Episodes

A little girl on a bike ride. A car with a man in it that seems familiar in an unfamiliar place. The result is a long custody battle, a lot of brainwashing, and ultimately a woman that realizes she was raised by Watchtower and the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Imagine being five years old and having your dad reading you scary stories about the Nazi persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses to send you off to sleep. Those stories were often tied into the fiery Armageddon that would accompany the persecution and violence to come into the lives of Witnesses as the world would come to an end. Johanna had those stories firmly in mind in 2020, when the world descended into fear around the Covid 19 pandemic. The fear had come full circle, and it was a pivotal moment in her life. This is Johanna’s story.

The song that Johanna chose to represent her journey is Grey Street by Dave Matthews Band.

Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but rather feeling the fear and doing what you want or need to do anyway. Karen grew up in a lot of fear, the fear of a doomsday cult, the fear of not fitting in because her household was religiously divided, and ultimately the fear for her own life due to a cult policy against blood transfusions when surgery was required. Ultimately Karen’s courage would win out and she would work her own process, a “beautiful process” as she refers to it, one that would get her where she wanted to go despite a lack of help or healthy modeling from the adults around her. Karen is shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses, but she kept going through it all and built a life for herself, largely by herself.

The songs that Karen chose to represent her journey are Broken by lovelytheband and Unstoppable by Sia.

Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Like many, Daniel was both gay and one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. That reality creates dissonance between who one is and who they have been raised and pressured to be by the adults around them. In this episode you’ll learn about the fork in the road for Daniel where he had to choose between who he truly was, something he finally got to have a taste of, and who he was expected to be. He could actually realize all of the things that he ever wanted, or continue to be who other people wanted him to be. This was his point of no return, and the point at which he would be shunned.

You can find Daniel’s art and more at his website https://www.danieldewolfe.com/ and his Instagram https://www.instagram.com/danieldewolfe/

The song that Daniel chose to represent his journey is Fourth Of July by Sufjan Stevens.

Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Coming from a cult that discouraged education and that even discouraged pursuing an upward trajectory in a career, as the cult activity itself was seen as our primary career, it can be hard to know where to start to find one. In this episode of the ExJwHelp series we will explore many career options that others have found that don’t require a college education. There are many paths and perhaps seeing what others have found will be an inspiration to you. We don’t have to settle for the default settings offered to us by a cult. Instead, we can learn from one another and find ways to move up and better the only lives that we actually have instead of waiting for false promises of a future that isn’t coming.

Download a list of the career options mentioned for your own exploration HERE

Feel free to leave a comment of support for participants on the Shunned Podcast website HERE

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Join our Shunned Podcast Facebook group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Fostered by a woman in the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, little Ashley caught the eye of the person that would adopt her as a part of their family. All Ashley wanted was to be “normal”, but her adoptive parents were in a cult that didn’t allow for such. She would do all of the things asked of her by her adoptive family and tried to connect to the performative spirituality around her while ultimately feeling empty in that environment. Sadly, as Jehovah’s Witnesses do, the very people that made the choice to adopt her into their family would also make the choice to shun her later when she wasn’t who they wanted her to be.

As mentioned in the episode, here’s a link to Episode 120 on How To Go To College .

The songs that Ashley chose to represent her journey are God Must Hate Me by Catie Turner and Faith by The Weeknd.

Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Join our *NEW* Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Like the 1944 film “Gaslight”, and the resultant term “gaslighting”, those with the power around Lexi growing up tried their best to create a reality for her that didn’t match the one she had internally. Loss and pain was used against her, and whether it was her own family or other members of the cult, she was being manipulated to think that she was depressed, struggling, and even suicidal. Gaslighting is used against all Jehovah’s Witnesses through the doctrine and culture prevalent in the organization, including the family arrangement, but Lexi’s story really highlights the depths that they will go to in order to maintain control.

Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Join our *NEW* Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Catherine did all the things that the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses wanted her to do, but she could never find connection with it. Though she was held out at times by “spiritual men” as an example of someone to imitate by her works, those actions only made her doubt more as she knew she wasn’t sincere. She was sincere in trying, and dreaming that someday she might connect to this thing that was so important to everyone around her, but she just couldn’t do it, and nobody else in this supposedly holy spirit directed organization could see it.

Catherine’s cannabis podcast, mentioned in the show, can be found by clicking HERE for The M News Now

Support today’s guest by leaving her a comment HERE

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Join our *NEW* Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are a performance based cult that are all about “what have you done for me lately”. Your actions are everything to them. Sadly it is the same with relationships when it comes to JWs, you either do what they want you to do or you cease to exist to them. You, by yourself, are not enough. You must be who and what they want you to be. Jose was a super sincere person that just wanted to love and be loved, but sadly that can’t happen because those around him have other expectations of who he would have to be in order to be worthy of their affection.

The song that Jose chose to represent his journey is Jumping Someone Else’s Train by The Cure.

Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Join our *NEW* Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

“I had these huge dreams and aspirations of what I wanted to do, where the attention was all on me. But in my actual life I was so afraid to be noticed because, in my experience, being noticed wasn’t necessarily a good thing. You want to fit in with the mold… standing out in that context can be dangerous.”

Listen to find out what Trevor is referencing in his quote above. A young man with big dreams, he didn’t fit in with a cult that had keeping him small as one of its primary goals. Jehovah’s Witnesses want to keep you small and at the Kingdom Hall. This is one man’s story of finally beginning to realize parts of his big dreams as he realizes that those dreams are not only achievable, but far more real than anything he was promised by his former faith.

The song that Trevor chose to represent his story is One Five and Four by Hospital Socks, a song that he gets to sing second vocal on.

Support today’s guest by leaving him a comment HERE

Support the show by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Join our *NEW* Private ExJwHelp Coaching & Support Group HERE

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.