Casting director and former Christian G Charles Wright talks about growing up Christian and struggling with his sexuality, a natural disaster he was caught in the middle of, why he calls his mom a psychopath, and how he shed the influence of his upbringing and finally accepted himself and his sexuality.

Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878?) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com

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Sara & Danny, hosts of Not Another True Crime Podcast, join Lola and Meagan to discuss the tragic cases of Matthew Coleman and Anthony Todt and delusional conspiracy theories that they believed, the recent wave of con men documentaries, the cults of Reddit and SoulCycle, the link between Mormonism and MLMs, and Meagan's family connection to the BTK Killer.

Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878?) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com

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Former One Direction stan Monia Ali shares her involvement in various fandoms throughout her life, how old she was when she became a One Direction stan, the conspiracy theory she became wrapped up in, the online bullying she experienced when she left the fandom, and the role of identity and community in these groups.

If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at [email protected]

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Want to learn how to levitate? Cult Interventionists and Founders of Cult News 101, Patrick Ryan and Joe Kelly, talk about their work with ICSA (the International Cultic Studies Association), how levitation played into their experiences with Transcendental Meditation, early cult deprogramming and why it was problematic, how most people leave cults of their own volition, and why exploring someone's beliefs are better than attacking them.

Learn more about Patrick and Joe's work here:

cultmediation.com 

cultnews101.com 

If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at [email protected]

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UK consultant clinical psychologist and one of the authors of the power threat meaning framework Lucy Johnstone shares how her work is meant to re-conceive how we think of mental illness, why the DSM is flawed, the position of why labels are problematic, how "ideological power" factors in, how "mental illnesses" can be adaptive, and the importance of creating your narrative. PLUS!! A bonus interview with Lola's mom Dr Christine Marie!!

Learn more about Lucy's below: 

https://www.bps.org.uk/power-threat-meaning-framework 

https://www.pccs-books.co.uk/products/a-straight-talking-introduction-to-the-power-threat-meaning-framework-an-alternative-to-psychiatric-diagnosis 

If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at [email protected]

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UNC Charlotte professor and psychology researcher Dr Richard Tedeschi discusses his pioneering work on post-traumatic growth, how his field is different from resilience, how core beliefs are involved in our trauma, what "integration" means, and the value of an "expert companion," having a mission, and sharing your story.

Learn more about Richard's work at https://bouldercrest.org/

If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at [email protected]

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How do we self-regulate when faced with triggers? CEO of the Arizona Trauma Institute and President at the Trauma Institute International Dr Robert Rhoton digs into the physiology of trauma, why the particular therapeutic model isn’t THAT important (as long as our therapists are trauma-informed), how being dysregulated is akin to a certain Marvel character, and why it’s important for our therapists to be regulated themselves. Plus, how our culture might not promote emotional regulation, practical ways to get regulated, and how we can actually begin to heal our trauma over time.

Learn more about Robert's work at https://aztrauma.org/ 

If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at [email protected].

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In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we're taking May to dive into trauma: how we think about it, how it works, and what we can actually DO about it if we're struggling. How can we live our best lives, even if we've had difficult or terrifying experiences?

In part 1 of the Rethinking Trauma series, Lola and Meagan chat with Columbia professor and PhD George Bonanno about his pioneering research into trauma and resilience, how we aren't necessarily doomed to be traumatized when we experience something terrible, why "coping ugly" is okay, and how flexibility can help us become more resilient.

https://www.mentalhealth.gov/ 

If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at [email protected].

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Podcast veteran Jordan Harbinger joins Lola and Meagan to talk magical thinking, the law of attraction, influence vs manipulation, how to be an ethical leader, how he himself has been scammed, and what makes people susceptible to scams!

If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at [email protected].

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:

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A little meditation never hurt anyone... right? Lola and Meagan chat with former Hare Krishna monk Nitai Joseph about meditation and how it isn't necessarily always the cure-all it's cracked up to be. They discuss Sam Harris, whether you can divorce meditation from its religious roots, and the work Nitai does with Cheetah House to help those with adverse meditation experiences.

Learn more about Nitai's work at https://www.cheetahhouse.org/ 

SUPPORT LOLA'S FILM: bit.ly/pruningfilm 

If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at [email protected].

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.