In the first half of this very special two-part episode. Rachel speaks with author Daniel Barban Levin who had previously come on the show to discuss his excellent memoir SLONIM WOODS 9, about his experience getting into, surviving, and getting out of the now infamous coercive control group that began at Sarah Lawrence College. Joining Daniel this time will be Felicia Rosario who is also a survivor of the group's master manipulator Larry Ray, who thankfully is now serving a jail sentence of 60 years for his many awful abuses. Felicia who is a Harvard and Columbia Graduate was pulled into Larry's cult through her brother Santos who had briefly dated Larry's, Daughter Talia.
Both Rosario and Daniel are featured in the new Hulu documentary STOLEN YOUTH: INSIDE THE CULT AT SARAH LAWRENCE
The film's director Zachary Heinzerling had reached out to Rachel and her colleague Dan Shaw in the early stages of production to get a better sense of how to ethically portray this story from a perspective that was respectful of the survivors and not re-traumatize them in the process, they had met regularly for some time and his work can now finally be seen by the public as to provide the audience with a nuanced understanding of how anyone can get sucked into a manipulative, high control group.
The film which is available now for streaming offers striking first-hand interviews with con man Larry Ray’s victims and incorporates personal audio tapes and video recordings to tell the story of his grim 10-year influence over a group of young people. The series follows the story from the cult’s origins in 2010 on the Sarah Lawrence campus until its recent demise when the last members find their own paths to survival.
Throughout this cathartic and engaging conversation, Daniel and Felicia both begin to unpack the trauma of their experiences with Larry. With Rachel's encouragement, they provide insights into the new perspective they've gained after telling their stories through the film, reassessing what happened with a new distance from the abuse they finally broke free of.
Before You Go: Rachel explains the sociopathic mindstate of people like Larry who manipulate people in the most extreme ways seemingly just as a sort of sport. Rachel goes on to point out why it can often be difficult for followers to recognize these toxic traits in leaders.
You can stream STOLEN YOUTH: INSIDE THE CULT AT SARAH LAWRENCE now on Hulu. Watch the trailer here:
https://youtu.be/p81Zit72Yao
Daniel's book SLONIM WOODS 9 is available everywhere now. More info can be found here:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/634501/slonim-woods-9-by-daniel-barban-levin/
You can purchase Rachel's webinar series LIVING IN FREEDOM here:
rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html
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