Subscribe to the Gentle Souls Newsletter

Many former cult members hesitate before sharing their experiences. I get it—there are good reasons! That said, I’m writing to encourage you if you are feeling the need to share and are constrained for whatever reason.

Value your time and safeguard your energy.

Victim blame seems embedded into human psychology and society. So, relational trauma survivors struggle with questions like, “how did I...

Sometimes I wonder why I keep writing songs. But the songs show up.

Dear Gentle Souls, It’s interesting that—like Hitler—Elon Musk is afraid of empathy. Musk recently called empathy “the fundamental...

Struggling to unplug? A simple digital detox can boost calm and focus. Try screen breaks, tech-free spaces, and mindful unplugging.

At some point in my life, I started noticing a pattern of behaviors, beliefs, and traits that I shared with certain people. Over time, I...

In 2007, my now husband (then fiancé) and I celebrated our first Valentine’s Day. I wrote (probably) my worst song ever. It was called...

Well, folks, 2025 is already a firehose of bad news. So, I am returning to a message that I posted in November on my website’s blog. The...

I've read too many books about cults, narcissistic abuse, con artists, and other selfish pathologies: memoirs, recovery guides, academic...

A New Year's Resolution for Gentle Souls

Dear Gentle Souls, Recently I had a great time talking to Gretchen Bostrom  on her fantastic brand-new pod, Notable New England ! She...

Here’s something that I’ve been pondering lately as news and politics look increasingly bleak and brutal. How do we maintain our faith in...

In October I planned to reflect on the Reclaiming Autonomy Writing Symposium . I didn’t. Something in me stepped in front of ALL social...

Zoom Event: The Writing Symposium. Reclaiming voice, life, and self through writing and creative expression.

I just finished listening to this beautifully written memoir on Audible. It depicts the not-so Christian underbelly of the extreme...

About time, YOUR time, and the revolution of taking it back. Happy Labor Day weekend! I’m enjoying what feels like...

I recently caved & watched the Netflix docu-series,  Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult .  I figured, it's about a Tik Tok thing....

Early this month I went to Barcelona, Spain to present at the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)   Conference . Near the end...

Last October, A Little Bit Culty , hosts Sarah Edmondson and Anthony "Nippy" Ames spoke with me about my culty misadventure in "School"...