CW: This episode contains reference to physical and sexual abuse, mental illness, and mention of suicide. Please listen with care. It takes a tremendous amount of self-inquiry to get to a place in recovery where you can finally use the four-letter word - cult - and Trina Studebaker has done the work. In this episode, Trina bravely shares her life story with us. It's a story of cultic influence that starts early-in-life with sexual abuse and an...
I woke up at 5am to the sound of rain against my window, and as I write these words to you I'm surrounded by darkness... feeling right at home in it. I used to need ALL the lights to be on - at.all.times. I was afraid of the dark for good reason; it used to be unsafe for me to be there. And now here I am... doing this work, hanging out in the shadowy, milky depths... feeling lighter than ever. This isn't a humble brag. It's a testament to...
Here's part 2 in a three-part series where Tracy & I deconstruct The '4 Allies' as they were presented at 'the Org'.In Part 2, we take a peek at the second ally/agreement: "Don't Take Anything Personally."This topic is pretty juicy & we left this conversation unfinished... because life. You should know, this agreement is the most triggering for yours truly, so I did most of the talking (b/c talking what I do when I'm fired up...
Candice welcomes friend and activist Jamie Smith to the podcast for an illuminating discussion on the ‘cult’ure of MLM. Jamie spent four years as a sales rep with dōTERRA, a multi-level marketing company known for its high-end essential oils. She shares when she became involved in the company - while battling postpartum depression and shortly after the death of her father - as well as what drew her into work as a distributor. As a health...
I'm pretty darn excited to share this conversation with you, because it's one that I found truly transformative. 🙌🏽Here's part 1 in a three-part series where Tracy & I deconstruct 'The 4 Allies' as they were presented at 'the Org.' We compare *how they were applied* with Don Miguel Ruiz's presentation in his 1997 book The Four Agreements, and come to some pretty startling ah-has along the way. This conversation helped both Tracy &...
Here are 8 arguments commonly used to deflect responsibility and/or diminish the experience of folks who've have experienced abuse. Personally speaking, I encountered every one of these lines of defense in new age 'wellness' communities where I worked and studied for two decades... AND I was also, at times, very much guilty of perpetuating them. Mental health awareness isn't just about how to respond in a moment of crisis... it's also about...
In another solo episode of the 'cult'ure series, we take a deep-dive into childhood conditioning and explore how ‘family systems’ might shape susceptibility to influence. Candice shares a recent ah-hah around her 'triggers’ and how allowing herself to feel has been helping her to step outside of culty indoctrination. Complacency is discussed, as the near enemy of mindfulness and as a roadblock to authentic self-awareness. Inspired by the...
I gotta be honest… this photo, taken about a year ago, now makes me #cringe a little. There's no denying that my relationship with Sedona has been complicated by an exploration into cult dynamics and recovery. In today’s release and the last solo episode before an exciting guest line-up, I share about the supreme ambivalence that I feel living so close to all the new-age action… what I feel (or rather, what I don’t feel) while...
Here's Part 2 of Tracy & I unpacking the question of whether or not to name 'the Org'... AND we reveal what's coming up next week. Spoiler... I can't wait to share it with you! Also, I'm running a bit behind on all the things, so keep in mind that this second half could've probably received a few more precise editorial edits... but alas, we wanted you to have it today as promised! So here ya go... as they say, done is better than perfect....
The Frog Cup is one of my most beloved childhood possessions, and I tell its origin story in Ep.39 of the podcast. (p.s. I love you, Mom) “When I was a little girl, I really hated cow's milk. But my mom, she loved the stuff. The creamier the better. And she'd been brought up learning about the food pyramid, had been persuaded by the dairy industry's clever Milk It Does A Body Good marketing schtick that drinking milk was absolutely essential...
