Blame it on Mel

Natasha Helfer Part 2

I sit down with Natasha Helfer — the sex therapist, former Mormon therapist, and outspoken advocate who was excommunicated by the LDS/Mormon church after challenging purity culture, shame-based teachings, and the harm many experience inside high-demand religion. You may recognize her from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, but this conversation goes way deeper than reality TV. We talk about Mormonism, religious trauma, sexuality, mixed-faith marriages, mental health, women’s roles, and what happens when people start questioning the systems they were taught never to challenge. Natasha shares her experience being publicly disciplined by the LDS church, the backlash she faced for speaking openly about sex and relationships, and why so many former members say they felt silenced, controlled, or ashamed inside Mormon culture. This episode is hilarious, validating, uncomfortable at times, and packed with the kind of honest conversations people are often too afraid to have out loud. Take a listen — you might learn something new from this brilliant therapist! * Mormon church controversy * LDS church excommunication * Natasha Helfer excommunicated * Mormon purity culture * Religious trauma * Ex Mormon stories * Mormon women speaking out * Mormon sexuality * Mormon shame culture * Sex therapist Mormon * LDS mental health * Mormon marriage pressure * Mormon therapy controversy * Mormon TikTok * Secret Lives of Mormon Wives * Mormon wives Hulu * Mormon women and sex * Leaving the Mormon church * LDS church control * High demand religion * Mormon guilt and shame * Faith deconstruction * Mixed faith marriage * Mormon feminism * LDS church and women * Mormon culture secrets * Spiritual abuse * Mormon perfectionism * Mormon dating and purity culture * Post Mormon healing * Mormon influencers * Ex Mormon podcast * Mormon podcast * LDS trauma recovery * Mormon bishops interviews * Mormon temple worthiness * Mormon modesty culture * Mormon confession culture * Mormon sexual shame * Religious deconstruction

Natasha Helfer

I sit down with Natasha Helfer — the sex therapist, former Mormon therapist, and outspoken advocate who was excommunicated by the LDS/Mormon church after challenging purity culture, shame-based teachings, and the harm many experience inside high-demand religion. You may recognize her from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, but this conversation goes way deeper than reality TV. We talk about Mormonism, religious trauma, sexuality, mixed-faith marriages, mental health, women’s roles, and what happens when people start questioning the systems they were taught never to challenge. Natasha shares her experience being publicly disciplined by the LDS church, the backlash she faced for speaking openly about sex and relationships, and why so many former members say they felt silenced, controlled, or ashamed inside Mormon culture. This episode is hilarious, validating, uncomfortable at times, and packed with the kind of honest conversations people are often too afraid to have out loud. Take a listen — you might learn something new from this brilliant therapist! * Mormon church controversy * LDS church excommunication * Natasha Helfer excommunicated * Mormon purity culture * Religious trauma * Ex Mormon stories * Mormon women speaking out * Mormon sexuality * Mormon shame culture * Sex therapist Mormon * LDS mental health * Mormon marriage pressure * Mormon therapy controversy * Mormon TikTok * Secret Lives of Mormon Wives * Mormon wives Hulu * Mormon women and sex * Leaving the Mormon church * LDS church control * High demand religion * Mormon guilt and shame * Faith deconstruction * Mixed faith marriage * Mormon feminism * LDS church and women * Mormon culture secrets * Spiritual abuse * Mormon perfectionism * Mormon dating and purity culture * Post Mormon healing * Mormon influencers * Ex Mormon podcast * Mormon podcast * LDS trauma recovery * Mormon bishops interviews * Mormon temple worthiness * Mormon modesty culture * Mormon confession culture * Mormon sexual shame * Religious deconstruction

Celia LeBaron-PART 2

Celia LeBaron

Celia LeBaron-PART 1

Celia LeBaron—Daughters of a Cult This episode is not just a story… it’s a reality most people wouldn’t survive. We’re diving into the terrifying world of the LeBaron polygamist cult, led by Ervil LeBaron and Joel LeBaron—where power, control, and so-called “revelation” justified manipulation, child marriage, and murder. From the doctrine of blood atonement to ordered killings, this is what happens when religion is weaponized. Inside this episode: * How Ervil took multiple wives—including other men’s wives—and reassigned families * Children being trained with weapons and raised in fear * The shocking reality of forced marriages (including a 15-year-old given to a 42-year-old man) * The assassination of Joel LeBaron—and the rise of a more dangerous leader * Life on the run, hiding from law enforcement, and cramming multiple wives and children into survival conditions * The calculated murders tied to rival polygamist groups, including orders to kill leaders for control and power * The chilling reality: disobedience meant death—even within your own family * The moment Ervil’s own son turned him in And beyond the violence—what people don’t talk about enough: Leaving. Because leaving a cult isn’t just walking away… It’s rebuilding your entire identity from scratch. We talk about: * Trauma, deprogramming, and psychological control * Learning how to make decisions for yourself for the first time * Trusting your own thoughts after years of manipulation * Why people don’t leave sooner—and why that question misses the point entirely * The long-term effects of religious extremism and cult conditioning This is a raw, unfiltered conversation about survival, control, and what it really takes to break free. Real talk—no filter. Shots of truth with no chaser.

Becky Bird: Parental Alienation & Emotional Abuse PART 2

What happens when you’re still alive… but your children are gone?In this raw, unfiltered episode of Blame It on Mel, we sit down with a mother who shares the unthinkable—being cut off from her own children. Not by distance. Not by death. But by lies, silence, control, and a patriarchy that shaped the narrative without her voice.We dive into the reality of parental alienation, religious control, emotional abuse, and what it actually looks like to deconstruct your life while everything around you is falling apart.This isn’t just a story about estrangement. It’s about:    •    Losing your children while they’re still alive    •    The psychological toll of coercive control and gaslighting    •    How Mormon culture and high-demand religion can impact families    •    Grieving milestones you never got to attend    •    Watching your life unfold through social media… without you in it    •    The silent complicity of community and “church culture”    •    And the fight to reclaim your voice when everything has been takenWe also talk about the moments that break you—and the ones that keep you here.Because this kind of grief?It doesn’t come with casseroles. It comes with silence.If you’ve ever felt erased, misunderstood, or like your story was told without you—this episode will hit.👇 After listening, tell me:Do you think parental alienation is talked about enough?Hot Topics💋parental alienation, estranged parent, losing children, toxic marriage, coercive control, gaslighting, Mormon church, ex Mormon, religious trauma, family estrangement, narcissistic abuse, custody manipulation, emotional abuse, deconstruction, high demand religion