Bek Condello didn't choose the world she was born into. Raised inside the Geelong Revival Centre, a church she now describes as a cult, every aspect of her life was decided for her — what she believed, who she could trust, who she could marry, what she wore, and what would happen if she ever left. By the time she was an adult, she had never kissed anyone, never questioned the rules she'd grown up with, and genuinely believed the outside world was dangerous. In this conversation with Kate L...
Bek Condello didn't choose the world she was born into.
Raised inside the Geelong Revival Centre, a church she now describes as a cult, every aspect of her life was decided for her — what she believed, who she could trust, who she could marry, what she wore, and what would happen if she ever left. By the time she was an adult, she had never kissed anyone, never questioned the rules she'd grown up with, and genuinely believed the outside world was dangerous.
In this conversation with Kate Langbroek, Bek explains why leaving wasn't the hardest part. The real challenge came afterwards: rebuilding an identity from scratch, grieving the parents she feels the cult stole from her, navigating a marriage that was never really her choice, and learning to trust her own instincts after a lifetime of being told not to.
Bek also speaks candidly about the lasting impact of growing up in an environment where sex was framed as shameful, revealing how it contributed to a diagnosis of vaginismus after her wedding and the profound effect it had on her first marriage.
This isn't simply a story about escaping a cult. It's about what happens when everything you've ever believed is stripped away, and you're left to answer one terrifying question: who are you when you've never been allowed to decide for yourself?
Can You Handle a Girl Like Me? by Bek Condello is available now.
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CREDITS:
Guest: Bek Condello
Host: Kate Langbroek
Executive Producer: Bree Player
Audio and Video Producer: Julian Rosario
Social Media Producer: Olivia Colman
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