Steady Ground
to see it clearly is to carry it.
A space for those who have left or are considering leaving a high-control group.
Disclaimer: The support and guidance offered on this site are based entirely on lived experience. This is not professional therapy, clinical counseling, or medical advice, and no guarantees or promises of outcomes are made. Private sessions, group discussions, and any communications through this site are intended for peer support, reflection, and connection only. They do not replace professional mental health care. If you are experiencing crisis, severe distress, or urgent mental health concerns, please contact a licensed mental health provider, call 911, or reach out to your local crisis helpline immediately. All communications are confidential to the extent permitted by law, but the support offered here is not a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment. By using this site and reaching out, you acknowledge that the guidance provided is informational and experiential, and that you are responsible for your own choices and well-being. I do not claim to be a professional or hold any certification in this field. What I share comes from my lived experience.
This is MY life. I have every right to use my voice to share what it is like to navigate life after leaving a high-control group, having lived, endured and survived one myself.
Leaving a high-control or coercive group can be deeply disorienting and painfully isolating. It can shake your sense of self in ways that are hard to put into words, leaving you unsure of what to believe, who to trust, or how to feel safe in your own body.
Please know there is nothing wrong with you.
Healing after coercive or high-control environments often involves many kinds of support. Evidence-based trauma therapies such as EMDR, somatic experiencing, and trauma-informed CBT are essential in restoring regulation and self-trust. Medication management, peer support groups, and post-cult recovery networks also offer structure and safety.
I know it feels like it but please know: you are not alone.
There are people out there that want to help you.
Alongside professional care, healing also unfolds through simple, grounded, day to day, moment to moment practices that connect you to your mind, to your body, and to the world. These moments of reconnection are not small; they are proof of life returning.
Steady Ground offers trauma-informed exit counseling and recovery support for those leaving or healing from high-control or coercive environments. Rooted in lived experience, these sessions focus on rebuilding trust in your own perception, steadying after distortion, and learning how to belong without performance.
Beginning in 2026, both virtual and in-person gatherings will provide ongoing community support for those reclaiming autonomy, safety, and self-trust.
Healing from a high-control group is not about forgetting where you’ve been, but learning to stand on steady ground again; in your truth, your body, and your freedom. You are not broken for needing time. You are brave for beginning again.
If you would like to learn more or explore Steady Ground sessions, you may reach out privately through the contact form below. All communication is handled with care and complete confidentiality. All sessions are pro bono (without cost.)
If you are in crisis or need immediate professional support, please contact a licensed provider or call 988 (U.S.) for 24-hour help. OUTSIDE THE US (OVER 130+ COUNTRIES) https://findahelpline.com
Considering Leaving a High-Control Group?
If you’re beginning to question your group or wondering what life might look like outside of it, you don’t have to navigate that uncertainty alone. I offer confidential, nonjudgmental support based on lived experience for those in the process of leaving. You can reach out simply to talk. No pressure, no obligation, just a listening ear and steady ground to stand on.
Reach Out Confidentially.
This space is safe and confidential. You can share as much or as little as you like. If you’d like me to respond, please include your contact information in your message.
The following clips discuss experiences of those who are still in and those who have left high-control groups which may be emotionally intense and triggering for some viewers. Viewer Discretion is Advised.
Regret. Clarity. Exhaustion.
The quiet admission that freedom doesn’t feel clean.
To see it clearly is to carry it.
for those who don’t carry it... to see it is to bear witness to it.
Closing scene from Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015) Directed by Alex Gibney, Book by Lawrence Wright
‘How Midsommar Brainwashes You’ excerpt from part 3: Exhaust Them With Stress by Nathan Wellman
Martha Marcy May Marlene Featurette: Cults (2011) Directed by Sean Durkin
The Secrets of Scientology BBC documentary with investigative reporter John Sweeney
The Art Of The Flashback by Level Story
RECOMMENDED LITERATURE:
Hadding, C., et al. (2023). Being in-between: Exploring former cult members' experiences of leaving high-control environments. International Journal of Social Psychiatry.
Banks, C. (2018). Sexual abuse and charismatic cults. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 41, 43–49.
Bar-Lev, S., & Morag, M. (2024). Violence, volition, and volatility: The embodied subjectivity of women in cults. Symbolic Interaction.
Giambalvo, C. (1995). Post-cult problems: An exit counselor’s perspective. Cultic Studies Journal, 12(2), 125–132.
Phadke, S. (2025). Exit stories: Using Reddit self-disclosures to understand disengagement from problematic communities. arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.13837.
O'Reilly, P. (2020). Psychotherapy with former cult members. Psychotherapy.net.
Zieman, B. (2020). Shunned: A survival guide. Independently published.
Haeck, P. (2022, January 5). Coercion at its worst: Religious mandated shunning. Open Minds Foundation.
UNITED STATES
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat via 988lifeline.org
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to reach a trained counselor
OUTSIDE THE US - 130 + COUNTRIES
RAINN – 24/7 sexual assault support at 1-800-656-4673 or rainn.org
SAMHSA Helpline – Call 1-800-662-4357 or visit samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) – Education and referrals for post-cult recovery
Freedom of Mind Resource Center – Recovery tools for coercive control and undue influence
Mike Rinder proved that one person’s voice can change lives. Even in the face of danger, he chose courage over silence… until his last breath. He spoke truth to power, defended the vulnerable, and never flinched from the consequences of doing what was right. His life is a testament to how integrity and bravery leave a mark that outlives us all.
Thank you for giving me the courage to use my voice, Mr. Rinder.
God rest his soul.