The groundbreaking Victorian inquiry has enabled cult survivors to pinpoint common experiences despite diverse beliefs. On this episode I speak with Clare Heath-McIvor, a podcaster and writer on Christian nationalism. Claire is also the founding member and president of Survivors of Coercive Cults and High Control Groups. She's the co-author of Beyond Belief a paper submitted to the Victorian government inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups which outlines legislative change to prevent group coercive control.

Truth 2x2 Cult Kids Socials

Tiktok

Instagram

Website

Support

Let's be honest; good trauma informed, cult sensitive therapists and support are hard to find. Please persist and try to find one that works for you. If you’re in a tough spot right now, please know you’re not alone.                                                                          

Links:

The Religious Trauma Collective

As an Australian CSA survivor, the best support I’ve accessed at my lowest points, has been through Survivor Hub

QLife support the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia

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

Asking for help can be hard - even more so from a therapist - and even more so if you've been raised to distrust therapy. Sam Sellers is a cult survivor and a trauma therapist who specialises in religious trauma and cult recovery. She shares her knowledge on how to find a good therapist and how to communicate what you need.

Trigger warnings: religious and spiritual abuse and control, SA, CSA, family violence, coercive control. Generally speaking we try not to go into graphic detail, but these are topics that we cover, so please go gently on yourself.

Truth 2x2 Cult Kids Socials

Tiktok

Instagram

Website

Support

Let's be honest; good trauma informed, cult sensitive therapists and support are hard to find. Please persist and try to find one that works for you. If you’re in a tough spot right now, please know you’re not alone.                                                                          

Links:

The Religious Trauma Collective

As an Australian CSA survivor, the best support I’ve accessed at my lowest points, has been through Survivor Hub

QLife support the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia

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

When Tristan Phipps left the 2x2's he shut off that part of his life to himself and to those around him. A mental health crisis forced him to acknowledge what had happened and to break out of the isolation of the masculine role he had been raised with. His efforts to help other cult survivors has become a key part of his own deconstruction and healing.

Tristan's social media

Fear2Freedom

Masculinity resources

Road to healing Aoteoroa – for male survivors of sexual abuse

The Yarnsmen (NZ) - sparking yarns and fostering connection

She is not your rehab (NZ) - anti-violence movement

The Man Cave (Aus) - preventative mental health charity

The Man Box (Aus) - study that focuses on attitudes to manhood

Dr Michael Flood (Aus) - sociologist

Tomorrow Man (Aus) - workshops

Jeremy Mohler (US) - therapist helping men and couples have healthier relationships

Christopher Pepper (US) - educator, and the co-author of “TALK TO YOUR BOYS"

Remaking Manhood: The Healthy Masculinity Podcast (US)

Truth 2x2 Cult Kids Socials

Tiktok

Instagram

Website

Support

LBH good trauma informed, cult sensitive therapists and support are hard to find. Please persist and try to find one that works for you. If you’re in a tough spot right now, please know you’re not alone.                                                                          

Links:

The Religious Trauma Collective

As an Australian CSA survivor, the best support I’ve accessed at my lowest points, has been through Survivor Hub

QLife support the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia

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

For the 2x2s, suffering is a badge of honour. But what happens when this turns into the suffering Olympics?

This is the final of ten short episodes examining the misuse and tangling of language and vocabulary in the Truth 2x2's.

Have you experienced the Suffering Olympics? Share your thoughts on socials.

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Truth 2x2 Cult Kids Podcast Socials Links:

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truth2x2survivor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauramc.au/

Website: https://www.lauramcconnell.com.au/

Links to Support:

LBH good trauma informed, cult sensitive therapists and support are hard to find. Please persist and try to find one that works for you. If you’re in a tough spot right now, please know you’re not alone. Here are some links to AU NZ supports and therapists which might be useful.

The Religious Trauma Collective: https://www.thereligioustraumacollective.com/

As an Australian CSA survivor, the best support I’ve accessed at my lowest points, has been through The Survivor Hub: https://www.thesurvivorhub.org.au/

There is support available for LGBTQIA+ community in Australia at QLife: https://qlife.org.au

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

For the Truth 2x2s, joy is a specific, attainable and predictable state. But is this truly joy?

This is the ninth of ten short episodes examining the misuse and tangling of language and vocabulary in the Truth 2x2's.

What was your experience of how ‘joy’ was understood within the group? Share your thoughts on socials.

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Truth 2x2 Cult Kids Podcast Socials Links:

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truth2x2survivor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauramc.au/

Website: https://www.lauramcconnell.com.au/

Links to Support:

LBH good trauma informed, cult sensitive therapists and support are hard to find. Please persist and try to find one that works for you. If you’re in a tough spot right now, please know you’re not alone. Here are some links to AU NZ supports and therapists which might be useful.

The Religious Trauma Collective: https://www.thereligioustraumacollective.com/

As an Australian CSA survivor, the best support I’ve accessed at my lowest points, has been through The Survivor Hub: https://www.thesurvivorhub.org.au/

There is support available for LGBTQIA+ community in Australia at QLife: https://qlife.org.au

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

Within the 2x2s 'spirit' (a willingness to follow arbitrary rules) is privileged over everything, even safety.

This is the eighth of ten short episodes examining the misuse and tangling of language and vocabulary in the Truth 2x2's.

Trigger warning: this discussion raises issues of family violence, CSA, SA and bullying.

If you are comfortable doing so, please share your thoughts and experiences of how ‘spirit’ was used within the group on socials.

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Truth 2x2 Cult Kids Podcast Socials Links:

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truth2x2survivor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauramc.au/

Website: https://www.lauramcconnell.com.au/

Links to Support:

LBH good trauma informed, cult sensitive therapists and support are hard to find. Please persist and try to find one that works for you. If you’re in a tough spot right now, please know you’re not alone. Here are some links to AU NZ supports and therapists which might be useful.

The Religious Trauma Collective: https://www.thereligioustraumacollective.com/

As an Australian CSA survivor, the best support I’ve accessed at my lowest points, has been through The Survivor Hub: https://www.thesurvivorhub.org.au/

There is support available for LGBTQIA+ community in Australia at QLife: https://qlife.org.au

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

The Truth 2x2s’ expectation is that we will forsake worldly things, the world, and ourselves.

This is the seventh of ten short episodes examining the misuse and tangling of language and vocabulary in the Truth 2x2's.

Trigger warning: This language reflects expectations within the 2x2s I found particularly onerous as a woman. This episode might be hard to listen to if you're an ex-member. Please be prepared.

What were you expected to forsake? Share your thoughts on socials.

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Truth 2x2 Cult Kids Podcast Socials Links:

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truth2x2survivor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauramc.au/

Website: https://www.lauramcconnell.com.au/

Links to Support:

LBH good trauma informed, cult sensitive therapists and support are hard to find. Please persist and try to find one that works for you. If you’re in a tough spot right now, please know you’re not alone. Here are some links to AU NZ supports and therapists which might be useful.

The Religious Trauma Collective: https://www.thereligioustraumacollective.com/

As an Australian CSA survivor, the best support I’ve accessed at my lowest points, has been through The Survivor Hub: https://www.thesurvivorhub.org.au/

There is support available for LGBTQIA+ community in Australia at QLife: https://qlife.org.au

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

The 2x2s value their ‘peculiar’ difference from society, but is being peculiar the same as being blessed?

This is the sixth of ten short episodes examining the misuse and tangling of language and vocabulary in the Truth 2x2's.

How do you feel about the 2x2s’ ‘peculiarness'? Share your thoughts on socials.

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Truth 2x2 Cult Kids Podcast Socials Links:

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truth2x2survivor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauramc.au/

Website: https://www.lauramcconnell.com.au/

Links to Support:

LBH good trauma informed, cult sensitive therapists and support are hard to find. Please persist and try to find one that works for you. If you’re in a tough spot right now, please know you’re not alone. Here are some links to AU NZ supports and therapists which might be useful.

The Religious Trauma Collective: https://www.thereligioustraumacollective.com/

As an Australian CSA survivor, the best support I’ve accessed at my lowest points, has been through The Survivor Hub: https://www.thesurvivorhub.org.au/

There is support available for LGBTQIA+ community in Australia at QLife: https://qlife.org.au

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

‘Gratitude’ is a mindfulness practice. What if, instead of finding positives, you were forced to embrace the negatives?

This is the fifth of ten short episodes examining the misuse and tangling of language and vocabulary in the Truth 2x2's.

Trigger warning: discussing this language took me right back to my time in the group, so please be prepared that this episode might be tough to listen to if you're an ex-member.

How do you feel about the expectation to give thanks? What is the effect of learning to feel thankful when awful things happen? Share your thoughts on socials.

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Truth 2x2 Cult Kids Podcast Socials Links:

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truth2x2survivor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauramc.au/

Website: https://www.lauramcconnell.com.au/

Links to Support:

LBH good trauma informed, cult sensitive therapists and support are hard to find. Please persist and try to find one that works for you. If you’re in a tough spot right now, please know you’re not alone. Here are some links to AU NZ supports and therapists which might be useful.

The Religious Trauma Collective: https://www.thereligioustraumacollective.com/

As an Australian CSA survivor, the best support I’ve accessed at my lowest points, has been through The Survivor Hub: https://www.thesurvivorhub.org.au/

There is support available for LGBTQIA+ community in Australia at QLife: https://qlife.org.au

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

Have you ever felt the people around you just don’t matter? This is how 2x2s are ‘supposed’ to feel about outsiders.

This is the fourth of ten short episodes examining the misuse and tangling of language and vocabulary in the Truth 2x2's.

How do you feel about the 2x2s’ use of language to create an in-group that sees itself as separate from the world? Share your thoughts on socials.

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Truth 2x2 Cult Kids Podcast Socials Links:

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truth2x2survivor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauramc.au/

Website: https://www.lauramcconnell.com.au/

Links to Support:

LBH good trauma informed, cult sensitive therapists and support are hard to find. Please persist and try to find one that works for you. If you’re in a tough spot right now, please know you’re not alone. Here are some links to AU NZ supports and therapists which might be useful.

The Religious Trauma Collective: https://www.thereligioustraumacollective.com/

As an Australian CSA survivor, the best support I’ve accessed at my lowest points, has been through The Survivor Hub: https://www.thesurvivorhub.org.au/

There is support available for LGBTQIA+ community in Australia at QLife: https://qlife.org.au

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