Butterflies and Bravery

Send us Fan Mail In the second half of our two-part interview with Deb Donner, we learn even more details about daily life for kids in The Wesleyan Community compound, and where it all is today.  Plus we pick some daisies about growing up in cults, finding purpose, family relationships, and figuring out life outside the cult. Support the show Support The Show: https://paypal.me/bnbdonations?countr...

Send us Fan Mail Deb Donner grew up in The Wesleyan Community, a cult-church led by Lou Hillendahl and spent much of that time living in tents without electricity or running water. That’s only part of her incredible story of survival. In this first half of a two-part interview, Deb speaks candidly & unapologetically with Jemima and Whisper of her life both in and after the cult, and her journe...

Send us Fan Mail Lisa Kendall was just 9 years old when her mother decided to join the “Move of God,” finally leaving at age 19. Today Lisa devotes her time to advocacy work for other child victims of cults and coercive organizations. Lisa has been active in the cult awareness community since 2012, providing support for custody cases, child protective service investigations, testifying before stat...

Send us Fan Mail This week we were honored to have the opportunity to sit down with world-renowned cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich to discuss cult recovery, healing trauma, and needed resources for cult survivors.  Dr. Lalich talks about her ground-breaking cult recovery programs, explains “bonded choice," plus her thoughts on the second  generation survivors of the infamous Children of God cult...

Send us Fan Mail This week Butterflies and Bravery is taking a short break off-air, and will be back next week with full episodes and extra special guests! (Hint: Have you heard of renowned cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich?) Of course, we wouldn't be us without a quick check-in,  a little of our signature rambling, and an original Jemima-ism mental healthy snack. That's also about food. (Hun...

Send us Fan Mail In another non-episode episode, your hosts Jemima and Whisper are celebratinganother podcast milestone of 7000downloads! Reflecting on the journeyso far, they talk about their mostmemorable  episodes, "side effects"experienced and lessons along the way. Plus, listen in for sneak peak news onnew guest interviews in the coming weeks.  Support the show Support The Show: htt...

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when the founder of the cult you were born into is your paternal grandfather? Whatever you can to survive. In this unprecedented interview, for the first time David Berg speaks out about growing up in the cult that his namesake founded. David bravely tells us his touching story for the first time, and we got to ask the question: What was it like growing up as the gr...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for this special episode as we celebrate Jemima's EIGHT year anniversary since getting clean from methamphetamines. Addiction can take many forms, but does it all come from the same place? We discuss addiction expert Dr. Gabor Mate's view of addiction as a symptom of pain and trauma, compassionate solutions for ourselves and our loved ones and the honesty it take...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, we were honored with the opportunity to interview Heather Plett, author of "The Art of Holding Space."  Heather tells us her amazing story, and we have a powerful conversation about healing from trauma and how to hold space for ourselves and each other.  If you were going to listen to only one episode of Butterflies and Bravery, this is that...

Send us Fan Mail Growing up Cree, Mike Scott’s earliest memories of his family and indigenous community are mired in poverty, residential schools, foster care, substance abuse, incarceration, grief & heart-breaking loss. Attempting to drown it all, Mike found himself already struggling with addiction in his teens. This is Mike’s inspirational story of redemption and reclamation into the sober...

Send us Fan Mail Susan Cagle was catapulted into fame after being discovered singing in the subway. In the next few years she would go on to release two albums, sing at the Video Music Awards, take part in an interview on the Oprah Winfrey show and even appear in an independent film. But what was happening inside her head and heart? Join us as we hear her story, her heart aches and heart breaks, l...

Send us Fan Mail What does labour sound like?  Sometimes like a late 90's sex symbol in a loincloth. In this episode, Whisper and Jemima tell some of the funny (and not so funny) stories of the births of their children. From crazy conditions in Thailand to tiny houses in Seattle, Whisper recounts the astonishing circumstances around her first pregnancy and the--literally--unhinged birth of he...

Send us Fan Mail Our guest this week shares her enthralling story of overcoming incredible odds. When her parents felt called to "serve the Lord" in another country, Joyce and her younger brother were abandoned in Brazil. While Joyce was able to navigate and survive the cult, her brother had a difficult time surrendering himself completely to the cult teachings. He was a rebel, and they...

Send us Fan Mail Lisa grew up in a cult called, "The Work" led by Julius Schacknow or "Brother Julius" who declared himself "the sinful Messiah".  Astounding similarities arise to the Children of God cult that Whisper and Jemima grew up in, as Lisa talks about what life was like coming of age in Brother Julius' world. Hear about her childhood challenges and event...

Send us Fan Mail Let's talk tough! Has religion ever played a detrimental part in your  health decisions? In this episode Jemima and Whisper discuss some controversial and difficult subjects connected to faith healing, religious dogma, smashing stigmas around mental health, and more. Plus, a new segment! Weekly jokes about cults and extreme religious beliefs! For example, Why did the cultists...

Send us Fan Mail Suffering immense loss at a very young age, and growing up in the Children of God cult is a double whammy, but our guest Maria would have an even more difficult journey ahead of her. Sent on a mission to Africa at a young age, she would face some of the most difficult obstacles in her life. On a fierce mission to rebuild her life back in her homeland, she encountered even more cha...

Send us Fan Mail Happy New Year! Our first episode this year is packed with fun stuff! We share some of the stats from our podcast this last year, and chat about random things like Dexter (the TV show). Join us to find out some of our top stats, like which cities were our top listeners, which countries we have been popular (and not so popular) in, and which stat surprised us each the most.  Suppor...

Send us Fan Mail Holiday discussions of past and present, peppered with the usual dark humor and unusual origins of some popular traditions. Plus tangents like Jemima's experience with plucking of the Christmas goose, and the story of course does not end there. Join us to find out what the holidays mean to us, and some of our self made rituals on Christmas. Support the show Support The Show:...

Send us Fan Mail Looking from the outside in, Ashley's life seemed picture perfect. A ministers daughter, captain of the cheerleading squad marrying the football star of their school. But things are not always as they appear to be. Ashley struggled with drug use and drinking from a young age. Trying to be super mom and work all day and maintain a household, she fell into heavier drug use. Lis...

Send us Fan Mail This week is a short "not episode" due to some of the sadder and difficult things in life that we all have to deal with. Plus a little "mental healthy snack" about self care. Listen to find out what life threw at us this last couple weeks. Thank you all for listening!  Support the show Support The Show: https://paypal.me/bnbdonations?country.x=US&locale.x=e...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Mary Jane Oatman. Descendant of Chief Looking Glass, youngest member appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education while also serving as the first director for Indian Education in the state of Idaho, founder of THC magazine and much more. Listen as we hear more about this amazing woman in this episode. Happy Thanksgiving! Su...

Send us Fan Mail If you or someone you love has ever been diagnosed with a chronic illness, you may understand some of the struggles our guest faces on a daily basis. Being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis came as a real shock to an otherwise young and healthy Angie. Join us as we talk about the different aspects of a diagnosis like this for you and your loved ones. Support the show Support The S...

Send us Fan Mail Jemima is renovating her kitchen and living room so this week is a short check in and a little tidbit for you to ponder.  Support the show Support The Show: https://paypal.me/bnbdonations?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US Visit our Website Follow us: Instagram Facebook Twitter

Send us Fan Mail Do you have a dream or goal that you're working towards? Giving yourself something to look forward to can be helpful for easing depression. Having a plan and visualizing yourself there can help to bridge the gap between dreams and reality. Listen to this short episode with a few stories and more little tidbits to encourage a healthy mind. " I must endure the presence of...

Send us Fan Mail Bonus Episode Our thoughts on the film Last Testament by Anthony Catalano outlining the final hours of Ricky Rodriguez' life.  Watch on Google, Amazon Prime and on most other major streaming services. Google link https://play.google.com/store/search?q=last%20testament&c=movies Support the show Support The Show: https://paypal.me/bnbdonations?country.x=US&locale.x=en_U...