IndoctriNation

Mark Turi discovered Scientology while on vacation in Los Angeles, just a month after graduating college in May 2005, Two years later, he joined the staff at the Church of Scientology in Berlin, Germany. While in Berlin, Mark worked for Scientology for over 90 hours a week, earning very little money. He left Berlin in February 2008 when he was transferred to the Church of Scientology in San Francisco, where he worked until May of 2008. Since leaving Scientology Mark has been regularly sharing about his experience online in the hopes that his story can help young people, especially recent college graduates, be more aware of predatory organizations like The Church of Scientology. He has continued to pursue his education and is currently enrolled in a Master's program in Budapest, Hungary where he now resides. Mark is a historian focusing on Nationalism, Language, and Jewish Culture in Late Modern Europe. In this insightful conversation, Mark details the deceptive ways in which he was lured into joining the Scientology staff and what he believes made him vulnerable to their duplicitous tactics. Throughout the discussion, Rachel and Mark break down the ways in which Scientology exploits its staff members and explain how the controlling culture of the organization keeps its employees obedient. Before You Go: Rachel weighs in on the Scientology concept of Human Emotional Reaction (H.E.R.) explaining how it manifests and the manipulative intentions behind it. All of Rachel's video lectures are available for purchase here: www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dr. Tamara MC is a cult, child marriage, and human trafficking survivor and activist who advocates worldwide for girls and women to live free from gender-based violence. Her Ph.D. is in Applied Linguistics, and she researches how language manipulates vulnerable populations. Tamara attended Columbia University for an MFA and has been honored with residencies/fellowships in places such as Bread Loaf, Iowa Writers' Workshop, Sewanee, Ragdale, Cave Canem, VONA, and VCCA. She's published in prestigious outlets such as The New York Times, New York Magazine, Salon, The Independent, Food 52, Parents, and Thrillist. She’s currently hard at work on her debut memoir, Child Bride: My Marriage at 12. She's traveled to nearly 80 countries, mostly alone and backpacking, and is a polyglot, having studied more than six languages. She is an empty-nesting mama to two sons in their mid-20s and a grandmamma to two feisty but adorable pups, a Boston Terrier and Australian Shepherd. When she isn't writing and reading, you'll find her road cycling, running, and playing Pickleball. In this revealing and heartfelt conversation, Tamara opens up about being raised mostly in her father's high-control religious commune, and the confusing dichotomy of living partly with her secular and liberal mother. Throughout the discussion, Rachel offers insights on the negative impacts of burdening children with adult responsibility and sacrificing their education for the sake of religious devotion. Before you go: Rachel explains why it's important to take note of changing or inconsistent rules in high control groups, pointing out the often illegitimate derivation of their authority. Find more about Tamara and her work here: https://tamaramc.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaramcphd/ All of Rachel's video lectures are available for purchase here: www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: http://www.patreon.com/indoctrination Andrew Pledger is a content creator, activist, and writer who uses social media to share his story and inspire others. He is a religious trauma survivor who was homeschooled K-12 and raised in a fundamentalist Christian cult (Independent Fundamental Baptist movement). He brings awareness to spiritual and religious abuse. Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community and experiencing religious trauma has inspired him to pursue psychology to help survivors. After being homeschooled, he found his way to Bob Jones University. He attended the fundamentalist Christian college for over three years until he was expelled in his last semester for sharing his story and denouncing fundamentalist teachings. Andrew comes on the show to share his experiences of the level of control and mental abuse he experienced at Bob Jones University. He has a limited podcast premiering soon called "Surviving Bob Jones University: A Christian Cult." This podcast explores the school's history, the psychology of fundamentalism, the criteria for cults, and survivors' experiences. Andrew opens up to Rachel about his complicated relationship with his 2nd generation IFB parents, he compares the high-control culture he grew up within his family with the complete authoritarian control of Bob Jones University. Together Andrew and Rachel discuss the psychological impacts on adolescents living under the constant surveillance and harsh judgment of fundamentalism. Find "Surviving BJU" and all of Andrew's other work here: https://andrewpledger.mypixieset.com/links/ Thanks to all of our Patron supporters for making this episode possible!! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Alexandra Stein, Ph.D. is a writer and educator specializing in the social psychology of ideological extremism and other dangerous social relationships. She is currently an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Sussex. Dr. Stein offers programs and materials to help people understand how to identify and protect themselves and others from recruitment into cultic or extremist groups. She also studies and teaches about positive social relationships: "small d" democracy, inclusivity, and healthy social and personal networks that can oppose these dangerous relationships. In this information-dense conversation, Alexandra discusses her experiences as a former member of a supposedly left-wing political cult explaining how her confusion after leaving became the catalyst for her groundbreaking research into cultic dynamics. Dr. stein cites the work of Robert Jay Lifton and Janja Lalich as instrumental to her initial understanding of how she ended up under the control of an authoritarian and violent cult leader. Before You Go: Rachel offers her insights on how being involved with high-control groups or relationships can greatly impact someone's attachment style and negatively affect their ability to have healthy relationships. You can find more about Dr. Stein's work at: https://www.alexandrastein.com/ All of Rachel's video lectures are available for purchase here: www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Pamela Jackson is a licensed clinical social worker, LCSW, and creative nonfiction writer. She specializes in therapy for adult women who have estranged or difficult relationships with their mothers. After leaving the ICOC cult, Pamela attempted to repair her relationship with her mother, one of the main reasons she was vulnerable to the love bombing and manipulation of ICOC. The mother-daughter conversations ultimately failed but also became the inspiration to her private practice, supporting women to re-parent themselves. Pamela has just completed her first memoir about the journey of mothering while unmothered, some of her client’s stories, and how leaving the cult eventually led her to find a Mother within. Pamela earned a Bachelor's from The New School, a Masters's degree in Fine Arts from Sarah Lawrence College, and a Masters’s degree in Social Work from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. She is a co-parent to her bold, joyful daughter. In this intimate conversation, Pamela opens up about her time as a follower of the ICOC and how it relates to her complex relationship with her mother. Pamela goes on to explain how she navigated her mothers' narcissistic tendencies and found identity as an artist despite the complicated entanglements that shaped her upbringing. Before You Go: Rachel explains how the appeal of a structured life can keep followers trapped in high-control groups, but also prime them for abusive relationships. Find more about Pamela and her work here: https://www.allomothering.org Follow Pamela on Social Media: Instagram: pamela.s.jackson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamelasjackson Medium: https://medium.com/@pamelasjackson All of Rachel's video lectures are available for purchase here: www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Returning guest, Marissa Hackett was born in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. At the time of her birth, her parents were involved with a group called the Foundation of Human Understanding, a right-wing cult led by Roy Masters. When Marissa was 11 years old, she moved with her family to Southern Oregon, where Roy moved the headquarters of the group and opened the only school Marissa attended in her childhood, Brighton Academy. As a black family, this experience created unique challenges for Marissa as she navigated life. Today, Marissa lives in Seattle and identifies as a fierce progressive. She's a proud auntie, sister, daughter, niece, godmother, and friend. She shares a life with her partner and husband, Aaron. Marissa absolutely loves music and being in nature. She currently resides in Seattle, Washington where she is a grad student in Couples and Family Therapy at Antioch University. In this follow-up conversation, Marissa provides updates on her familial relationships and healing journey since sharing her story for the first time. She offers insights on how she's been able to successfully reconcile a relationship with her father while maintaining her perspective on the damaging experiences she suffered as a child. Find Marissa's blog on Substack here: marissahackett.substack.com/ Thanks to all of our Patreon supporters for making this episode possible! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dr. Laura Anderson is a therapist, trauma resolution, and recovery coach, writer, educator, and creator who specializes in complex trauma with a focus on domestic violence, sexualized violence, and religious trauma. She holds a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Ph.D. in Mind-Body Medicine with her research focusing on the experience of living in a healing body after sexual trauma. Laura has a small private practice in Nashville, TN, and is the founder and director of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, an online coaching company where she and the other practitioners work with clients who have experienced high demand/high control religions, adverse religious experiences, cults, and religious trauma. In 2019, Laura co-founded the Religious Trauma Institute with the goal of providing trauma-informed resources, consultation, and training to clinicians and other helping professionals who work with religious trauma survivors. Laura’s first book, “When Religion Hurts: Reclaiming Your Life After Religious Trauma”, is being released by Brazos Press in Fall 2023. She lives with her dog, Phoebe, in Middle Tennessee. In this highly informative and revealing conversation. Dr. Anderson shares with Rachel her personal experience and professional insights from the specialized work she does with survivors of religious trauma. The two colleagues discuss the most effective modalities for religious trauma recovery and outline some important nuances that often get overlooked on the path to healing. Before you go: Rachel offers some common traits to look out for in high-control religious groups to assess whether or not the leader's intentions are healthy. You can find more about Dr. Andreson and her work at: https://drlauraeanderson.com/ All of Rachel's video lectures are available for purchase here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Kayla is a YouTube creator and launched her channel Keya's World back in 2021 to discuss toxic positivity, hustle culture, self-help, spirituality, scams, and everything in between. Kayla started her career in the broadcast & digital journalism industry and still uses her research and storytelling skills while creating her content. Kayla is a former personal development fan who thought the industry was the key to finding success in her life. However, Kayla experienced firsthand how the self-help and wellness industry can be full of manipulation, clever marketing, and red flags. Now she is on a mission to help expose some of the tactics that can lead well-meaning "seekers" astray. Kayla opens up to Rachel about her experience in the personal development and wellness community, explaining how her involvement with alternative forms of counseling led her to uncover a world fraught with deception and fraud. She explains how her own bad experience became the catalyst for the important and often hilarious work she does now, combining her skills in journalism and media production with her knowledge of the inner workings of this problematic industry. Before You Go: Rachel shares from her own perspective as an LMFT, how both the unregulated as well as regulated counseling industries don't always provide the consumer protection they should and how to be aware of red flags when seeking help. Make sure to subscribe to Kayla's wonderful YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/keyasworld Follow Kayla on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keyasworldyt/?hl=en All of Rachel's video lectures are available for purchase here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Returning guest Christa Lester‐Pitsch is a survivor of an offshoot of the infamous cult known as The Way. She was born into and escaped the high‐control religious group, River Road Fellowship at the age of 23. Christa’s main goal in sharing her story is to help people who might find themselves in similar situations as the one she was in. She runs an Instagram page called The Survivor Experience with the hope that others going through similar situations of escaping control and abuse can know that they are not alone. Despite this experience being a big part of her past, and despite her desire to share it, Christa believes that it is one of the less interesting things about her today, Christa is an artist, a musician, and a mom to a spunky little boy. She resides in Bellingham, Washington with her husband Lucas, her son Mason, and their miniature labradoodle, Shiloh. In this follow-up conversation with Rachel, Christa continues her story of survival, explaining the details of her exit from River Road Fellowship and highlighting the difficult experiences of leaving behind all that she has ever known in pursuit of freedom from the all-encompassing control she lived under for her entire life. Thanks to all of our Patreon supporters for making this episode possible! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

CONTENT WARNING: Child Sexual Abuse Christa Lester‐Pitsch is a survivor of an offshoot of the infamous cult known as The Way. She was born into and escaped the high‐control religious group, River Road Fellowship at the age of 23. Christa’s main goal in sharing her story is to help people who might find themselves in similar situations as the one she was in. She runs an Instagram page called The Survivor Experience with the hope that others going through similar situations of escaping control and abuse can know that they are not alone. Despite this experience being a big part of her past, and despite her desire to share it, Christa believes that it is one of the less interesting things about her today, Christa is an artist, a musician, and a mom to a spunky little boy. She resides in Bellingham, Washington with her husband Lucas, her son Mason, and their miniature labradoodle, Shiloh. Christa shares with Rachel the intimate emotional details of her life growing up under the authoritarian control of River Road Fellowship, where she struggled to find the autonomy and freedom other kids often take for granted. She explains her thought process as she began to plan her eventual escape and the complications that arose with her familial relationships in the process of gaining her independence as a young woman. Before You Go: Rachel reflects on the desperate measures members of high-control groups have to take in order to simply survive and maintain their rights and autonomy in the face of oppressive control. Follow Christa on IG: @thesurvivorexperience All of Rachel's video lectures are available for purchase here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy