US expert Rachel Bernstein headlines Decult 2026!

I’m thrilled to share our latest news – guess why…! 

• Keynote speaker release 
• Auckland & Wellington events
• RTC webinar for therapists
• Seek Safely Summit
• Cult books for recovery

WORLD EXPERT JOINS US AT DECULT 2026

Over the last three months, our eight international committee members – which you can see here if you scroll down – worked through 85 speaker proposals. What an encouragement for our combined work, and what a massive process. We were blown away by the quality of the submissions and found it hard to turn half of the applicants away to make room for new voices. Spoilt for choice!

Before we launch the conference program later this year, we have an exciting first announcement to make: Rachel Bernstein, a leading US expert in cult recovery and coercive control, will be joining us as our keynote speaker at Decult 2026. It will be her first visit to Aotearoa New Zealand.

THERAPIST, EDUCATOR, PODCASTER & CONSULTANT

You might know Rachel as the host of the IndoctriNation podcast with nearly 4 million listens worldwide where she addresses complex psychological dynamics and shares powerful personal stories. Her actual job is as a therapist and educator, with more than 30 years of experience helping individuals and families in this field. After running a cult clinic in New York for over a decade, she now has a private practice in Los Angeles and facilitates multiple support groups for survivors. She’s also a consultant to government agencies and in cult interventions.

Rachel has been featured on CNN, BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post and many other media outlets. She participated in the documentary series “Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult” and has been a regular presenter at ICSA conferences. Most recently she created the Restart and Restore Cult Recovery Journal and companion notebook, as well as a new app that supports continued healing from cults.

We’re stoked that this outstanding advocate is coming to Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time to join us on stage. If you want to be there too, then pre-register now for the upcoming Decult conference Voices of Courage: Pathways to Healing and Justice (24th – 25th October in Ōtautahi Christchurch and live streamed). This gives you first access to early-bird tickets and other special deals. 

AUCKLAND WORKSHOP WITH RACHEL BERNSTEIN

Don’t miss this rare opportunity for professionals wanting to upskill: While Rachel Bernstein is in the country, she will offer a one-off training in cult recovery therapy in Auckland from Friday 30th – Saturday 31st October (the week after our conference), facilitated by the Olive Leaf Network.

And for those in the capital: On Wednesday 28th October, the OLN will also host an evening with Rachel Bernstein in Wellington which is open to anyone. 

Mark your calendar now – more info to come soon! 

WEBINAR FOR HELPING CLIENTS 

If you want to get a first taste of professional cult education, then join Sam Sellers and Elise Heerde from the Religious Trauma Collective on Saturday 16th May from 1.30 – 2.30 pm NZ time (11.30 am – 12.30 pm AEST) for their webinar “Is This a Cult”?

The one-hour live session with Q&A will provide a framework for practitioners to help clients with their questions around high-control dynamics – how to identify them, how to find the right language, how to hold it all safely. 

You can register here.

SEEK SAFELY SUMMIT FOR EXPLORERS

I’m a big fan of Seek Safely, an American organisation dedicated to protecting consumers and promoting accountability in the unregulated spiritual self-help industry. Right up my alley after spending too many years in the wild West of neo-tantra and highly problematic “mystery schools”. 

The next Seek Safely Summit happens online on Saturday 30th May from 9.30 am (US Central time) – which is in the middle of the night for us in New Zealand, but all sessions are recorded. 

Register here and check out the impressive line-up of experts and advocates, including Rachel Bernstein.

LATEST CULT BOOKS FOR RECOVERY

Self-help books and memoirs offer some of the best cult education for recovery, peer support and prevention. I highly recommend these new releases:

• Children of God survivor, Uncultured author, “knitting cult lady” and fierce political commentator Daniella Mestyanek Young has followed up with The Culting of America and the handbook Unculture Yourself.
  
• After her bestselling memoir A Well-Trained Wife, former trad-wife Tia Levings has followed up with I Belong to Me: a series of personal stories, therapeutic insights and resources that helped her heal her mind, soul and body after religious trauma.
  
• US journalist, religious satirist and sister-in-arms Becky Garrison, who raised issues with ISTA and more recently with Deepak Chopra, examines spiritual narcissism in Gaslighting for God. Listen to Rachel Bernstein’s fascinating interview with her on IndoctriNation. 
  
• “A Little Bit Culty” hosts Sarah Edmonson and Nippy Ames have packed all their invaluable knowledge into a recovery book that they wish they’d had when they left NXIVM. Can’t wait to get my signed copy of A Little Bit Culty: Navigating Cults, Control and Coercion soon!

I’ve almost finished Nothing to Envy – gripping non-fiction about life and death (of mass starvation) in North Korea. The psychological parallels to other closed systems of coercive control are striking and devastating.