Episode 319: When the Healer Harms: Speaking out Against Lundy Bancroft

April Worthington is a teacher, mother of five, minister, and author of The Debriefing Workbook: Hope and Healing after Spiritual Abuse. In this conversation, April shares her experience involving a retreat led by Lundy Bancroft, author of Why Does He Do That?, a book many of us have clung to in our darkest moments. April’s story isn’t just one of personal harm, it’s a call to action. 

As a survivor of both spiritual abuse and high-conflict divorce, April recounts how her initial fan-girl admiration of Bancroft shifted into something far more troubling after an encounter that left her reeling. She shares what unfolded during and after that retreat, the red flags she noticed, and the courage it took to speak out despite the risks.

I'm holding space for April as she brings forward not only her own experience, but those of others who have come to her with eerily similar stories. Her insight challenges us to re-examine what it means to trust "experts," and the danger in handing over our vulnerability to uncredentialed individuals cloaked in guru status. 

Here’s what else we get into, in this episode:

• The red flags that emerged during and after the retreat (6:03)
• The emotional fallout of being targeted by someone seen as a “healing” authority (26:24)
• How April is building a support network for other survivors (28:35)
• Why separating the author from their work is no longer an option (36:22)

Learn more about April Worthington: April Worthington is a teacher, mother of five, minister, and author of The Debriefing Workbook: Hope and Healing after Spiritual Abuse.

Resources & Links:

Thank you to today’s podcast sponsor: Wild Pastures Unbreakable – the Divorce Recovery Retreat, Sedona, AZ in April 2025Submit your questions here for possible inclusion in future Q&A podcast episodes Focused Strategy Sessions with Kate  Phoenix Rising: A Divorce Empowerment CollectiveApril on FacebookApril’s YouTube video: A Warning to Women- RUN GIRL! Lundy Bancroft is not your friend! A Cry for Justice: Lundy Bancroft is a Predator

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Episode link: https://kateanthony.com/podcast/episode-319-when-the-healer-harms-speaking-out-against-lundy-bancroft/