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Daniella Mestyanek Young

Non Fiction, Psychology, Social Issues

Mar 25: The Culting of America with Daniella Mestyanek Young

March 25, 2026

What Makes a Cult & Why We Love Them

The Culting of America: What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them with Daniella Mestyanek Young

“You’re probably in a cult. You just don’t know it yet.”

Last time we spoke with Daniella Mestyanek Young it was about Uncultured and Daniella’s escape from the insidious Children of God cult. But not all cult-like situations are the same (think corporations, groups, organizations, clubs) and recognizing you’re in a high-control situation is half the battle.

Today we discuss Daniella’s new book, The Culting of America: What Makes A Cult & Why We Love Them. We share what makes cults dangerous, how to recognize the signs of high-control before it’s too late, and why we get sucked into them.

We explore the difference between cults, groups, and fan clubs. And look at a couple of well-known organizations fitting the “10 criteria framework” of all cults. Daniella’s driving force in her work: Why do we give ourselves over to groups — and how do we get our power back?

Meet Daniella Mestyanek Young

Daniella Mestyanek Young is a cult survivor, U.S. Army veteran, Harvard-trained organizational psychologist, and the author of two books about high-control groups—her critically- acclaimed memoir Uncultured. And her latest, The Culting of America. Born into the Children of God—the infamous sex cult known for weaponizing religion, sexuality, and isolation—Daniella escaped at fifteen, only to join another high-control institution: the United States Army. She became one of the first women to serve on an integrated ground combat team in Army history, while working as an intelligence officer who studied terrorists for a living. Her work sits at the intersection of leadership, identity, group psychology, and coercive control.

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Memoir, Non Fiction

Oct 12: Escaping the Children of God Cult – Daniella Mestyanek Young

October 12, 2022

Uncultured: A Memoir

Daniella Mestyanek Young was a third-generation Family member to a group better known as the Children of God. She was raised from birth to believe the world outside was dangerous, full of evil people — and that childhood sex with multiple older men was normal. It was God’s will.

Yet when she was just 15 years old, Daniella had the fortitude to escape everything she knew, put herself through school, and forge a new career — only to find herself back in another “cult”.

We discuss how to identify culture vs. cult. The three phases to leaving a cult. How telling her story after many years of hiding the truth helped Daniella overcome imposter syndrome and build a healthy new life with a real family.

About Daniella Mestyanek Young

American author and speaker Daniella Mestyanek Young was raised in the religious cult the Children of God. She later served as an intelligence officer for more than six years in the US Army, achieving the rank of captain, and became one of the first women in US Army history to conduct deliberate ground combat operations on a Female Engagement Team. Daniella’s the recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award and is currently finalizing her master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from the Harvard Extension School. Her new book is Uncultured.

 

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