These interviews offer a way to hear me speak about religious trauma, deconstruction, and recovery from high-control religions, groups, and cults. Some people find it helpful to hear tone, pacing, and how ideas are held and discussed before deciding whether therapy might feel like a fit. You don’t need to watch everything, agree with every perspective, or take anything from these conversations as guidance. They’re offered simply as an option—to listen, get a sense of how I think and work, and decide for yourself what feels useful.

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These interviews offer a way to hear me speak about religious trauma, deconstruction, and recovery from high-control religions, groups, and cults. Some people find it helpful to hear tone, pacing, and how ideas are held and discussed before deciding whether therapy might feel like a fit. You don’t need to watch everything, agree with every perspective, or take anything from these conversations as guidance. They’re offered simply as an option—to listen, get a sense of how I think and work, and decide for yourself what feels useful.

 

Many of the terms and concepts referenced in these conversations are also explained in the Deconstruction Dictionary™, which you’re welcome to explore at your own pace if any of the language feels unfamiliar.

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Below are two conversations that explore these themes from slightly different angles.

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First interview: High-Control Religion & Psychological Impact

In this conversation, I talk about how high-control religions, groups, and cults shape people psychologically long after belief begins to change. We explore how fear, guilt, and shame are often used as systems of control; why leaving is not a failure of intelligence or faith; and how the effects of control can persist even when someone no longer agrees with the doctrine. I also discuss what trauma-informed therapy looks like for people recovering autonomy, rebuilding self-trust, and learning to think and choose without coercion.

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Themes discussed in the first conversation include:

• How high-control religions, groups, and cults shape thinking, fear, and self-monitoring

• Fear, guilt, and shame as systems of behavioral and emotional control

• Why leaving is not a failure of intelligence, morality, or faith

• How control can persist psychologically even after belief begins to change

• Religious residue and conditioned nervous-system responses

• Therapy as a process of restoring autonomy and internal authority

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This interview was recorded for an Ex-Jehovah’s Witness channel, with a focus on experiences common across many high-control religions and groups.

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Watch the 1st interview (YouTube)

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Second interview: Recovery, Grief, and Rebuilding After Leaving

In this conversation, I focus on what recovery can look like after leaving a high-control religion or group. We explore why emotional distress often continues even after beliefs change, how religious residue and nervous-system responses can linger, and why people may feel anxious, conflicted, or unsure of themselves long after leaving. I also discuss the impact of purity culture, shunning, and identity loss, and how therapy can support rebuilding self-trust, boundaries, and meaning without rushing toward certainty or resolution.

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Themes discussed in the second conversation include:

• Why emotional distress often continues even after beliefs have changed

• Identity loss, grief, and the psychological impact of leaving a totalizing system

• The long-term effects of purity culture on desire, shame, and self-trust

• Shunning, relational rupture, and ambiguous loss

• Difficulty trusting oneself after years of external moral authority

• Rebuilding meaning, boundaries, and self-permission over time

 

This conversation was also recorded for an Ex-Jehovah’s Witness channel and reflects themes shared across many high-control religions and groups.

 

This conversation briefly references Article 18 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which addresses freedom of religion and belief.

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Watch the 2nd interview (YouTube)

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If you’d like to reach out, the best way to do so is by using the contact form.

The form helps me understand what you’re looking for and whether working together might be a good fit. You’re welcome to answer only what feels comfortable.

 

If you prefer, you’re also welcome to email me directly.​