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Cult Chat talks with Ryan Carey about Victoria’s groundbreaking Inquiry into the Recruitment Methods and Impacts of Cults and Organised Fringe Groups. It’s a lively, hopeful conversation about what could come next: bespoke laws targeting coercive behaviours, properly funded support for people leaving high-control groups, and education aimed at preventing harm before people become involved.

They call her the “Cult Assassin” - and for good reason. Attorney Carol Merchasin has helped take on powerful cult leaders through the courts, using legal remedies to expose abuse and force accountability. We talk about why coercive control is having a global moment, what stronger legislation could look like, and why lawyers, advocates, survivors and policymakers need to work together. Carol also shares what she hopes to achieve in her new role as Chair of the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA).

What makes someone become a cult leader? Do they deliberately set out to harm others, or can destructive leadership develop over time? And are some people more vulnerable to cult recruitment? Caz shares insights from the 2026 ICSA Conference, including conversations with Maria Esguerra, Heidi Hewett and others. We explore emerging research on cult leaders, recruitment, vulnerability, coercive control and accountability - plus encouraging developments in survivor advocacy and recognising cultic harm. Show notes: ICSA website: https://internationalculticstudies.org/

Former Gloriavale member Serena Pilgrim and lawyer Steve Patterson join Liz Gregory to unpack a damning new Employment Court judgment finding the Labour Inspector made “numerous reviewable errors” when investigating serious concerns about child labour, forced labour, servitude and slavery at Gloriavale. The Court describes decisions as “irrational” and “manifestly unreasonable” — but what did those failures mean for the people who were left inside? And now that the leavers have won, what should accountability look like? Will the Government acknowledge the harm and make it right — or keep fighting through the courts?

Today’s episode is our 100th and we are so excited! In the spirit of the celebration we run through how we got to where we are, some interesting facts about the show and we share some behind the scenes secrets. We read out some feedback from our listeners, talk about some key events, share a blooper or two and look to the future. This one is silly and light hearted and there is even a cake. (Confession time - see if you can spot the odd use of AI). Happy birthday to us!

Part 2: Former Gloriavale member John Ready continues his powerful reflection on Devotion: The Gloriavale Story, asking whether the documentary revealed the truth - or simply another perspective. He explores coercive control, accountability, repentance, and the journey of rebuilding life after leaving a high-control group. Liz, Lindy and Caz then unpack John's insights, debate the documentary's ethics, and discuss the voices and context they believe were missing.

Following the release of the newly released 3-part documentary series "Devotion: The Gloriavale Story", former member John Ready joins Liz Gregory to unpack the documentary’s themes, messages and claims. Together they explore whether high-control organisations should be allowed to rehabilitate their public image before genuine accountability has occurred. John reflects on the pain experienced by former members, his own journey, and what true repentance looks like. They also discuss cognitive dissonance, institutional dependency, the creation of the “eternal child”, and whether Gloriavale’s leadership has truly accepted responsibility for the harm that has occurred.

In this second episode, we go beyond the documentary and talk to Christine Marie about how Short Creek, home of the FLDS (polygamous Mormons), changed after Warren Jeff was imprisoned, and what the risks are when closed communities start to open up. We talk about the power of non-judgmentally loving people who are nothing like you. Christine and Liz discover their shared experience as outsiders supporting people impacted by cults. This conversation is a personal exploration of the far-reaching and multi-layered impacts on communities dominated by coercive control.

Have you watched Netflix’s documentary series Trust Me: The False Prophet? You may find it helpful in advance of this week’s episode with Dr Christine Marie, who featured in the very successful 2026 documentary. She shares her journey of documenting and eventually exposing the sexual abuse of under-aged girls in Sam Bateman’s offshoot FLDS polygamous cult, and the legal case to follow. It's a conversation about building trust, juggling moral ambiguity and the personal toll it takes, doco ethics, and the power of a story told well.

This week we interview therapist & cult expert Rachel Bernstein (LMFT), who will be keynote speaker at the upcoming Decult Conference. Join the Cult Chat trio for this heart-warming episode with Rachel as she shares wisdom from over 30 years working clinically with cult survivors. The conversation ranges from how to support families to deal with loved ones in a cult, to the unexpected strengths survivors can display, and to the small examples that healing and recovery is occurring.  Show notes https://rachelbernsteintherapy.com/index.html https://decult.net/conference-2026/ https://www.podpage.com/indoctrination/ If you’d like to contact us to tell us your story or to give us some ideas about future episodes, reach us by emailing [email protected] To learn more about the organisations which our hosts run when we are not Cult-Chatting, check out: Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust https://www.gloriavaleleavers.org.nz/ Olive Leaf Network https://nz.oliveleaf.network/ Cult-Informed Professional Network https://www.cipnetwork.org/ You can follow Cult Chat on our socials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultchat/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cult_chat/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CultChat Many thanks to Plains Media for helping us to get our message out on the New Zealand airwaves.

In this important episode Caz chats with Dr Natalie Fabert, psychologist and academic, about her interest in cults and those harmed by them. You’ll learn about the prevalence of Complex-PTSD in cult survivors, why therapists need to see cult-impacted people as a distinct population, and how therapists can start to develop skills to support them. They discuss the course she has designed for mental health workers (accessed through the Lalich Centre) and the core competencies needed to become cult-informed.  Show Notes: https://lalichcenterce.thinkific.com/courses/lalichcenterCE

We’re joined by Prof Robin Boyle-Laisure, of St John's University, New York,  to discuss how cults intersect with trafficking and modern slavery. In this wide ranging conversation we discuss legal reform, different laws which have been used to bring down cults internationally, and some of the common methods used by traffickers and cult recruiters to groom and entice children and young people. After listening to this conversation you’ll be sure to come away with tips for cult-proofing your life!

In this second part of a two-part conversation, we hear from Anton again. In this episode he describes how he starts to see the control exerted over him by the group he has joined at university, the International Church of Christ, and what prompts him to  make the decision to leave. He describes the process of extracting himself and starting over, and shares with us some insights about what students can do to protect themselves from predatory groups on campus. For the link to helpful checklist for telling the difference between healthy and harmful groups, check out our Facebook post on Red and Green flags - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18XxysXhmS/  If you’d like to contact us to tell us your story or to give us some ideas about future episodes, reach us by emailing [email protected] To learn more about the organisations which our hosts run when we are not Cult-Chatting, check out: Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust https://www.gloriavaleleavers.org.nz/ Olive Leaf Network https://nz.oliveleaf.network/ Cult-Informed Professional Network https://www.cipnetwork.org/ You can follow Cult Chat on our socials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultchat/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cult_chat/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CultChat Many thanks to Plains Media for helping us to get our message out on the New Zealand airwaves.

Lindy introduces us to Anton, former member of the International Church of Christ, a group he encountered while studying at Auckland University. Anton tells us in part 1 how he was recruited into this controversial group, and slowly his life became entirely focused on their activities. Join us as we talk red and green flags, thought reform criteria, and we explore some of unique situational factors which put students at risk of recruitment. If you’d like to contact us to tell us your story, to give us some ideas, or to give us some ideas about future episodes, reach us by emailing [email protected] To learn more about the organisations which our hosts run when we are not Cult-Chatting, check out: Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust https://www.gloriavaleleavers.org.nz/ Olive Leaf Network https://nz.oliveleaf.network/ Cult-Informed Professional Network https://www.cipnetwork.org/ You can follow Cult Chat on our socials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultchat/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cult_chat/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CultChat

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