IndoctriNation12 Nov 2025

Seeking Justice: Consent and Coercion with Carol Merchasin

In this episode, host Rachel Bernstein speaks with Carol Merchasin, a lawyer specializing in cases involving sexual misconduct in religious and spiritual communities. Carol discusses various aspects of legal battles against high-control groups, including the complexities of consent, the limitations of the legal system, and the role of psychological coercion. She highlights the differences between the criminal and civil justice systems and emphasizes the importance of legislative advocacy to extend statutes of limitations for sexual assault cases. Carol also underscores the importance of community support for survivors and the need for societal recognition of coercion's impact on consent. The conversation aims to educate and empower those affected by high-control environments, encouraging them to seek justice and support.

Book Mentioned: Know My Name by Chanel Miller: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/know-my-name_chanel-miller/26734292/item/53390881/

Heartwood Center: https://www.heartwoodcenter.com/meditation/survivors-program/

Carol’s Links

McAllister Olivarius:

https://mcolaw.com/team/carol-merchasin/

Connect with us on social media:

⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/indoctrination⁠⁠

Watch full video episodes of IndoctriNation here:

⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNAi0T2hzH9dM029dkTfj635PzuXl67jS⁠⁠

Support IndoctriNation on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes and more:

https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination⁠

Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link:

https://www.paypal.biz/indoctriNATION

Restart and Restore: A Journal for Survivors of Manipulation:

https://a.co/d/1ssz4Rm

Restart and Restore: Companion Notebook:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSCLTZN4

Download Rachel’s Video Lectures and Webinars here:

https://rachelbernsteintherapy.com/videos.html

IndoctriNation is edited by The Podcast Consultant:

⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com/about

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(471)

The Culting of America with Daniella Mestyanek Young

In this episode, Daniella Mestyanek Young returns to IndoctriNation to discuss how cults exploit group dynamics. Born three generations into the Children of God, then a U.S. Army intelligence officer,...

10 Jun 1h 13min

Reclaiming Myself After Mormonism with Lindsey Sanders

In this episode, Rachel Bernstein sits down with Lindsey Sanders to talk about her memoir, The Sacred Song of a Heretic, and what it means to reclaim "sacredness" outside of a high-control religion.Li...

3 Jun 1h 20min

BONUS PREVIEW: Inside the Cult of Two

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, host Ra...

29 Mai 6min

I Belong to Me with Tia Levings

In this episode, host Rachel Bernstein welcomes back author Tia Levings to discuss her new book, 'I Belong to Me: A Survivor’s Guide to Recovery and Hope After Religious Trauma.'Tia opens up about sur...

27 Mai 1h 24min

American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda with Ru Marshall

In this episode, Rachel Bernstein interviews Ru Marshall about the hidden world surrounding the guru Carlos Castaneda. Marshall shares insights from their research into Castaneda’s history, manipulati...

20 Mai 1h 20min

BONUS PREVIEW: Identity After Indoctrination: Rebuilding Yourself After Control

15 Mai 5min

Mind Games: Investigating NLP with Alice Hines

In this episode, Rachel Bernstein welcomes investigative journalist Alice Hines to discuss neurolinguistic programming (NLP), its origins, and the fine line between empowerment and manipulation. Known...

13 Mai 52min

Living Authentically: Escaping Aesthetic Realism pt. 2 with Donna Lamb

In part 2, Rachel Bernstein continues her conversation with Donna Lamb, a survivor of the Aesthetic Realism group. Recruited at 20 in New York City, Donna spent 32 years in the group before leaving in...

6 Mai 1h 23min