The Upper West Side Cult: Therapy, Sex, and Control

In this episode, Bailey and Chelsea peel back the layers of a New York story most people never knew was happening right under their noses. At the height of the city’s cultural revolution—where art, politics, and therapy collided—a radical psychotherapy collective promised liberation from tradition, family, and fear. But what began as an experiment in freedom grew into something far more controlling, and far more dangerous.

With Bailey unpacking the psychological traps that rewired minds, and Chelsea exploring the social forces that made so many intelligent New Yorkers vulnerable, this episode asks: how does a group survive not in isolation, but right in the heart of Manhattan? And what happens when the people meant to heal you become the ones holding you captive?

Dark, fascinating, and unnervingly close to home—this is the rise and fall of the Sullivanians, the cult that thrived in luxury apartments on the Upper West Side.

 

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Background music by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio. Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. 

​WILDCIDE Podcast and any content posted is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. 

References:

Feinerman, S. (2024, June 13). Rescuing Rosie and the end of the Sullivanians (No. 14) [Audio podcast episode]. In Through a Blue Window. Buzzsprout. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2213540/episodes/15347992-rescuing-rosie-and-the-end-of-the-sullivanians

Stille, A. (2023). The Sullivanians: Sex, psychotherapy, and the wild life of an American commune. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Winter, J. (2023, June 14). The Upper West Side cult that hid in plain sight. The New Yorker. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/the-upper-west-side-cult-that-hid-in-plain-sight 

Williams, M. (2023, June 13). The Fourth Wall: Inside the Sullivanians sex cult on New York’s Upper West Side. MovieMaker Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.moviemaker.com/the-fourth-wall-sullivanians-sex-cult/