All Episodes

October 6, 2025 35 mins

In this gripping episode of 'A Little Bit Culty,' hosts welcome Joe Szimhart, a veteran cult interventionist with over 40 years of experience. Joe delves into the history and evolution of cult deprogramming, sharing intricate details of his personal journey from an art student to an expert in cult interventions. The conversation covers key figures and movements in esotericism and theosophy, drawing connections between early and modern cult practices. Joe's fascinating anecdotes and practical advice on effective intervention methods offer valuable insights into the complexities of steering loved ones away from high control groups. This is part one of a two-part series.

Timestamp Menu:

  • 00:00 Introduction to Cult Intervention
  • 00:20 Meet Joe Sim Hart: Cult Interventionist
  • 01:29 Joe's Journey into Cults
  • 02:53 Theosophy and Esoteric Teachings
  • 07:16 Experiences with the I Am Cult
  • 12:50 Leaving the Cult and Helping Others
  • 23:21 First Steps as an Interventionist
  • 29:07 Techniques and Success Stories
  • 33:55 Conclusion and Teaser for Part Two


You can contact Joe at jszimhart.com, follow him on his YouTube channel or on X @jszimhart, and check out his memoir, Santa Fe, Bill Tate, and me. Check out his site dedicated to "culty" work: www.cultbehaviorconsultant.com.


Also…let it be known that:


The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.


**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book here

Check out our amazing sponsors

Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon

Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

Support the pod and smash this link

Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources

Watch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, Scarred


CREDITS: 

Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

Audio production: Will Retherford

Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore

Writer: Sandra Nomoto

Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin



See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.