How does deprogramming from a Christian Campus Cult in the 1980s connect with supporting parents as they navigate neurodivergence today? Delia Tetelman shares her story. Deprogramming didn’t stop with leaving the cult, it’s helped her with parenting, unschooling, mental health, and disability justice.

Delia and I are part of the admin team for a free support group, Unschooling Every Family. The group helps families who are just beginning to learn about ableism and non-coercion. https://unschoolingeveryfamily.com/

2:17 What is Unschooling? 11:49 Delia’s background in a toxic family system and high control religion 20:48 Christian Campus Cult indoctrination in the 1980s 31:28 Deprogramming and the house of cards 46:05 Life after the cult 51:58 Reflective parenting 57:59 Neurodiversity and mentalization 1:09:28 The link between deprogramming and connection parenting

Help with high control religion and coercive control:

Steve Hassan’s “BITE model” https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model-pdf-download/

National Domestic Violence hotline https://www.thehotline.org/

Mentioned in this episode:

Cults to Consciousness podcast https://www.youtube.com/c/CultstoConsciousness

Maranatha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maranatha_Campus_Ministries

Peter Fonagy discussing mentalization on “The Life Scientific” https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000dpj2

Reflective Parenting https://www.reflectivecommunities.org/what-is-reflective-parenting

Reflective Communication in unschooling and/or neurodivergence https://unschoolingeveryfamily.com/start-here/4/#guide-3-connection-parenting-reflective-parenting

Treating Personality Disorders in Children and Adolescents A Relational Approach by Efrain Bleiberg https://www.guilford.com/books/Treating-Personality-Disorders-in-Children-and-Adolescents/Efrain-Bleiberg/9781593850180

Trauma Geek resources on the intersection of neurodiversity and mental health https://www.traumageek.com/

Rayne Depukat, neurodivergent and homeschooling coach, ASL translator https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayne-depukat/

Autistic Values https://neuroclastic.com/the-identity-theory-of-autism-values-are-not-opinions-to-autistics-we-are-our-values/

All Our Families: Disability Lineage and the Future of Kinship, by Jennifer Natalya Fink https://www.jennifernatalyafink.com/

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