Newsletter: Keeping Brave and Stepping up to Help the Resistance
Together, We Can Endure, Survive, and Yes, Even Thrive!
As we face the dreaded reality of Trump in power, staying courageous and connected to our support systems is vital. On this note, I recently saw a fantastic piece written by folks who have had to fight authoritarians around the globe and their advice to Americans- The Authoritarian Regime Survival Guide. This is a compilation of advice that was posted on social media starting in 2017, during Trump’s first term in office, and the points ring even more true today. Please read it, share it, and take comfort in knowing that we can and will continue to do what we can to preserve our democracy.
This week’s Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum podcast features Andre Jackson, a former Jehovah’s Witness who has recently completed his doctoral degree in Business Psychology. We discussed his fascinating study of the factors that helped people leave the cult from Bethel- the headquarters of the Watchtower Society. I was pleased to serve on his doctoral committee, and I am excited to see where the future takes this scholar!
Next week’s podcast will feature an interview with experts in coercive control- Dr. Christine M. Cocchiola and Amy Polacko. We will discuss their new book, Framed: Women in the Family Court Underworld, a collection of 22 case studies highlighting the experiences of protective mothers and their children navigating the complex family court system. The UK has a law against coercive control- where one person, usually a man, controls their partner. It parallels the BITE Model factors and teaches women in toxic custody battles what they can do.
Last week, I hosted a multi-social media livestream; if you missed it, you can see the replay here. I plan to do another one tomorrow (Jan. 22nd) from 3 to 4 p.m. EST; I welcome everyone to tune in with questions and comments!
Have you filled out our bitemodel.com survey yet? Please consider doing so for healthy relationships and groups, too! Please give the name of the healthy group. You can make multiple entries if you have been involved in more than one group. Please feel free to share it on Reddit, Facebook, and anywhere ex-members can be found. We wish to collect a database, especially of authoritarian groups.
Andre grew up in Germany, where his mother became a Jehovah's Witness when he was 7 years old. By the age of 10, Andre accepted the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses: When he almost needed a blood transfusion (which the group teaches to be a transgression against God), he rejected it and was willing to die for his belief. Thankfully, he ended up not needing the transfusion, or he might not be with us today.
Read the blog post or listen to the podcast below:
How can you tell if that group your family member has joined is safe? Is your relationship hitting a “rough patch,” or is there actual cause for concern? With this anonymous, easy-to-use diagnostic tool, you can answer simple questions and determine if any group or relationship is beneficial or destructive, ethical or unethical, healthy or unhealthy. And now, you can share your results on your social media if you wish!
As always, please let us know what you think about these pieces or what you’d like to see us discuss in the future. Thanks so much!
Dr. Hassan - I just caught the end of this week's YouTube livestream & want to thank you for your ongoing dedication to sharing reliable information on combatting mind control and for your thoughts on the implications for our current social/political challenges! As a clinical social worker in private practice in New Jersey, I often refer my clients to your Freedom of Mind website and share your podcasts. I'd like to offer you something in return - here is a link to a video/song performance of a song that I wrote & performed with the help of some caring Canadian musician friends in advance of the 11/5 election, because our friends in democracies around the world care about ongoing American democratic freedom! I do hope that you enjoy the video & many thanks - Andrea Egert, LCSW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd4yHR6l6qk
Hi Dr. Hassan, I so appreciate your wise and steady advice and encouragement given the current political and media environment.
Did you happen to see that one of the pardonned Jan 6 rioters, "Maga Granny," says she wants to refuse the pardon as she is no longer a supporter thanks to therapy and takes responsibility of her actions. From the New York Times:
"Ms. Hemphill, 71, who was called “MAGA Granny” in some news headlines, has said that she no longer supports Mr. Trump or believes his lie that the 2020 election was stolen. She said that a therapist had helped change her view of the attack by telling her she was “not a victim of Jan. 6; I was a volunteer.”
“I lost my critical thinking,” she said on Wednesday, reflecting on her involvement in the riot and the “Stop the Steal” movement. “Now I know it was a cult, and I was in a cult.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/22/us/politics/pamela-hemphill-trump-jan-6-pardon-rejection.html
I wonder if you could interview her? Her perspective could be helpful and interesting.
Anyway, keep up the great work and ty for all you do.