Seek Safely
The SEEK Safely podcast is the official voice of the nonprofit organization SEEK Safely Inc, which advocates for ethics and accountability in the self-help industry, and empowers seekers to have safe and effective self-improvement journeys. Jean Brown and Dr. Glenn Patrick Doyle peel back the layers of the largely unregulated, multi-billion dollar self-help industry, discussing the patterns of exploitation and deception that pervade the industry and allow self-help gurus to thrive at the expense of their customers and followers. Along the way we’ll have discussions with people who care as much as we do about the self-help industry being held accountable for the promises it makes–and we lay out our vision of a world in which seekers are respected and protected.
Episodes
37 episodes
Following up with Anne Peterson, Author of "Is This a Cult"
Previously on the Podcast, Anne Peterson introduced her new memoir, "Is This A Cu...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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1:20:03
SEEK Safely Podcast (Taylor Edition) with Brit Barkholtz (Part 2)
Here is Part 2 with Brit Barkholtz. Brit Barkholtz is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in trauma and eating disorders, active in the Twitter therapist community as
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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46:15
SEEK Safely Podcast (Taylor Edition) with Brit Barkholtz (Part 1)
Brit Barkholtz is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in trauma and eating disorders, active in the Twitter therapist community as
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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46:01
Bypassing–Spiritual and Otherwise–in Self-help
Bypassing is, essentially, avoidance. It's something we all do from time to time as a response to something unpleasant in our lives. But sometimes bypassing can cause us to go too far, putting off challenge for later that we'd be better off dea...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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1:03:04
Part 2: “Is This A Cult?” – Anne Peterson's New Memoir about Her Time with Landmark Education & the Infamous Werner Erhard
Continuing our conversation with Anne Peterson, who has decades of involvement with Landmark, one of the original large-group awareness training (LGAT) companies, including experience producing a breakthrough leadership program developed for La...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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1:04:03
“Is This A Cult?” – Anne Peterson's New Memoir about Her Time with Landmark Education & the Infamous Werner Erhard
Anne Peterson has decades of involvement with Landmark, one of the original large-group awareness training (LGAT) companies, including experience producing a breakthrough leadership program developed for Landmark's founder, Werner Erhard. Milli...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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58:42
From Kirby Jam 2023: SEEK Safely’s Legislative Effort to Pass Self-help Consumer Protection Legislation
This episode is a throw-back to our annual fundraiser, Kirby Jam, in October 2023. We had live-streamed on a different topic each night, and on this night, Monday, October 16th, we discussed our effort to pass self-help consumer ...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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51:18
Self-help Books that Arent's Self-help Books with Guest Dr. Christine Whelan
Our resident self-help geeks, Dr. Doyle and Dr. Christine Whelan, along with Jean, talk about self-help books that aren’t self-help books—that is, books that were not written to be self-help books but have been adopted into self-help culture, o...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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1:07:34
Healthy, Less Self-helpy New Year's Resolutions
Did you set a New Year’s resolution that is already floundering? Have you been inundated by self-help/wellness/woo-woo New Yearsy stuff, too? Or maybe peri-menopause supplements… The self-help industry loves a New Year’s resolution, so Jean ...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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1:02:44
BINGO! We’ve got another Self-help Cult with Twin Flames Universe
Glenn and Jean tackle the cosmic matchmaking self-help group/cult, Twin Flames Universe. Much has already been written and said about this fascinating/terrifying group. But on the SEEK Safely Podcast, the focus is on what this Twin Flames pheno...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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54:06
Taking on the 'Giant Within' Self-help: Tony Robbins (PART 2)
This is the continuation of the first episode of the 3rd season! It picks up where the first episode left off, deep into Tony Robbins’ assent into self-help superstardom. Tony Robbins was Dr. Glenn’s first stop in the wide world of self-help...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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39:59
Taking on the 'Giant Within' Self-help: Tony Robbins (PART 1)
Jean and Glenn kick off the third season of the SEEK Safely Podcast, diving right in with a chat about Dr. Glenn’s favourite self-help author, Tony Robbins. Robbins has been one of the biggest names in self-help for decades. His success has ins...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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40:42
ICYMI: Reviewing Season 2 of the SEEK Safely Podcast
Before we take a quick podcast break, Glenn and Jean go back through the episodes from Season 2, reviewing some of the highlights and favorite moments. They also take a look at what theme emerged from this collection of discussions and inter...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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1:17:51
Man Cave Bacon-eating Energy: ‘The Manosphere’ and Self-help
“Not unlike the tactics used by cults, who often exploit people who are seeking meaning, The Manosphere and the alt right provide meaning in the form of misogyny and white supremacy, creating an “affective fabric” that binds them together.”<...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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1:07:16
Enlighten Us 7 Years Later: Discussing the Flawed Documentary and What’s Happened in Self-help Since (featuring Dr. Christine Whelan)
In 2016, CNN Films released a documentary entitled “Enlighten Us,” which followed James Ray’s attempted comeback after his short imprisonment for negligent homicide. That conviction was the result of the deaths of 3 people at Ray’s Spiritual...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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1:11:39
Joelle Tamraz, Author of “The Secret Practice: Eighteen Years on the Dark Side of Yoga”
Jean and Dr. Glenn speak with author Joelle Tamraz, whose gripping memoir details her time with a “yoga guru” who became her life and business partner. Through her compelling storytelling, it becomes clear that it was not weakness or desperatio...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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1:16:11
A Self-help History: Peter McWilliams and ‘What to do When Your Guru Sues You’
In this episode, Dr. Glenn takes us through the fascinating tale of Peter McWilliams who was both the author of the best-selling “Life 101” series and a victim in many ways of his guru/cult leader, John-Roger.The story of Peter...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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1:17:32
How Self-help Approaches Trauma (hint: it’s kind of a problem…)
Given how much of a buzzword TRAUMA is in the self-help/wellness/self-improvement world and even more broadly in our culture, we’re lucky that Dr. Glenn happens to be a trauma specialist! A lot of gurus and New Age love-and-light ty...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:06:41
Self-help’s Intensifying Flirtation with Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theories are on the rise in many areas of our society, and this holds true within the self-help industry, especially since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Jean and Glenn discuss this situation, shedding some light on why it is...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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45:46
Geeking Out on Self-help with Dr. Christine Whelan (Part 2)
In Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Christine Whalen, self-help researcher and SEEK Safely’s newest Board member, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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46:57
Geeking Out on Self-help with Dr. Christine Whelan (Part 1)
Jean and Glenn welcome Dr. Christine Whelan, SEEK Safely’s newest Board member, to the SEEK Safely podcast in this first of two episodes. Dr. Christine is an author, professor and speaker, and one of the few researchers wh...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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48:08
You Cannot Miss This Opportunity to Talk about MLMs!
Jean and Glenn have an amazing opportunity to share with you! That’s right, we’re talking all about multi-level marketing! Why is the self-help podcast talking about MLMs? In this episode, the discussion specifically highlights the links and...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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1:05:37
Glenn and Jean Spoil ‘The Secret’
Despite its name, the Law of Attraction will come to you in your self-help journey, whether you’ve asked for it or not. It’s a big part of SEEK’s story, given that James Arthur Ray’s rise to fame came from his involvement with the self-help phe...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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1:00:13
We’re Back for Season 2
The SEEK Safely Podcast is back for a 2nd season!Life’s been busy! Feedback for the podcast has been so encouraging, and we’re happy to be back! We’ve got some exciting discussions for you.On this first episode, we touc...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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49:47
Recapping Season One of the SEEK Safely Podcast and Looking Ahead to Season Two
In this final episode of the SEEK Safely podcast’s first season, hosts Dr. Doyle and Jean share some of their lasting impressions from the previous episodes of the podcast. Big themes that came through: ...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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48:58