Welcome to the World

I've mentioned before on the program how unusually high the rate of personality disorders is among Jehovah's Witnesses, which always begs the question: Why? Well today's guest, in addition to being an ex-JW, also happens to be a counselor with a special interest in personality disorders, so after spending a little time hearing her story, we're gonna dive in and talk some shop on pds within the Jehovah's Witnesses. Along the way, we'll explore the chicken or egg question of whether the organization attracts narcissists, or creates them "collective narcissism" (a concept describing how an organization can function as a narcissistic entity) And how the narcissistic entity + individual reinforce the needs of each other

Another straight up banger of a guest! (no hype) Michaela is not only charismatic and deeply fascinating, but after hearing the 9 levels of hell she crawled through to break free, you'll be left with the same question I had: How the hell did she turn out so great?! We're gonna try to suss out the answer to that question, and explore some remaining wounds that have yet to fully close Along the way we'll touch on: what we mean by the word victim why we still care what the people from the cult think of us and why sometimes, when you're not ready to climb out of the hole, your best bet might be to dig yourself deeper

After working with over a thousand ex-cult members, I thought I'd heard it all. I was wrong... On today's episode, it is my great pleasure to introduce you to "Manon"—a ferocious, badass mother (literally & figuratively) and the owner of the best cult-quitting story I've ever heard. We also go deep on what it means to have parents who are still in the cult. Parents who don't see you. Maybe never have. Probably never will. And yet, somehow, we still hold onto the fantasy that one day they might. You're not gonna wanna skip this one. It does not disappoint.

If you're reading this, chances are you're already fairly certain that the cult you escaped from was a flaming pile of fecal matter. Well... fairly certain Because knowing the failed prophecies, the abuse scandals, and the sheer absurdity of the story they're selling still doesn't quite squash that annoyingly persistent voice asking: "Yeah... but what if though? What if they were right?" Given that absolute certainty isn't really on the menu in this plane of existence, I can't promise to get you too 100%. But if you're hovering around 80%, give me an hour. Let's see if we can't bump that number into the high 90s by the end of this episode.

In this episode, I explore the strange social vertigo that can follow life in a high-control group, why authentic connection often feels riskier than performance, and how we can shift from to less theater, more improv. Along the way, I share a few stories from my own attempts to navigate life without a script—some insightful, some awkward, and at least one involving psychedelics and questionable decision-making. If you've ever wondered whether you're doing relationships correctly, this episode is for you.