Ep.7- 'The Cult of Family' with Daniella Mestyanek Young
Podcast: Beyond Survival - The Therapy Podcast with Katie McKennaPublished On: Fri Aug 01 2025
Description: The Cult of Family explores the reality of growing up in a narcissistic system that demands silence, obedience, and self-erasure.In this episode, I sit down with Daniella, a scholar of cults, extreme groups and extremely bad leadership, who also brings her own lived experience of being raised in a cult. Together, we unpack the unsettling parallels between cults and narcissistic families; the control, the domination, the rigid rules, how perception is distorted, and how identity is supressed in the name of loyalty and “love.”But this conversation goes deeper than the system, it asks; What happens after you leave?We discuss the lasting psychological impact, how these environments stunt development and self-trust, and what it really takes to heal. We explore the blocks that so often emerge in recovery, shame, confusion, disconnection, and how to start rebuilding a self that was never allowed to fully form.This conversation is for anyone who’s broken free, or is beginning to, and is asking: What now?Click here to follow Daniella on TikTokClick here to follow Daniella on InstagramThe C.A.L.M Method If you want to be notified when Katie is running the next group - Join the Waitlist today Calmer parenting and a happier home and kids is so much closer than you thinkKatie McKennaAccredited Psychotherapist, Podcast Host, AuthorBEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast
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