Let's Talk About Sects

A Podcast About Cults, Hosted by Sarah Steel

For the past eight years, Sarah Steel has been talking about cults on her independent podcast based in Australia. Let's Talk About Sects features survivors of high-demand groups from around the world. It is an award-winning and internationally renowned show, which undoubtedly comes from Sarah’s style of in-depth discussion that provides the necessary space for context and nuance, across a variety of topics.

Let's Talk About Sects is a collection of told experiences. This landscape of human stories provides us with an understanding that the harms of coercively controlling groups are not isolated at all but are an inherent human problem. One that governments, law enforcement, education and support systems are still far behind in grappling.

We need to listen to survivors of these groups to learn about what they have experienced, as well as the professionals and advocates whom Sarah also features and decide how we can be effective in making a difference in addressing this broad public health issue. But first and foremost, survivors need safe places to tell their stories in a way that supports their voice, with dignity. Sarah hosted a panel on this very topic during the recent Decult Conference which took place in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2024. The panel was titled A New Media Narrative: Survivor-focused Cult Reporting and featured MISA survivor Bec Sonkkila, documentary filmmaker Natalie Malcon, RNZ investigative reporter Anusha Bradley, and Media Law Professor Ursula Cheer. It is an informative look at the ethics of media and ways that media can have a more supportive and trauma-informed approach.

I had reached out to Sarah to see if she would be interested in discussing the Child Safety Standards which have recently been implemented nationally, across all Australian states and territories, following the report and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

I wanted to inform people of the current harms to children within Scientology and relate what some of these abusive practices are, as I had experienced them myself extensively as a child, as well as describe the framework of the Child Safety Standards as a means to address this.

I really appreciated Sarah’s approach, informing me through each step along the way. Her questions encouraged me to dig deeply into the topic, and she allowed me the time and space to explain things in my own words. I felt involved in the entire process and that I could have a say in decisions. I am very grateful to Sarah for having me on her podcast.

If you are interested in listening to this episode, click on the link here.

Please explore the playlist and listen to other episodes of Sarah Steel’s incredible, heart breaking, inspiring and informative podcast about cults as told by survivors, professionals and advocates.

You can find out more about this podcast and see other platforms that are available for listening here: Let's Talk About Sects