My Toxic Father and Bahai: Jared Van Driessche’s Survival Story (Part 1)

In Part 1 of our conversation, security specialist Jared Van Driessche shares the story behind his polished “protector” persona: growing up in a Bahá’í family with a controlling and volatile father, and how a faith that preached unity, justice, and service coexisted with secrecy, fear, and emotional and physical abuse at home. He talks about being parentified from a young age, trying to manage his dad’s rage, and the confusing double bind of having a spiritual community that outwardly looked loving while he and his siblings learned to walk on eggshells, hide bruises, and normalize coercive control as just “family dynamics.”

Jared also unpacks how those early experiences with authoritarian parenting, religious idealism, and blurred boundaries around obedience and sacrifice shaped his adult relationships, his sensitivity to child abuse and domestic violence, and his ongoing work to break intergenerational patterns and build a safer, more honest life for his own kids.

For more on Jared’s work in protective security, read his book, Public Figures, Private Lives, and follow him on LinkedIn.

Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of violence, stalking and harassment, and child abuse.

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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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