CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/11/2025

Psychobabble, Research, Jehovah's Witnesses, Sexual Abuse, Human Trafficking

AVOS: When Knowing the Language Isn't Doing the Work: The Weaponization of Psychobabble

"Let's just say it: you can know all the language—talk about your nervous system, trauma responses, "boundaries," "attachment styles," "somatic regulation," and still be a hot mess in relationships and in your roles in the larger collective. And worse? You can use that language to deflect, defend, or manipulate instead of doing the real, gritty, uncomfortable, embodied work of healing."

" ... You know the one. He's the guy who talks about polyvagal theory over coffee, name-drops Gabor Maté in casual conversation, meditates daily—but hasn't apologized to anyone in five years. Instead of taking accountability, he claims someone's pain is "their trauma projection." It's the person who says, "I'm setting a boundary," when what they really mean is, "I don't want to look at how my behavior harmed you" or "I am going to avoid vulnerability at all costs, try to control you, and use my therapist's language to make you feel small and stupid."

Weaponizing boundaries is one of the most common ways I see this playing out. Boundaries are sacred. They're essential. But they are not a free pass to avoid intimacy, vulnerability, or reckoning with your own shadow. Boundaries without compassion and introspection become walls. Barbed wire fences, even."

Humanists: Groundbreaking study exposes hidden struggles of ex-Jehovah's Witnesses in the UK

A groundbreaking study published in The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion has shed light on the profound and long-lasting challenges faced by people leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses and ways in which targeted support can assist their recovery.

Conducted by a national group of academic researchers in collaboration with Faith to Faithless, the Humanists UK programme supporting people who leave high-control religions, the research involved in-depth interviews with 20 ex-Jehovah's Witnesses in the UK. Participants described significant emotional, social, and practical struggles after leaving – often compounded by shunning, loss of identity, and a lack of understanding from professionals.

The study found:

• Many experience acute mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, linked both to life inside the religion and to the process of leaving.

• Social isolation is common, with loss of family and friends leaving some feeling like 'a little baby' navigating the outside world for the first time.

• Professional help is often ineffective due to a lack of awareness about religious trauma.

• Recovery is possible – but requires specialist understanding, safe environments, and supportive relationships.

The authors emphasise that leaving a high-control religion is not a single event but 'a complex, ongoing process of rebuilding identity and worldview.' With the right support from trained mental health professionals, informed social services, and community networks, former members can 'piece everything together again' and go on to live fulfilling lives.

South Carolina Attorney General's Office: Polaris CEO Megan Lundstrom joined over 300 leaders, advocates, and survivors as a speaker at the inaugural Human Trafficking in the Carolinas Conference in Columbia, SC.

"South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson opened the inaugural Human Trafficking in the Carolinas Conference this morning in Columbia. The South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force, in collaboration with the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission, is hosting the conference on July 30th and 31st in Columbia. The conference brings together more than 300 professionals, survivor leaders, and advocates from across the region, united in the fight to end human trafficking.

"This conference represents a bold step forward in our fight to end human trafficking," said Attorney General Wilson, Chair of the SC Human Trafficking Task Force. "Human trafficking is a crime that demands coordination, and this event gives us the opportunity to build a more unified response to protect victims and hold traffickers accountable."

Stakeholders from South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and beyond convene to explore emerging trends, share multidisciplinary strategies, and strengthen collaborative efforts in combating trafficking and supporting survivors. The two-day forum offers tracks for law enforcement, prosecutors, healthcare providers, service organizations, and community advocates. The conference presents international, national, and local speakers; survivor-led sessions; panel discussions; workshops; and networking opportunities.

Featured speakers include Dr. Robert Macy, President of the International Trauma Center; State Representative Brandon Guffey from District 48; and Megan Lundstrom, CEO of Polaris/National Human Trafficking Hotline. Attendees will also hear from international and national subject-matter experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, A21, and the Human Trafficking Institute.

"We are honored to welcome so many dedicated professionals, leaders, and survivors to this conference," said Monique Garvin, Acting Director of the SC Human Trafficking Task Force. "This convening not only signals our commitment to addressing human trafficking on a deeper level, but it also creates a space for enhanced collaboration in our region and beyond that promotes awareness and action. Together, we are building a network equipped to prevent exploitation, support survivors, and combat this crime."

The event also coincides with World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (July 30), a global opportunity to raise awareness and mobilize efforts to end human trafficking.  

For more information, visit the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force website at www.scag.gov/human-trafficking."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery