19. Cult Psychology & Confidence | The *Real* Threat of Insecurity

In this passionate episode, Emily opens up about her evolving relationship with confidence and insecurity—and how these themes impact our ability to live freely, trust ourselves, and stay safe in a world full of manipulation.From New Year’s intentions to post-cult recovery stories, she explores the existential stakes of self-trust, why fake-it-til-you-make-it never truly works, and how disconnection from your own wisdom makes you vulnerable.In this episode:Why deep insecurity can be dangerousWhat cult recovery taught Emily about trust and autonomyThe lie behind "fake confidence"Why Self-Trust isn’t just a key—it’s your shieldHow to vet people, professionals, and programs with discernmentTraining + Certification ApplicationEmily's books: Can People Really Change? 13 Lessons from 13 Years as a TherapistJoin Behind-The-Scenes: https://curiosityrising.substack.com/subscribe*You'll want to sign up for either the paid $7/mo or $70 annual level to get BTSDEEPEN YOUR SELF-TRUST WORK:Get the books + more: The Self-Trust Marketplace1-1 Session with EmilyBuy You Can Trust Yourself on AmazonCONNECT WITH EMILY: Have questions or topics you'd like to hear about? Reach out and connect!SubstackInstagramEmail List This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiosityrising.substack.com/subscribe