This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/culty and get on your way to being your best self.
If you’re not already familiar with the culty cluster known as ‘School’, it was an ultra-secret Manhattan organization run by late actress and forever eccentric Sharon Gans. The shadowy group did its dark magic in the form of secret study groups, arranged marriages, and some pretty gnarly narcissistic abuse. In this episode, former School enrollee Esther Friedman discusses the five years she spent as a student after her study group love bombed her right into its clutches. We also cover how she got out, and how she’s healing now by helping other gentle souls navigate a culty, culty world. Empaths, this one’s for you. And if you’ve got Big Valedictorian Energy and are crazy about that extra credit, please note that we’ve taken our listeners to School before in our episode with the groovy Spencer Schneider who wrote a page-turning memoir about his experience titled Manhattan Cult Story: My Unbelievable True Story of Sex, Crimes, Chaos, and Survival.
NOTES
Esther Friedman is a licensed mental health counselor, expressive art therapist, songwriter, and author. To process and heal, she presents her misadventures as an “edu-tainment campaign.” Her memoir The Gentle Souls Revolution is a PSA/recovery guide/template for anyone who’s navigated exploitative relationships. She’s also a board member of the newly formed nonprofit “Living Cult Free” and is joined in that endeavor by some cult recovery heavyweights. You can learn more about their work at livingcultfree.com
You can find Esther at www.gentlesoulsrevolution.com, Facebook, and Instagram.
Also…
Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…
The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.
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CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames
Production Partner: Citizens of Sound
Producer: Will Retherford
Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Writer: Holly Zadra
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin
The Fund: Rob Copeland on Ray Dalio
Securely Speaking: Attachment Nerd Eli Harwood (Part 2)
Securely Speaking: Attachment Nerd Eli Harwood (Part 1)
Patreon Replay: Sarah’s Mom Has Got It Going On
Quiet on Set: Kate Taylor on Nickelodeon’s Dark Side
Patreon Replay: Lucy Taylor on Greek Life & Death at Penn State
Greek Tragedies: Lucy Taylor on Campus Hazing
Cult Trip: Anke Richter on Coercion & Control
A Journey of Love: Andrew LeCompte on A Course in Miracles
Rebel With a Cause: Rick Ross on NXIVM, Landmark & The Law
The Erhard Effect: Anne Peterson on Landmark (Part 2)
The Erhard Effect: Anne Peterson on Landmark (Part 1)
Bad Blood: Erika Cheung on Bringing Down Theranos
It’s Not You: Dr. Ramani On Post-Narc Healing
Broken Bonds: Rachel Bernstein on Cults & Family
Proud Defector: Claire Headley On Scientology (Part 2)
Proud Defector: Claire Headley On Scientology (Part 1)
Scout’s Honor: Tom Krumins on Keeping Kids Safe
Let Us Prey: Ruthy Heiler & Sharon Liese Unmask the IFB
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