What happens when the scales finally fall from your eyes and you realize you are trapped in a cult? In Part 2 of our three-part series with Peter Young on The LOVE>hate Podcast, Peter shares the pivotal moment his life changed forever when an anonymous package arrived in his mailbox containing Steven Hassan’s seminal book, Combating Cult Mind Control.

Reading that book ignited a courageous journey to reclaim his life, break ties with a manipulative leader, and rescue his children from severe emotional and psychological harm. Peter details the grueling legal battle that followed, including how a 50-page Guardian ad Litem report exposed extreme parental alienation and ultimately led to him securing full custody of his three youngest children.

Beyond the legal courtroom victories, Peter opens up about the internal battle: choosing grace and patience over retaliation. Rather than weaponizing his ex-wife’s actions or speaking negatively about her to their children, Peter chose to anchor himself in peace, providing a stable, loving environment for his family to heal. This episode offers profound lessons on high-conflict co-parenting, overcoming misplaced shame, and breaking free from emotional manipulation.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode:

• The anonymous book that exposed cult mind control and opened Peter's eyes
• Cutting ties with a high-control group and facing severe parental alienation
• The legal process, Guardian ad Litem investigations, and securing full custody
• How to protect children from emotional trauma during high-conflict divorces
• Choosing grace, accountability, and forgiveness over retaliation

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)

Loveisrespect Teen Dating Violence Hotline: 1-866-331-9474

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

How does an ordinary person end up trapped in a high-control cult without realizing it? In Part 1 of this compelling conversation on The LOVE>hate Podcast, author and speaker Peter Young sits down with host Melissa Etzler to unpack his powerful story of marrying into a family dominated by a charismatic, manipulative guru known as "Uncle Robert."

What began as subtle theological differences quickly escalated into decades of psychological control, financial exploitation, and spiritual abuse. Peter candidly shares how extreme isolation and manipulative tactics took root in his marriage, from bizarre demands to send tithe money to online casinos to shocking proposals that threatened the fabric of his family.

Through this courageous conversation, Peter sheds light on the gradual nature of coercive control and mind control dynamics. He explains how cult leaders prey on loyalty, discourage honest questions, and erode personal boundaries long before their victims recognize what is happening. This episode serves as an eye-opening cautionary tale for anyone trying to understand high-control relationships, emotional manipulation, and how easy it is to miss the warning signs when you are in the middle of it.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode:

• Meeting "Paige" and the subtle introduction of a toxic family guru
• The gradual erosion of personal boundaries and critical thinking
• Financial exploitation, casino tithing, and extremist theological rhetoric
• Understanding coercive control, manipulative dynamics, and mind control
• The emotional toll of marital separation and initial parental alienation

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)

Loveisrespect Teen Dating Violence Hotline: 1-866-331-9474

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

In this powerful episode of The LOVE>hate Podcast, host Melissa Etzler sits down with Brittany Fields, clinical herbalist, author, and survivor, for a deeply moving conversation on escaping domestic abuse, finding justice, and transforming trauma into personal strength.

Brittany shares her journey through a long, abusive marriage that began in her youth and the pivotal moment she chose to fight back to protect herself and her daughter. She opens up about navigating the slow-moving legal system during COVID-19 and how writing a candid victim impact statement changed the course of her case, turning a proposed six-month plea deal into a multi-year prison sentence and long-term protection order.

Beyond the courtroom, Brittany discusses the raw reality of post-traumatic recovery. She reveals how traditional avenues failed to heal her and how discovering herbalism and connecting with nature provided the holistic path to true physical, emotional, and spiritual renewal. Now a clinical herbalist and author, Brittany reflects on writing her memoir Wildflowered: Surviving the Storm and Becoming, as well as co-creating a children’s herbal series, The Adventures of Cora, with her daughter to empower the next generation.

Tune in to discover:

• The life-changing power of holding abusers accountable and using your voice in court
• How self-compassion and nature-based healing can restore self-esteem after trauma
• Practical ways holistic herbalism supports long-term recovery and emotional resilience
• Inspiring insights on rebuilding a vibrant, peaceful life on your own terms

Whether you are navigating your own recovery journey or seeking inspiration to reclaim your personal power, Brittany’s story serves as a beacon of hope, proof of resilience, and a reminder that healing starts from within.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)

Loveisrespect Teen Dating Violence Hotline: 1-866-331-9474

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

What happens when you stop reacting to life out of your woundedness and start choosing from your wholeness? In Part 2 of this inspiring conversation on the LOVE > hate podcast, host Melissa Etzler continues her interview with Gina as she shares her journey of self-advocacy, overcoming personal crisis, and stepping into her authority as a conscious creator.

Picking up from her inner healing work, Gina details how she began putting therapy into practice by standing up for herself in high-stress dynamics. When an unexpected pregnancy coincided with a severe medical emergency (HHT and extreme edema), Gina found herself facing cognitive dissonance and escalating relationship stress. As her physical vulnerability grew, so did the clarity that her marriage was no longer aligned with her emotional well-being.

Turning to Dr. Joe Dispenza’s Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, Gina shifted her perspective from survival to intentional creation. After asking the universe for clarity, she experienced a remarkable three-part lucid dream that gave her the "green light" to make a life-changing decision.

In this episode, we explore:

• Practical tools for setting firm boundaries in toxic relationship dynamics.
• Navigating high-risk pregnancy, health scares, and medical trauma with resilience.
• The mindset shift from expecting disappointment to asking, "God, show me how good it can get."
• Using dream symbolism and intuition to make aligned, courageous life changes.
• How to approach conscious uncoupling and peaceful co-parenting after divorce.

Gina’s powerful story is a testament to the fact that external circumstances often break down so that our lives can finally come together. Whether you are navigating a difficult life transition, healing after a divorce, or seeking spiritual growth, this episode will empower you to trust your intuition and consciously create from your innate wholeness.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)

Loveisrespect Teen Dating Violence Hotline: 1-866-331-9474

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

Can childhood trauma secretly dictate the choices, relationships, and career environments you step into as an adult? In Part 1 of this moving two-part conversation on the LOVE > hate podcast, host Melissa Etzler sits down with guest Gina to explore the complex journey of processing intergenerational trauma, setting boundaries, and decoupling inherited shame.

Gina opens up about growing up in a high-conflict home shaped by domestic chaos and emotional abuse. As she navigated survival mode in her early adulthood, she realized how unhealed childhood wounds were manifesting as nervous system patterns—leading to maladaptive coping mechanisms, financial stress, and toxic workplace dynamics.

A major turning point arrived when Gina realized that the shame and guilt she carried were never hers to begin with. By seeking divine guidance and turning to Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love, she learned to view both herself and her caregivers through a lens of compassion while maintaining hard, necessary boundaries.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to identify subconscious nervous system loops that attract dysfunctional environments.
• The critical difference between intellectualizing trauma and truly processing emotional wounds.
• How to break free from family guilt and establish healthy, permanent boundaries without remorse.
• Understanding intergenerational trauma and learning to parent your inner child.

If you have ever felt stuck in repetitive life cycles, struggled with setting boundaries with toxic family members, or sought self-compassion on your personal development journey, this episode offers a roadmap toward breaking free from survival mode and stepping into healing.

Tune in to discover how honoring your own self-worth can transform your internal world—and set the foundation for creating a life aligned with your true purpose.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)

Loveisrespect Teen Dating Violence Hotline: 1-866-331-9474

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

How can faith communities become places of true refuge rather than silent spaces of isolation? In the final installment of our three-part series on the LOVE>hate podcast, author Liberty Steele and host Melissa Etzler address church leaders, pastors, and community members on how to spot covert abuse and effectively support victims.

Liberty breaks down eye-opening statistics regarding domestic abuse in Christian pews and explains why traditional marital advice often harms victims of emotional and psychological control. She offers actionable indicators that friends and ministry leaders can look for—from subtle shifts in body language to quiet isolation—and provides simple, supportive ways to reach out without causing further risk.

To conclude the series, Liberty defines what peace feels like today and introduces her new book and digital toolkit, designed to help survivors find freedom, safety, and lasting spiritual restoration.

• Key Topics: Domestic abuse awareness in churches, covert emotional abuse signs, Christian divorce and healing, supporting trauma survivors, faith-based abuse resources.
• Resources Mentioned: Redeemed Years: From Narcissistic Darkness to Light by Liberty Steele, shinefromyourshadows.com.

Buy Liberty's Book Here!

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)

Loveisrespect Teen Dating Violence Hotline: 1-866-331-9474

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

Leaving a toxic relationship is only the first step on the road to freedom. In Part 2 of our three-part series, Liberty Steele joins host Melissa Etzler on the LOVE>hate podcast to discuss the complex legal, emotional, and psychological reality of rebuilding your life after emotional abuse.

Liberty details her experience navigating high-conflict divorce court and custody proceedings with a narcissistic partner. She breaks down practical self-defense strategies for survivors, including the "Gray Rock" method, rigorous documentation, and maintaining emotional composure under cross-examination. Liberty also explores the physiological toll of trauma, sharing how EMDR therapy and nervous system regulation helped her brain and body realize she was finally safe.

Closing this chapter with profound hope, Liberty shares her experience finding genuine, unconditional love in a healthy second marriage—proving that healing, peace, and restorative relationships are possible after trauma.

• Key Topics: High-conflict divorce court, gray rock method, EMDR trauma therapy, custody battles with a narcissist, healing after toxic relationships, healthy love after divorce.
• Resources Mentioned: Splitting by Bill Eddy, One Mom’s Battle by Tina Swithin.

Buy Liberty's Book Here!

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)

Loveisrespect Teen Dating Violence Hotline: 1-866-331-9474

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

What happens when emotional and verbal abuse hides behind the doors of a faith-based marriage? In Part 1 of this powerful three-part series on the LOVE>hate podcast, host Melissa Etzler sits down with author and advocate Liberty Steele to unmask the early warning signs of toxicity, covert manipulation, and love bombing within Christian relationships.

Liberty candidly shares her personal journey—from meeting her ex-husband online and entering ten months of church premarital counseling to navigating escalating emotional abuse, control, and spiritual gaslighting. She reveals the subtle red flags many well-meaning believers miss and describes the critical breaking point that compelled her to take her young son and seek safety.

Before diving into Liberty’s story, Melissa celebrates local community heroes with a special recap of their partner Etzler Events' Community Pillar Award announcements hosted at the Richfield Farmers Market, thanking generous sponsor businesses across Washington and Waukesha counties.

Whether you are evaluating your own relationship, supporting a friend, or seeking clarity on spiritual abuse, this episode offers vital insights into identifying covert control and trusting your instincts.

• Key Topics: Narcissistic abuse in marriage, church culture and spiritual gaslighting, love bombing red flags, emotional abuse recovery, domestic abuse awareness.
• Resources Mentioned: Redeemed Years by Liberty Steele.

Buy Liberty's Book Here!

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)

Loveisrespect Teen Dating Violence Hotline: 1-866-331-9474

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888