Ep. 238: Surviving My Mother's Cult: Peggy on Escape, Trauma & Finding Your Voice

Ep. 238: Surviving My Mother's Cult: Peggy on Escape, Trauma & Finding Your Voice

From Everything & Anything...and a bit gay Podcast by Zach Randles-Friedman

June 9, 2026 · 51 min · Episode 238

About this episode

Peggy shares her harrowing experience of growing up in a cult led by her mother and how she transformed her trauma into a successful career.

Peggy was raised inside a religious cult her own mother created and led — a movement called "the kingdom" built on end-times prophecy, fear, and total control. Pulled out of school in the eighth grade, taught that she'd be cast into a lake of fire if she wasn't "pure and perfect," and living under a mother who claimed to be the incarnation of Jesus, heal the sick, raise the dead, and read minds, Peggy spent a decade of her childhood in survival mode. In this unforgettable conversation, she shares how she got out at 21, the years it took to untangle the beliefs conditioned into her, and how she transformed her trauma into a 20-year career as a psychotherapist and a powerful new memoir. As Peggy puts it: your trauma doesn't define you — it can refine you. 📖 Get the book: Surviving the Family Kingdom on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Family-Kingdom-Escaping-Reclaiming-ebook/dp/B0GMKLM4FW

People in this episode

Host: Zach Randles-Friedman

Guest: Peggy

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Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Surviving the Family Kingdom

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