Ashley is a former member of NXIVM and a recent graduate of the MSc Psychology of Coercive Control program in the UK.
When Ashley left NXIVM, she felt she had no one to turn to for support, and was embarrassed and ashamed. When she did seek help, the therapists she found didn’t believe her story. These actions contributed to PTSD symptoms and chronic anxiety. No one should have to face criticism after leaving a high demand group.
“I raise up my voice – not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard.”
Malala Yousafzai
Ashley actively advocates to bring clarity and training that helps people recognize tactics of this kind of abuse. Coercive control can be found in high demand groups such as spiritual groups, gangs, forced labour trafficking etc.
Her current focus of study is examining NXIVM’s educational and marketing material to reveal how language operationalizes the manipulation and reveal how pseudo psychological techniques may have contributed to a ‘constructed reality’ on which the modules and classes were based and the effects of the social structure within the NXIVM community.
Ashley’s research interests include the recovery processes of former members and the psychological malpractice engaged in by pseudo-therapeutic groups. She is currently looking to pursue a Phd to explore her research interests.
Ashley’s Blogs
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome In The NXIVM Cult
The process of un-indoctrinating myself was a deep maze of therapy, education, time and a myriad of discussions with…