takes to disrupt patterns of abuse and coercive control in new agey circles. And be warned, dear listener, that this conversation delves into the same potentially triggering content that gave rise to Holy Hell’s apt title. As told in the film via multiple victims’ accounts, Gomez used weekly hypnotherapy sessions to sexually abuse and exploit young male devotees, Will among them. Please listen safely, and seek help if you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted. 

Sexual Assault Crisis Resources and Hotlines

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, help is available.

U.S. Hotlines & Resources  

Canada Hotlines & Resources

See Find a Helpline.Com for the world’s largest resource of helplines. This site lists 1600 services across the world that offer immediate emotional support.

Hear 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 Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[Content Warning: This episode contains references to suicide, mental illness, and sexual assault. Listener discretion advised.] And…we’re back for an extra helping of conversation with investigative journalist Jennings Brown. If Part One’s exploration of creepy AF Youtube spiritual guru Teal Swan didn’t freak you out enough, there’s more Teal talk for you in this episode. Be sure to watch The Deep End docuseries and binge The Gateway  podcast to learn more about how each new layer of the Teal Tribe onion seems to be stankier than the last.. We recommend not listening or watching before bed, unless you really dig nightmares.

Despite what Teal may think: She isn’t the center of the universe. She’s not even the center of the cultiverse. So we also use part 2 of our chat with Jennings to ramble from the dark corners of Utah’s Swan country to sunny Yuba County, California where the organization at the center of his Revelations  podcast appears to be hard at work making fine wine and disturbing cult headlines. The Fellowship of Friends has some serious issues, and we’re still unpacking it all. Doomsday and rosé anyone? 

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.

CREDITS: 

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound 

Producers: Will Retherford & Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Hear 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[Content Warning: This episode contains references to suicide, mental illness, and sexual assault. Listener discretion advised.] Youtube spiritual guru Teal Swan says she saves lives. Others say she’s dangerously death-obsessed. We say she’s serving strong “9 Perfect Strangers” villain vibes with a side order of night terrors. But that’s just us. We wanted an expert’s perspective, so we called on investigative journalist Jennings Brown for this episode to help us understand more about Teal’s world. As a senior reporter at Gizmodo, Jennings traveled to rural Utah, the forests of Costa Rica, and smack dab into the middle of Teal’s inner circle to understand her teachings and investigate the deaths of some of her followers. 

His unprecedented access to her group is at the heart of a six part podcast called The Gateway - which we highly recommend as critical listening for anyone wanting to learn more about Teal’s whole vibe from a safe distance. He joins us today to talk about the sharp edges woven into her carefully-curated, hypnotic image, and how spiritual hucksters are gaming the algorithm and manipulating people’s most vulnerable moments. We also talk to him about his newest Spotify Original podcast series: Revelations which follows a California cult that combines doomsday prophecies and fine wine. And TBH, we get so carried away that we go into extra innings. Enjoy this first episode with Jennings - and we’ll be back next week with part two. 

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.

CREDITS: 

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound 

Producers: Will Retherford & Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Hear 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tova Mirvis frequently writes characters who are living in Orthodox Jewish communities and struggling with their faith. But in 2017, she turned the page from fiction to memoir, by publishing The Book of Separation: a searing look at her divorce, her exit from the Orthodox community, and her experience navigating the new terrain of single motherhood. She joins us to talk about her spiritual journey, the surprising outreach she’s received from ex-Mormons, and the similarities between strict religious communities and cults. 

About Our Guest:

In addition to The Book of Separation, Tova Mirvis is the author of three novels: Visible City ,

The Outside World and The Ladies Auxiliary, which was a national bestseller.  Her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers including The New York Times Book Review, The Boston Globe Magazine, Commentary, Good Housekeeping and Poets and Writers, and her fiction has been broadcast on NPR.  Learn more on her official site.

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.

CREDITS: 

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound 

Producers: Will Retherford & Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Hear 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back when Sarah and Nippy were in NXIVM, asking questions wasn’t exactly welcome. Fuck that. In this episode, they answer your questions on everything from Keith Raniere’s raging creep factor to what helps them keep it light after deep, dark podcast conversations about culty shit. Also covered: What has most surprised them about the episodes they’ve hosted so far; whether they’ve had to get re-acquainted since leaving NXIVM, and their perspectives on protecting yourself from retaliation when you’re leaving an abusive group, plus a couple lil' Easter eggs for fans of ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Succession.’

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.

Hear 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.

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.

–

CREDITS: 

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound 

Producer: Will Retherford

Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re familiar with ‘The Way Down’, the HBO Docuseries that chronicles the rise and fall of conservative Christian diet guru Gwen Shamblin (Lara), who died in a plane crash in May of 2021, you may remember today’s guest: Gina Wilson. As a devoted member of the Remnant Fellowship, the Brentwood Tennessee church founded by the big-haired, charismatic Shamblin, Gina spent over a decade inside the group as a part of the music ministry team and as a poster child of sorts for the church’s ‘Weigh Down’ diet method and weight loss empire. Gina joins us to talk in-depth about her experience in the church, the collateral damage to her family unit, and how she ultimately escaped Shamblin’s clutches. She also shares how her faith has only deepened now that she’s free from the Remnant Fellowship, and how she’s coming back from years of spiritual abuse. The Way Down  Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max. 

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.

Hear 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.

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.

–

CREDITS: 

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound 

Producer: Will Retherford

Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the voice of iconic cartoon characters, major TV networks, and national brands, Ian James Corlett has been heard by millions of people. But until now, he’s never publicly rocked a mic to share his own story as an ex-Jehovah’s Witness. Ian joins Sarah and Nippy for a rollicking ride through the denomination’s history, and his journey from born-and-raised JW and church elder, to unapologetic apostate. He has a few choice things to say about why JWs appear to be leaving the denomination in droves, as well as some memories to share about that one time a fellow voice actor by the name of Sarah Edmondson tried to recruit him into NXIVM.

About Our Guest:

You may have heard Ian James Corlett in the Emmy-nominated Dinosaur Train, in CartoonNetwork’s zany Johnny Test, or in the latest Disney Jr hit: Vampirina. And going further back, Ian originated the iconic English dub voice of Goku in Dragonball Z as well as voicing other 90’s icons such as Megaman, and Bob in Reboot. Learn more:

Ianjamescorlett.com

Instagram: @ianjamescorlett

Twitter: @ianjames007

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.

Hear 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.

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.

–

CREDITS: 

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound 

Producer: Will Retherford

Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How and when does a healthy corporate culture go off the rails? What are some red flags to be aware of when you’re sizing up a potential workplace? Before you spring for that lower back tattoo of your company’s logo, be sure to take a listen to this A Little Bit Culty episode featuring Cameron Herold. As a successful entrepreneur and in-demand CEO Whisperer, he’s coached dozens of companies globally and is known for creating world-class company cultures. Once upon a time, he also used this talking point on the regular as part of his top-rated keynote speaking gigs: "To build an amazing company, it has to be a little bit more than a business, and a little bit less than a religion, it has to be in the zone of a cult." Cameron joins Sarah and Nippy to talk about why he no longer stans that culty line of thinking, and how corporate culture routinely blurs the lines between community and coercion. 

About Our Guest:

Cameron Herold is the founder of the COO Alliance, author of 5 business books including Vivid Vision, and founder of the Invest In Your Leaders course. He's been paid to speak on all 7 continents including Antarctica…and is the former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? which was ranked the #2 company to work for in all of Canada, and became a case study at  Harvard Business School, and landed him on Oprah. Learn more about him on his official website 

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.

Hear 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.

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.

–

CREDITS: 

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound 

Producer: Will Retherford

Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices