The Gaslight Effect Podcast

In this episode of The Gaslight Effect Podcast, Dr. Robin Stern welcomes Marissa Ghavami, an advocate, actor, singer, producer, public speaker, trauma-informed coach, and founder of the nonprofit Healing TREE. Marissa shares the story of the late-adolescent trauma that shaped her life and her work: a friendship and roommate relationship that slowly became psychologically, emotionally, spiritually, and cultically abusive. What began as a magical, deeply affirming connection turned into a one-on-one cult marked by gaslighting, coercive control, spiritual manipulation, isolation, and fear. Together, Robin and Marissa explore why gaslighting can happen to anyone, even people who are confident, supported, successful, and self-aware. Marissa describes how subtle abuse can build over time, how spiritual language can be weaponized, and how survivors may begin questioning their own reality long before they recognize what is happening as abuse. Marissa also discusses her healing journey, the trauma-focused therapies that helped her recover, and the work she now does through Healing TREE and trauma-informed coaching. She offers practical insight into nervous system regulation, mindfulness, somatic awareness, EMDR, brainspotting, and the importance of understanding trauma without shame or victim-blaming. This powerful conversation is about surviving gaslighting, reclaiming the self, and transforming lived experience into advocacy, art, and healing for others. To check out this and other episodes, head over to robinstern.com. Don't forget to subscribe to The Gaslight Effect Podcast on your favorite podcast platform, and be sure to leave us a review to let us know what you think. Until next time, remember: healing is a journey, and you don't have to walk it alone. Dr. Robin Stern's Social Media Links: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/drrobinstern/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dr.robinstern/ Twitter (X) - https://twitter.com/RobinSStern LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-stern-220b403a Dr. Robin Stern's Books: The Gaslight Effect The Gaslight Effect Recovery Guide Emotional Intelligence for School Leaders Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on The Gaslight Effect Podcast 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.

In this special episode of The Gaslight Effect Podcast for the International Day of Peace, Dr. Robin Stern welcomes Sasan Korangy and Vail Brokaw, co-founders of Young Leaders for Peace, a program developed in partnership with the University for Peace in Costa Rica and its New York office. Sasan and Vail share how their interest in peacebuilding began not with world leaders or international negotiations, but with the everyday conflicts they saw around them: arguments at lunch tables, tension in families, unresolved grievances, and conversations that became heated long before anyone felt heard. Their work grew from a simple but powerful idea: peace is not only something nations pursue. It is something we practice in our homes, schools, friendships, and communities. Together, Robin, Sasan, and Vail explore the difference between "negative peace" - the absence of open conflict - and true peace, which requires honest dialogue, emotional awareness, repair, and the courage to stay in conversation. They discuss how Young Leaders for Peace teaches students conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, leadership, sustainability, and the "power of the pause" so they can bring those skills back into their own communities. This conversation is an inspiring reminder that peacebuilding begins in small moments: listening before reacting, choosing words carefully, staying curious when we disagree, and learning how to move through conflict without losing dignity—for ourselves or for one another. To check out this and other episodes, head over to robinstern.com. Don't forget to subscribe to The Gaslight Effect Podcast on your favorite podcast platform, and be sure to leave us a review to let us know what you think. Until next time, remember: healing is a journey, and you don't have to walk it alone. Dr. Robin Stern's Social Media Links: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/drrobinstern/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dr.robinstern/ Twitter (X) - https://twitter.com/RobinSStern LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-stern-220b403a Dr. Robin Stern's Books: The Gaslight Effect The Gaslight Effect Recovery Guide Emotional Intelligence for School Leaders Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on The Gaslight Effect Podcast 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.

In this special re-release marking the 25th anniversary of September 11, Dr. Robin Stern revisits her conversation with Dr. George Bonanno, professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University and author of The End of Trauma and The Other Side of Sadness. Dr. Bonanno has spent decades studying how people cope with loss, grief, and potentially traumatic events, including terrorist attacks, natural disasters, bereavement, and life-threatening experiences. In this conversation, he and Robin explore a powerful and often misunderstood idea: while some experiences can leave lasting pain, human beings are also far more resilient than we often imagine. Together, Robin and George discuss what resilience really means, why not every painful or disturbing experience is necessarily trauma, and how people can begin to move forward when they feel stuck. They also explore the role of flexible thinking—learning to assess the situation in front of you, try different responses, and adjust as you go—as a pathway toward healing and recovery. On this 25th anniversary of 9/11, this conversation offers a thoughtful reminder that grief, sadness, and resilience can exist side by side. It honors the reality of profound loss while also making space for the strength, adaptability, and courage that help people continue forward. To check out this and other episodes, head over to robinstern.com. Don't forget to subscribe to The Gaslight Effect Podcast on your favorite podcast platform, and be sure to leave us a review to let us know what you think. Until next time, remember: healing is a journey, and you don't have to walk it alone. Dr. Robin Stern's Social Media Links: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/drrobinstern/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dr.robinstern/ Twitter (X) - https://twitter.com/RobinSStern LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-stern-220b403a Dr. Robin Stern's Books: The Gaslight Effect The Gaslight Effect Recovery Guide Emotional Intelligence for School Leaders Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on The Gaslight Effect Podcast 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.

In this episode of The Gaslight Effect Podcast, Dr. Robin Stern welcomes back Chris Shelton, author, researcher, consultant, podcaster, and host of the Speaking of Cults podcast. Chris is a former Scientologist and former Sea Org member who spent decades inside Scientology before leaving and beginning the long process of understanding what had happened to him. In this conversation, Chris shares more about growing up as a second-generation Scientologist, living between two worlds as a child, and eventually becoming fully immersed in the organization's belief system, language, rules, and control. Robin and Chris explore the emotional, psychological, and moral layers of coercive control, including how love bombing, loaded language, authoritarian teaching, gaslighting, isolation, and fear can shape a person's identity and reality. Chris also reflects on the moment he began to see the truth about Scientology, the long process of leaving, and the anger, grief, and confusion that came with realizing he had been lied to for years. The conversation centers on Chris's new book, What Now? A Practical Guide to Life After a Cult, which brings together what he wishes someone had told him when he first left. He explains why recovery requires more than critical thinking alone, and why emotional intelligence, trauma education, moral clarity, and relational support are essential for rebuilding life after a high-control group. This episode is a powerful look at cult recovery, coercive control, self-trust, and the courage it takes to reclaim your mind, your emotions, and your life. To check out this and other episodes, head over to robinstern.com. Don't forget to subscribe to The Gaslight Effect Podcast on your favorite podcast platform, and be sure to leave us a review to let us know what you think. Until next time, remember: healing is a journey, and you don't have to walk it alone. Dr. Robin Stern's Social Media Links: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/drrobinstern/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dr.robinstern/ Twitter (X) - https://twitter.com/RobinSStern LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-stern-220b403a Dr. Robin Stern's Books: The Gaslight Effect The Gaslight Effect Recovery Guide Emotional Intelligence for School Leaders Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on The Gaslight Effect Podcast 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.

In this episode of The Gaslight Effect Podcast, Dr. Robin Stern welcomes Dr. Debi Silber, founder and CEO of The PBT Institute, betrayal recovery expert, researcher, speaker, author, and host of the From Betrayal to Breakthrough podcast. Dr. Silber shares the deeply personal story that led her to study betrayal: first a painful betrayal by her family, and later by her husband. Determined to understand why betrayal felt different from other kinds of trauma, she entered a PhD program and began research that would lead to her work on Post Betrayal Syndrome and the five stages from betrayal to breakthrough. Robin and Debi explore why betrayal can shatter not only a relationship, but the self—damaging trust, safety, confidence, worthiness, and even a person's ability to discern what is real. Debi explains the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that can follow betrayal, including rumination, hypervigilance, exhaustion, sleep disruption, digestive issues, anxiety, sadness, anger, and difficulty trusting again. Together, they discuss why many people get stuck in survival mode, what true healing requires, and how betrayal can become an invitation to rebuild the self—not just the life around the wound. Debi also shares the hope at the center of her work: that with the right roadmap, healing is possible, predictable, and deeply transformative. To check out this and other episodes, head over to robinstern.com. Don't forget to subscribe to The Gaslight Effect Podcast on your favorite podcast platform, and be sure to leave us a review to let us know what you think. Until next time, remember: healing is a journey, and you don't have to walk it alone. Dr. Robin Stern's Social Media Links: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/drrobinstern/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dr.robinstern/ Twitter (X) - https://twitter.com/RobinSStern LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-stern-220b403a Dr. Robin Stern's Books: The Gaslight Effect The Gaslight Effect Recovery Guide Emotional Intelligence for School Leaders Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on The Gaslight Effect Podcast 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.