In this episode of The Cults Kids Podcast, Daniella Mestyanek Young discusses surviving the Children of God cult, the cult-like aspects of the US military, how cults harm children, and the ongoing Culting of America. Daniella is an expert in cult influence and malignant group leadership, a prolific educator/speaker, and the best-selling author of Uncultured. https://www.uncultureyourself.com/

The Cult Kids Podcast provides former Cult Kids with a forum to share their survivor stories after growing up in various cultic groups & environments. The host, The Cult Psych, will guide the discussion to highlight the constellation of dangers involved in growing up under high-demand/high-control conditions. 

This episode provides a framework for all the upcoming interviews and discussions we will have with former Cult Kids, trauma survivors & thought leaders/experts. This is how I define a cult - from a child-centered perspective. My definition is designed to help adults see the red flags that con artists and cult leaders wave so they can protect themselves and their kids from malignant leaders and shady groups.

The Cult Psych (aka Kelly) is a cult survivor and mental health clinician with 20 years experience assessing and treating the impact of traumatic stress including catastrophic, developmental & vicarious trauma. For more information on the intersection of cult psychology & developmental trauma, you can visit The Cult Psych website (under construction), the Cult Psych FB page, The Cult Psych on Instagram or The_Cult_Psych on Twitter/X. The Cult Psych on TikTok has more informal, behind-the-scenes clips.

If you enjoy this content please follow, rate & leave a review. If you want to connect with other #cultkids you can join The Cult Kids Clubhouse on Facebook. Everyone is welcome in our Clubhouse!

The music for this podcast was created by D-Tension for NoseNetD (BMI). For more info on the artist, you can visit www.d-tension.com or check him out on Apple Music and other music streaming platforms.