What if the person claiming to guide your spiritual awakening was actually casting a spell to keep you under their control? When coaching becomes cult-like, it’s not just unethical—it’s dangerous. We need to talk about this.
In the second episode of our "Bewitched" series, I sit down with Dr. Robyn McKay to dive even deeper into our shared experience with a toxic spiritual mentor—"Betty". This is not just another story about a bad coach. It’s a look behind the curtain at manipulative practices, coercive control, and outright abuse of power that too often hide behind the guise of spiritual mentoring.
We unpack how boundary violations, emotional manipulation, and trauma bonding created a confusion matrix that left us questioning our own sanity. Robyn shares her story of being subtly coerced into energetic agreements she didn’t fully understand, and how a simple request was actually the start of a much darker dynamic.
We expose the cult-like tactics used to create a high-control environment, where fear of retribution, public shaming, and gaslighting were commonplace. We shine a light on the psychodrama that unfolded, including bizarre retreats where we were starved, sleep-deprived, and encouraged to engage in spiritual warfare against imagined enemies.
If you think spiritual abuse is something that could never happen to you, think again. This conversation isn’t just about what we went through—it’s about helping you spot the red flags, trust your intuition, and break free from toxic dynamics.
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
(00:00) Intro
(00:52) In Today's Episode...Robyn McKay
(02:18) A Greater Healing For The Collective
(05:40) Special Offers
(07:51) Robyn's Background and Initial Experience with "Betty"
(14:29) The Power Differential and Boundary Issues
(19:03) Questioning Actions and Dual Relationships
(26:28) The Denver Retreat: The Spell
(35:08) Two Truths, One Lie
(40:13) The San Diego Retreat: Spiritual Warfare
(49:51) The Aftermath and Ethical Concerns
(52:35) Trauma Bonding and Realizations - Questioning the Benefits
(59:31) Santa Fe's Turning Point - The Charlatan
(01:17:36) The Croatia Retreat - Paranoia and Psychodrama
**WAYS TO ENTER MY WORLD**
CONTACT ROBYN
CONTACT ALYSE
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
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