Who Is RTC?

Co-founding and directing Religious Trauma & Cults (formerly the Religious Trauma Collective) with Sam Sellers with was never just a professional project. It was born from lived experience, mine and Sam's both.

I know firsthand what it is to leave a high-control religious system after more than 30 years, and to look around at a world that doesn't quite have the language for what you've been through. The disorientation, the grief, the identity crisis, the loss of community and belonging, and sometimes the loss of your entire sense of self. I lived all of it. And I know how hard it is to find support from someone who genuinely gets it, not just theoretically, but from the inside out.

What we kept seeing, especially here in Australia, was how difficult it was for survivors to find practitioners who understood religious trauma and cult recovery in a way that went beyond a textbook definition. So Sam and I hope that RTC will change that. To make the search easier, and to create something where survivors and practitioners alike could find connection, understanding, and genuine support.

What Do We Do?

RTC is a dedicated space for people who have experienced the impacts of religious harm, faith deconstruction, spiritual abuse, cult involvement, high-control group dynamics, or the loss of a once tightly-held worldview.

At its heart, RTC is:

• A practitioner directory: therapists, psychologists, social workers, coaches, and other helping professionals with both personal and professional experience in religious trauma and cult recovery.

• A survivor support space: offering facilitated peer support groups for those navigating the impacts of religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and high-control group experiences.

• A community hub: offering online events for connection, learning, and storytelling.

• A resource library: with information, articles, books, and links that speak to the unique recovery journey of religious trauma and cult recovery.

• A training and development space: for practitioners wanting to deepen their understanding and skills, including cult recovery training, Lunch and Learn sessions, and specialist group supervision.

• A consultation and speaking resource: with Sam and me available for professional consultations, media engagement, and speaking engagements across a range of formats and contexts.

It is a place to find understanding, tools, and support, whether you are in the middle of leaving, years into your recovery, or a practitioner looking to better walk alongside someone on this path.