The Dr. Robyn McKay Show

In this episode of Bewitched: Breaking the Spell When Spiritual Mentoring Goes Wrong, Dr. Robyn McKay and Alyse Bacine sit down with Jia, a sharp, intuitive leader who found herself caught up in the world of high-level spiritual mentorship—until things took a turn.

Jia was with Robyn and Alyse in Santa Fe for what was supposed to be a transformational business and personal development retreat.

Later, she traveled to Croatia with the same mentor, “Betty,” and got a front-row seat to the dark side of mentorship gone wrong.

From sleep deprivation to gaslighting, from over-the-top paranoia to questioning every major life decision—this episode is a real talk on what happens when spiritual leadership gets messy.

If you’ve ever looked up to a mentor, only to realize they weren’t who you thought they were, this conversation is for you.

Jia shares her experience with refreshing honesty (and a little humor), reminding us all how easy it is to get caught up in someone else’s version of the truth—and how powerful it is to reclaim your own.

• How Jia got pulled into this mentorship—and the early red flags she missed
• The Santa Fe retreat experience: belonging, excitement, and the start of subtle influence
• How sleep deprivation, social dynamics, and paranoia set the stage for deeper manipulation
• What went down in Croatia (spoiler: it wasn’t just a relaxing getaway)
• The wake-up moment: when Jia realized she needed to get out
• The process of untangling from a mentor’s influence and finding her own truth again
• Lessons in discernment: how to spot the difference between true guidance and control

• Even smart, intuitive people can get caught up in unhealthy mentorship dynamics.
• If a mentor is making big statements about your life that you didn’t ask for, it’s okay to step back and question it.
• Just because someone has a strong presence doesn’t mean they have all the answers.
• Trusting your intuition is always more important than following someone else’s vision for you.
• Real mentorship is about guidance, not control—and the best leaders help you trust yourself more, not less.

If this episode hit home, we’d love to hear from you.

💬 Join us for the Bewitched Debrief every Monday at 3 PM Eastern on Instagram Live, where Alyse and Robyn reflect on the episode, answer questions, and dive deeper into these topics.

📲 Connect with us on Instagram:
🔹 @robynmckayphd
🔹 @alyse_breathes
🔹 @opulence_with_jia

💌 If you have a story to share, reach out—we’re here for real conversations about truth, healing, and reclaiming your own wisdom.

🎧 If you’re appreciating the series, we'd really love it if you'd leave a review, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who might need to hear it.

The more we talk about these things, the less power they have.

In this episode of Bewitched, Alyse Bacine and I are pulling back the veil on what happens when spiritual mentorship crosses the line. We’ve had the private conversations, done the deep processing, and now we’re bringing our experiences into the light.

Dr. McKay shares her intense journey of navigating through coercive control, manipulation, and psychological trauma induced by a well-known mentor referred to as 'Betty.' The episode details incidents from various retreats, the subtle ways the mentor imposed control, and the profound impact on their personal and professional lives.

The conversation explores the themes of trauma bonding, coercive control, and the importance of reclaiming one's consciousness. Join them as they lift the curtain on unethical spiritual practices and seek to transform their experiences into wisdom for the spiritual entrepreneurship community.

What We’re Covering:

• The fine line between spiritual mentorship and manipulation

• How power imbalances play out in coaching relationships

• The disillusionment that comes after putting someone on a pedestal

• Public reprimands, shame tactics, and subtle (or not-so-subtle) gaslighting

• How coercive control sneaks in—without you realizing it

• The confusion matrix: when everything is a game of smoke and mirrors

• The slow shift from business mentorship to full-blown psychodrama

• How exhaustion, lack of food, and isolation amplify suggestibility

• Speaking up, speaking out, and reclaiming our voices

Memorable Moments:

• “If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.” – Dr. Robyn McKay

• “There’s always an enemy. If it’s not someone outside, it’s someone in the group.” – Alyse Bacine

• “I wasn’t just opening a bottle—I was unconsciously agreeing to something much bigger.” – Dr. Robyn McKay

• “You don’t have to be weak or naive for this to happen to you. You just have to be open.” – Alyse Bacine

What You’ll Take Away:

• How to recognize when mentorship is becoming manipulative

• Why trusting your gut is always the right move

• The subtle tactics that keep people in unhealthy dynamics longer than they should be

• How to reclaim your agency and find your own clarity

• The importance of true integrity in leadership and spiritual business spaces

Let’s Keep This Conversation Going:
This is just the beginning. If this episode sparked something for you—whether it’s questions, reflections, or your own story—join us for our weekly Instagram Live sessions after each episode drops. We’ll be unpacking more, answering questions, and holding space for real talk.

Find us on Instagram:

• @robynmckayphd

• @alyse_breathes

Support & Subscribe:
If this episode resonated, share it. Subscribe. Leave a review. It helps us continue to bring these conversations forward and create space for the voices that need to be heard.

00:00 Introduction to Bewitched Podcast

03:11 Personal Stories and Experiences

04:12 Robyn's Background and Journey

06:07 The Start of a Troubling Mentorship

09:49 Power Dynamics and Boundaries

21:46 The Denver Retreat: Strange Occurrences

35:29 San Diego Retreat: Escalating Concerns

43:09 Manipulative Patterns and Psychodrama

45:11 Unethical Practices and Personal Reflections

47:30 Trauma Bonding and Psychological Manipulation

48:58 Questioning the Benefits and Business Impact

50:37 The Shift to Spiritual Training53:55 Coercive Control and Decision Making

54:51 Santa Fe Retreat: Turning Point

57:06 Escalation and Confusion

01:02:07 Cultish Behavior and Channeling

01:12:59 Croatia Retreat: The Final Straw

01:19:17 Conclusion and Call to Action

Thank you for being here—we’ll see you next time. We love you a million.

PS: Mil gracias to The Base Sound for your editing & production genius. They provide a perfect blend of tech, marketing and communication solutions for your brand through business podcasting…and a little more. "Because mediocrity isn’t an option when you’re set to rule the digital world.” You can find them right here: https://thebasesound.com/

Episode Summary:

Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on a conversation that many in the spiritual and coaching industries have hesitated to have.

In this special mini-series, Bewitched: Breaking the Spell After Spiritual Mentoring Goes Wrong, we’re talking about what happens when coaching crosses ethical lines, when power imbalances and coercion take hold, and when the very mentorship you sought for expansion becomes a source of harm.

Joining me is my dear friend and the host of Reclaiming Consciousness, Alyse Bacine. Together, we’re sharing our personal journeys through a coaching experience that, in hindsight, held many red flags—financial manipulation, coercive control, and harmful psychological tactics disguised as spiritual mentorship.

This is about more than just one coach or one experience—this is about reclaiming consciousness, recovering from destabilizing dynamics, and moving forward as leaders who uphold integrity in the coaching space.

🔹 How a once-trusted mentor used coercion, manipulation, and power dynamics to keep clients financially and psychologically entangled.

🔹 The subtle and overt ways coercive control appears in coaching spaces, from shaming to sleep deprivation to fabricated crises.

🔹 The impact of high-control coaching on intuition, self-trust, and personal power.

🔹 The role of unresolved trauma in keeping people stuck in unhealthy mentorship dynamics.

🔹 The process of reclaiming sovereignty, grounding back into your own wisdom, and moving forward stronger.

🔹 A deeper conversation on spiritual integrity, ethical leadership, and why these stories must be told.

✨ “If it can happen to us, it can happen to anyone.”

✨ “There was always an enemy, someone out to get her—and we were constantly pulled into the psychodrama.”

✨ “Being in these high-control coaching environments destabilizes you at your core, and you start questioning yourself in ways you never did before.”

✨ “This experience made me even more committed to integrity in my work and helping my clients get real, tangible results.”

• Listen to Alyse Bacine’s Podcast: Reclaiming Consciousness
• Follow along on Instagram: @robynmckayphd | @alyse_breathes
• Interested in trauma-informed coaching and ethical leadership? Stay connected for upcoming conversations and resources.

This episode is an invitation to open your eyes, trust yourself, and have the conversations that matter. Have you experienced a coaching relationship that felt off? How did you navigate it?

Share your thoughts on Instagram and tag us:
📍 @robynmckayphd
📍 @alyse_breathes

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need to hear it. The more we bring these stories to light, the more we break the spell.

Thank you for being here—we’ll see you next time. We love you a million.

PS: Mil gracias to The Base Sound for your editing & production genius. They provide a perfect blend of tech, marketing and communication solutions for your brand through business podcasting…and a little more. "Because mediocrity isn’t an option when you’re set to rule the digital world.” You can find them right here: https://thebasesound.com/

In this inspiring author spotlight, Dr. Robyn McKay sits down with Valerie Chandler, contributing author to Messages from Beyond the Sun. Valerie’s journey is one of transformation—bridging her formal training as a civil engineer with her intuitive gifts to connect with nature and share its wisdom.

They explore:

Tune in to discover the playful and profound messages from nature and how Valerie has woven her unique perspective into this beautiful anthology.

Resources:

In this episode of our Author Spotlight series, Dr. Robyn McKay sits down with Karla Jordan, contributing author to Messages from Beyond the Sun and CFO of a seven-figure biotech corporation. Karla shares her inspiring journey of integrating intuition and spirituality into her corporate leadership role. From compartmentalizing her gifts to embracing her full self, Karla's story offers a fresh perspective on leading with authenticity and balance.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Connect with Karla Jordan:
Follow Karla’s Amazon author profile here.

Get Your Copy of Messages from Beyond the Sun:
Explore the transformative stories from Karla and other incredible authors. Available now on Amazon!

In this illuminating episode, Dr. Robyn McKay interviews Jacqueline Clare Philip, a multifaceted artist, energy healer, channel, and now published author. As a contributing author and the cover artist for Messages from Beyond the Sun, Jacqueline shares her journey of integrating spiritual intelligence with her professional artistry.

Together, they explore:

Special Features:
Jacqueline shares the origin and meaning behind her channeled painting, Beyond Soleil, and offers exclusive gifts for listeners, including:

Fun Fact: Did you know Jacqueline’s ancestor founded the town of Philip, South Dakota, where Robyn McKay has roots? Discover more about this unique connection in the episode!

Links:

Welcome to this special birthday edition! 🎂 Today, I’m sharing my personal birthday rituals, reflections, and the timeless wisdom I’ve picked up along the way. As a therapist and spiritual advisor, I’ve made my birthday a time to celebrate and connect deeply with my past, present, and future self.

In this special author spotlight, we welcome Dr. Alaina Puff, a contributing author to the newly released book Messages from Beyond the Sun. Dr. Puff shares her transformative journey from a classroom teacher to a PhD in School Psychology, and now, a best-selling author and intuitive coach. She delves into the challenges and triumphs of embracing her intuitive gifts, the process of contributing to a collaborative book project, and how she supports highly sensitive and intuitive children through her practice, Flow State Coaching and Consulting.

Key Discussion Points:

About the Guest:

Dr. Alaina Puff is the founder of Flow State Coaching and Consulting, based in Phoenix, Arizona. With over a decade of experience in educational and mental health settings, she specializes in guiding highly intuitive and sensitive individuals towards self-discovery and healing. Her recent contribution to Messages from Beyond the Sun marks her debut as a published author, where she shares her unique perspective at the intersection of psychology and intuition.

Connect with Dr. Alaina Puff:

Tune in to this enlightening conversation to discover how Dr. Puff integrates her academic background with intuitive coaching to support the next generation of highly sensitive and intuitive individuals.

In this special episode of our Author Spotlight series, Dr. Robyn McKay, founder of Engelheim Press and She{ology}, shares her journey from aspiring writer to accomplished author and publisher. Interviewed by Dr. Alaina Puff, a school psychologist and contributing author, Dr. McKay delves into her passion for nurturing new authors and helping them find their unique voices.

Highlights:

Timestamps:

In this episode we are spotlighting one of the contributing authors for my new book - Messages from Beyond the Sun, the first anthology published by under my new imprint: Engelsheim Press a division of She{ology} by Dr. Robyn McKay.

Meet Judy Eggleston. Judy, an accomplished businesswoman and farmer from Nebraska, shares her journey from aspiring pilot during the Vietnam War era to a top-tier accountant in D.C., and her eventual return to manage her family's farm using her unique blend of intuition and business expertise.

Highlights include Judy discussing her use of intuition in business, her success as Farm Family of the Year, and her experience in the author development program. The episode concludes with Judy reading an excerpt from her chapter and reflecting on the joy and confidence gained through the writing process.

Order your copy of Message from Beyond the Sun here: https://a.co/d/aW7RZJ0