The cult.ture podcast

34-Stop the Shunning: A Conversation with Bethany Leger

In this episode of cult.ture, Derek sits down with author, speaker, and Stop the Shunning creator Bethany Leger. Raised as a Jehovah's Witness, Bethany shares her journey from questioning the organization to ultimately leaving alongside her husband. Together, they explore the emotional realities of shunning, the complexities of family estrangement, and what it means to rebuild a life after a high-control environment. The conversation dives into Bethany's books, Physically and Mentally Out and her newest release, Burning Down the House, which examines toxic family dynamics, boundaries, conditional love, and healing after emotional control. Topics include: • Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses • The impact of shunning • Family estrangement • Toxic family systems • Setting healthy boundaries • Identity after high-control groups • Activism and recovery • Finding authenticity after trauma Whether you're navigating religious trauma, family estrangement, or simply learning how to reclaim your voice, Bethany offers insight, honesty, and hope for the journey forward. Connect with Bethany: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@stoptheshunning] Website [https://bethanyleger.com/] Email [stoptheshunning@gmail.com]stoptheshunning@gmail.com Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bethanylegerwriter/?hl=en] Support cult.ture pod over on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/Cultturepod] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cult.ture.pod/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cult.ture.pod2] thanks for rating us 5 stars 🫶     Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared on cult.ture are personal and based on the lived experiences of the hosts and guests. This podcast is not intended to attack or defame any individual or religious organization or provide therapy. Our aim is to foster honest, empathetic conversations about high-control environments, belief systems, and personal journeys including the long road of healing, questioning, and reclaiming identity. Please be advised that some episodes may contain content that touches on religious trauma, coercive control, emotional or physical abuse, or other potentially triggering topics. We strive to approach these conversations with care, but we acknowledge that certain themes may be difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress related to these topics, we encourage seeking support from qualified mental health professionals, spiritual trauma-informed therapists, or trusted recovery communities. You are not alone.

33-Novice Enthusiasm: Creativity After Control — with Sean Miller

In this episode of cult.ture pod, Derek and Trent sit down with artist, writer, and former Jehovah’s Witness Sean Miller for a raw, grounded, and deeply human conversation about life after high‑control religion. Sean grew up as a born‑in JW, the son of a respected elder, and followed the expected path of baptism at 16, auxiliary pioneering, regular pioneering, ministerial servant. But beneath the surface, he carried a creative drive that the organization repeatedly framed as selfish, dangerous, or worldly. As he puts it in the episode, “Go try to take a passion project and throw it into the creative industry when you’ve been taught you don’t even deserve kindness.” Together, we explore: * What it’s like to rediscover your identity after leaving a high‑control group * How creativity becomes both a survival tool and a reclamation of self * The psychological cost of being an artist in a restrictive religious environment * The difference between “what the cult took” and “where we land afterward” * Why Sean finally finished his book Novice Enthusiasm — and how this podcast played a role * The strange, beautiful ways the universe nudges us forward This conversation is honest, funny, grounded, and refreshingly free of bitterness. It’s about growth, not grievance  and about the creative life that becomes possible once you step outside the boundaries someone else drew for you. If you’ve ever left a high‑control group, struggled with self‑worth, or tried to reclaim your creative voice, this episode will resonate.   Find Sean Here: Website: www.seangregorymiller.com [https://www.seangregorymiller.com/] Book: Novice Enthusiasm [https://a.co/d/0hHqe80g] Socials: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/seangregorymiller?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==]     Support cult.ture pod over on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/Cultturepod] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cult.ture.pod/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cult.ture.pod2] thanks for rating us 5 stars 🫶     Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared on cult.ture are personal and based on the lived experiences of the hosts and guests. This podcast is not intended to attack or defame any individual or religious organization or provide therapy. Our aim is to foster honest, empathetic conversations about high-control environments, belief systems, and personal journeys including the long road of healing, questioning, and reclaiming identity. Please be advised that some episodes may contain content that touches on religious trauma, coercive control, emotional or physical abuse, or other potentially triggering topics. We strive to approach these conversations with care, but we acknowledge that certain themes may be difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress related to these topics, we encourage seeking support from qualified mental health professionals, spiritual trauma-informed therapists, or trusted recovery communities. You are not alone.

32-Blood Doctrine, Programming & Conditional Love | Audrey’s Story

Audrey joins Trent and Derek to share her experience growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness and what ultimately led her to leave in 2025. In this episode, Audrey opens up about the emotional pressure of trying to live a “perfect” life inside the organization, the fear surrounding blood transfusions, purity culture, elder involvement in marriage and sexuality, conditional relationships, and the difficult process of rebuilding life outside the religion. We also explore what it’s like waking up while married to a non-Witness, the emotional pull to return, navigating family dynamics, and learning how to trust yourself after years inside a high-control belief system. Audrey’s story is raw, honest, emotional, and deeply human. If you’ve ever questioned a system of control or struggled with rebuilding your identity after leaving one, this conversation may resonate with you.   Follow Audrey: TikTok: @audrey.breaks.free [https://www.tiktok.com/@audrey.breaks.free?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] Instagram: @_audrey_la_latinga_ [https://www.instagram.com/_audrey_la_latinga_?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==]   Support cult.ture pod over on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/Cultturepod] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cult.ture.pod/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cult.ture.pod2] thanks for rating us 5 stars 🫶     Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared on cult.ture are personal and based on the lived experiences of the hosts and guests. This podcast is not intended to attack or defame any individual or religious organization or provide therapy. Our aim is to foster honest, empathetic conversations about high-control environments, belief systems, and personal journeys including the long road of healing, questioning, and reclaiming identity. Please be advised that some episodes may contain content that touches on religious trauma, coercive control, emotional or physical abuse, or other potentially triggering topics. We strive to approach these conversations with care, but we acknowledge that certain themes may be difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress related to these topics, we encourage seeking support from qualified mental health professionals, spiritual trauma-informed therapists, or trusted recovery communities. You are not alone.

31-Lydia's Story: Approved, Watched, Controlled

In this episode, we sit down with Lydia, a former Jehovah’s Witness who grew up in a fourth-generation family deeply rooted in the organization. From a young age, Lydia was seen as “exemplary”, giving talks at assemblies, pioneering, and doing everything expected of her. But beneath the praise was something else: pressure, anxiety, and a growing disconnect from her own identity. We explore what it’s like to grow up performing your worth, the subtle ways control shows up through approval, and how even “good” experiences can carry hidden weight. Lydia shares her journey through waking up, navigating therapy, redefining identity, and processing moments that only later revealed themselves as harmful or inappropriate. This conversation is about more than leaving a belief system. It’s about learning how to think, feel, and choose for yourself for the first time. If you’ve ever questioned your identity, your worth, or the system you were raised in, this one will resonate.   Griswold Creative House [https://www.instagram.com/griswoldcreativehouse/]   Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared on cult.ture are personal and based on the lived experiences of the hosts and guests. This podcast is not intended to attack or defame any individual or religious organization or provide therapy. Our aim is to foster honest, empathetic conversations about high-control environments, belief systems, and personal journeys including the long road of healing, questioning, and reclaiming identity. Please be advised that some episodes may contain content that touches on religious trauma, coercive control, emotional or physical abuse, or other potentially triggering topics. We strive to approach these conversations with care, but we acknowledge that certain themes may be difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress related to these topics, we encourage seeking support from qualified mental health professionals, spiritual trauma-informed therapists, or trusted recovery communities. You are not alone.

30-Breaking Free from a Catholic Cult: Ryan’s Story

Ryan, host of The Truth That Heals [https://truththathealspodcast.wordpress.com/], joins us to share his story of growing up Catholic and eventually being pulled into a high-control religious group that claimed legitimacy within the Church. What began as a calling rooted in faith turned into over a decade of control, fear, and psychological manipulation. In this episode, we explore: * How spiritual language is used to recruit and control * The role of fear, guilt, and “divine calling” * What it’s like to live inside a constantly evolving belief system * The moment things started to crack * And what it takes to finally walk away This is a conversation about identity, autonomy, and the courage to question what you were taught to never doubt.   Support cult.ture pod over on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/Cultturepod] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cult.ture.pod/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cult.ture.pod2] thanks for rating us 5 stars 🫶     Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared on cult.ture are personal and based on the lived experiences of the hosts and guests. This podcast is not intended to attack or defame any individual or religious organization or provide therapy. Our aim is to foster honest, empathetic conversations about high-control environments, belief systems, and personal journeys including the long road of healing, questioning, and reclaiming identity. Please be advised that some episodes may contain content that touches on religious trauma, coercive control, emotional or physical abuse, or other potentially triggering topics. We strive to approach these conversations with care, but we acknowledge that certain themes may be difficult to hear. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress related to these topics, we encourage seeking support from qualified mental health professionals, spiritual trauma-informed therapists, or trusted recovery communities. You are not alone.