Seek Safely

Jean and Glenn revisit some recent examples of supposedly visionary individuals whose grand plans led to disaster. It’s a sort of wishful thinking, fake-it-till-you-make-it, “manifest it” mindset that is not only a hallmark of modern self-help, but also seems to be pervasive in modern culture. What are the implications of this type of thinking, especially as we train LLMs and AIs from the content output of this cu...

Jean and Dr. Doyle discuss the recent appointment of Tony Robbins to the HHS and CMS Mental Healthcare Advisory Committee on Mental Health and Wellness. A lack of qualifications never stopped Tony—why stop now?! Mostly, it’s a point of curiosity. But importantly, it’s yet another example of the ways in which the self-help world are not distinct from the rest of our world. And this is why the work of SEEK Safely ma...

Glenn and Jean chat with SEEK Friend Anne Peterson, asking the question, "What would 'good' self-help look like?" It's easy to focus on the negative in the industry, but SEEK Safely's mission has always come with the assumption that this industry has value to offer people who are looking for self-improvement.

So what are the good examples? What are the good practices? How do we build and encourage an industry that is rooted in ethic...

Chris Shelton has  a Master's degree in Coercive Control and is the creator of the R.E.M. model of human behaviour, which sheds light on the motivations and drivers that can contribute to a person falling under the persuasion of coercive groups or ideologies. Chris also hosts the "Speaking of Cults" podcast and his upcoming book "What Now? A Practical Guide to Life After a Cult" 

Chris, Glenn, and Jean talk Scientology, ps...

Chris Shelton has  a Master's degree in Coercive Control and is the creator of the R.E.M. model of human behaviour, which sheds light on the motivations and drivers that can contribute to a person falling under the persuasion of coercive groups or ideologies. Chris also hosts the "Speaking of Cults" podcast and his upcoming book "What Now? A Practical Guide to Life After a Cult" 

Chris, Glenn, and Jean talk Scientology, ps...

One of the things SEEK Safely has always said about self-help is that it is not a separate culture--it IS very much a part of mainstream culture. It is, then, unsurprising when it gets wrapped up in news stories of the day, such as the Epstein Files (if you hadn't heard, a prominent "Old Guard" self-help guy makes a disturbing appearance in the Files, as does a newer wellness guru). 

Glenn and Jean discuss the long standing rel...

Dr. Doyle and Jean discuss some of the points of intersection between the self-help industry and climate change and environmental issues in general. How do these things relate, you might ask. The self-help industry is in many ways a reflection of larger patterns in the world and society. Some of the problems that have contributed to climate change are also seen in the self-help industry.

But perhaps more interestingly, when we imagi...

It’s time for SEEK’s annual fundraising push! We just finished up our annual SEEK Week fundraiser, which features a different live-streaming topic each night for a week. You can watch the recordings on our YouTube channel. And we're planning ahead for a second SEEK Summit and Empowerment Workshop. Find links on our website. Glenn, Jean, and Anne Peterson chat about these events: what to expect, why they’re importa...

Glenn and Jean dive into the phenomenon of the celebrity turned self-help guru. As trust in traditional authorities breaks down, we turn to other sources, like celebrities. But what happens when a celeb with notoriety in one area starts talking up a self-help storm? It's a tale as old as self-help time...

We get into Goop, The Biggest Loser and early 2000s weight loss culture (yikes), and even the celebrity to self-help to politicia...

AI is suddenly everywhere it seems, and the self-help world is no different. A low-cost machine that can pump out a nearly endless string of word salad "content" to push on a willing audience? Perfect!

Jean and Glenn chat about the implications of AI for self-help and how we are already seeing it wend its way into the industry and the wider mental health industry. Tony Robbins has created an AI Tony app! As a fun little experiment, ...

Glenn and Jean talk about the upcoming International Cultic Studies Association's annual conference in July, where Jean is presenting on behalf of SEEK for the third year in a row. Since 1979, ICSA has been building an international network of resources for cult survivors, educators, and researchers.

SEEK's presence at the conference since 2023 has been about drawing a link between the self-help industry and cults. This year's confe...

Jean’s in her PJs. Glenn is wearing sweats. Because we’re all tired… 

In this episode, the podcast is checking in on how we’re all coping (or not) in this very busy, constantly “breaking news” era. It is precisely in these moments of uncertainty that the self-help world typically kicks it into overdrive. So beware! We also talk about this interesting development we’re seeing–the ...

How do smart, motivated, successful people get pulled into spending thousands of dollars, many years, and lots of trust on a self-help program or teacher? Psychologist Dr. John Hunter applies the dopamine hypothesis to explain how these events may be messing with our brain chemistry in a way that puts us into a manic or hypomanic state. If you are curious about cults or if you’re a self-help person, this is a must-listen! Fin...

SEEK was surprised to learn of the death of James Arthur Ray on January 3rd, 2025, at the age of 67. Ray was responsible for the deaths of 3 people at his 2009 “Spiritual Warrior” Retreat in Sedona, Arizona, a crime for which he spent 20 months in prison. As this event was the genesis of SEEK Safely, Jean, Glenn, and SEEK Board Member and self-help industry expert Dr. Christine Whelan reflect on how his death fits into ...

In November 2024, SEEK was proud to present the SEEK Safely summit, a day of reflecting, brainstorming, and imagining what a better, safer self-help world looks like. We gathered together self-help industry professionals to discuss tools for seekers and self-help practitioners, to find and facilitate more ethical self-help. In this episode of the podcast, Glenn and Jean chat with Anne Peterson, SEEK friend and author of “Is t...

Jean and Glenn chat with India Oxenberg, author, producer, and activist whose escape from NXIVM is documented in the Starz series “Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult.” India was an executive producer on the series. India also shares her story in her memoir, “Still Learning.”

The conversations focusses less on the sensationalist aspects of her cult experience, and more on the self-help nature of NXIVM as an organi...

In this episode, Dr. Doyle and Jean return to the underlying discussion of the self-help industry and the flaws within it that drive SEEK Safely’s mission. It was after Kirby Brown’s death at the 2009 Spiritual Warrior retreat that the Brown family discovered some of the rot at the core of this multi-billion dollar industry. This drove the family to found SEEK Safely, recognizing that the impulse to seek is not the issu...

Previously on the Podcast, Anne Peterson introduced her new memoir, "Is This A Cult?" about her many years of involvement with Landmark. Anne joins the podcast again to discuss the response to her memoir, including a flood of messages from other ex-Landmarkians saying "same here!" Anne also shares what she's learned since her book launch that has given her even more clarity about her own experience and what needs to happen going fo...