In this episode, Robyn sits down with her own health coach, Chelsea McLeod, for a powerful conversation about understanding hormones, navigating menopause, and uncovering the truth behind women’s weight loss.
This episode explores:
How Robyn navigated her own midlife struggles
The beliefs behind diet culture
The relationship between hormones and weight loss
Symptoms of hormone imbalance
The impact of having the right weight loss protocol
How our symptoms differ from others
Women’s three major midlife concerns
Overcoming the fear of irrelevance and invisibility
Gaining midlife confidence and creativity
Understanding neuroticism and nervous system regulation
It’s time to change the story of midlife—by recognizing your body, understanding your patterns, and finding the support you need to feel well and whole.
Love what you’re hearing?
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to Robyn. Each month, one listener will receive a Scroll of Recognition—a custom energetic blessing, activation, or intuitive message written just for you.
Chelsea McLeod is an Integrative Health Practitioner specializing in helping driven women overcome stress and achieve sustainable weight loss by balancing hormones, fixing gut issues, and helping you become the person who can sustain results for a lifetime. I work remotely with clients worldwide (Sydney, Singapore, Amsterdam, New York, and beyond), focusing on balancing hormones, resolving gut issues, and empowering clients to maintain long-term results.
Connect with Chelsea McLeod:
Website: https://chelseamcleod.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthywithchels/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelseajmcleod/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-mcleod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healthywithchels
Robyn McKay, PhD, is an award-winning therapist and psychospiritual advisor who teaches and leads at the intersection of psychology × spirituality × energetics. With deep roots in clinical psychology and a lifetime of living at the crossroads of intuition and credentials, she is a rare bridge between science and soul, credentials and codes, strategy and spirit.
Early in her career, Robyn served as a university psychologist before stepping into her broader calling as a guide for high performers, creatives, and seekers. She addresses a wide spectrum of human experience — healing trauma, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and ADHD in women; accessing spiritual gifts; and navigating existential crossroads.
Having sold $2.5M+ in retreats and private intensives, Robyn is now architecting an entirely new category of retreats: expert-led, trauma-informed, miracle-level. She helps credentialed, neurodivergent, and spiritually awake women leaders design transformational retreats that carry depth, meaning, and lasting impact.
Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:
LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhD
Facebook: Dr. Robyn McKay
Instagram: @robynmckayphd
Book a call with Dr. Robyn! https://drrobynmckay.com/call
Join the $100K Retreat Leaders Secrets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100kretreatsecrects
Join the Credentials and Codes Masterclass today! https://robyn-mckay.myflodesk.com/credentialscodes
In this episode, Dr. Robyn McKay talks about why many really good clinicians hide their intuitive gifts and psychic abilities, and why this is the right time to come out of the spiritual closet.
This episode explores:
How psychic abilities guide you to medicine
Why intuition is often set aside for evidence-based practices
Why clinicians aren’t willing to admit their spiritual practice
The biggest challenge for psychic clinicians
The journey to understanding their psychic gifts
The struggle of being siloed
The cost of keeping it clinical
The role of clinical discernment and ethics
Why psychic clinicians serve patients best
How Dr. Robyn took responsibility for her gifts
This is our reminder that the future of medicine lies in our choice to integrate the clinical with the spiritual.
Love what you’re hearing?
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to Robyn. Each month, one listener will receive a Scroll of Recognition—a custom energetic blessing, activation, or intuitive message written just for you.
Robyn McKay, PhD, is an award-winning therapist and psychospiritual advisor who teaches and leads at the intersection of psychology × spirituality × energetics. With deep roots in clinical psychology and a lifetime of living at the crossroads of intuition and credentials, she is a rare bridge between science and soul, credentials and codes, strategy and spirit.
Early in her career, Robyn served as a university psychologist before stepping into her broader calling as a guide for high performers, creatives, and seekers. She addresses a wide spectrum of human experience — healing trauma, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and ADHD in women; accessing spiritual gifts; and navigating existential crossroads.
Having sold $2.5M+ in retreats and private intensives, Robyn is now architecting an entirely new category of retreats: expert-led, trauma-informed, miracle-level. She helps credentialed, neurodivergent, and spiritually awake women leaders design transformational retreats that carry depth, meaning, and lasting impact.
Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:
LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhD
Facebook: Dr. Robyn McKay
Instagram: @robynmckayphd
Book a call with Dr. Robyn! https://drrobynmckay.com/call
Join the $100K Retreat Leaders Secrets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100kretreatsecrects
In this episode, Dr. Robyn McKay reveals what truly happens when clinicians suppress their spiritual gifts. Through her own story of awakening, she shares her powerful call to action, to fully know who she is.
This episode explores:
What happened when Dr. Robyn suppressed her own spiritual gift
Why Dr. Robyn left her career as a clinician
Her journey as an intuitive child and spiritual awakening
The role of soul retrievals
Why Dr. Robyn pursued psychology
How suppression leads to burnout
What it takes to create a practice that honors your whole self
The real cost of keeping intuition in the background
Why integration opens everything up
In the end, it all comes down to one choice — will you choose spirit or science, intuition or intellect?
Love what you’re hearing?
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to Robyn. Each month, one listener will receive a Scroll of Recognition—a custom energetic blessing, activation, or intuitive message written just for you.
Robyn McKay, PhD, is an award-winning therapist and psychospiritual advisor who teaches and leads at the intersection of psychology × spirituality × energetics. With deep roots in clinical psychology and a lifetime of living at the crossroads of intuition and credentials, she is a rare bridge between science and soul, credentials and codes, strategy and spirit.
Early in her career, Robyn served as a university psychologist before stepping into her broader calling as a guide for high performers, creatives, and seekers. She addresses a wide spectrum of human experience — healing trauma, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and ADHD in women; accessing spiritual gifts; and navigating existential crossroads.
Having sold $2.5M+ in retreats and private intensives, Robyn is now architecting an entirely new category of retreats: expert-led, trauma-informed, miracle-level. She helps credentialed, neurodivergent, and spiritually awake women leaders design transformational retreats that carry depth, meaning, and lasting impact.
Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:
LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhD
Facebook: Dr. Robyn McKay
Instagram: @robynmckayphd
Book a call with Dr. Robyn! https://drrobynmckay.com/call
Join the $100K Retreat Leaders Secrets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100kretreatsecrects
In this short but powerful episode, I’ll be uncovering why the most rational, high-performing clinicians are now secretly studying intuition behind closed doors.
We’ll explore:
Why high-achieving clinicians turn to intuition
How intuition has been devalued
The role of intuition in fast, aligned decision-making
What’s missing beyond credentials
How to access and honor your intuition
Letting go of control and stepping into mystery
What happens when you start owning your intuitive power
Why mystery doesn’t exist in the purely rational
How embracing your intuition influences others
Why your intuitive abilities aren’t meant to be transmitted
This is your sign to tap into your intuition, activate your energetic gifts, and learn to move and clear your own energy. Because, beyond being intelligent and accomplished, you are intuitive.
Love what you’re hearing?
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to Robyn. Each month, one listener will receive a Scroll of Recognition—a custom energetic blessing, activation, or intuitive message written just for you.
Robyn McKay, PhD, is an award-winning therapist and psychospiritual advisor who teaches and leads at the intersection of psychology × spirituality × energetics. With deep roots in clinical psychology and a lifetime of living at the crossroads of intuition and credentials, she is a rare bridge between science and soul, credentials and codes, strategy and spirit.
Early in her career, Robyn served as a university psychologist before stepping into her broader calling as a guide for high performers, creatives, and seekers. She addresses a wide spectrum of human experience — healing trauma, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and ADHD in women; accessing spiritual gifts; and navigating existential crossroads.
Having sold $2.5M+ in retreats and private intensives, Robyn is now architecting an entirely new category of retreats: expert-led, trauma-informed, miracle-level. She helps credentialed, neurodivergent, and spiritually awake women leaders design transformational retreats that carry depth, meaning, and lasting impact.
Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:
LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhD
Facebook: Dr. Robyn McKay
Instagram: @robynmckayphd
Book a call with Dr. Robyn! https://drrobynmckay.com/call
Join the $100K Retreat Leaders Secrets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100kretreatsecrects
What if the future of medicine isn’t just about science and technology, but about intuition?
In this powerful episode, Dr. Robyn McKay reveals how doctors, clinicians, and healers with intuitive abilities are transforming healthcare and shaping the next era of medicine. Beyond emotional intelligence, intuition is emerging as a must-have leadership skill redefining how we care, heal, and lead in today’s world.
This episode explores:
Why being an intuitive should be honored
How Western healing is converging with intuition
Why intuition is going to be the major leadership ability
What patients actually want from practitioners
How tools are dependent on our nervous system
How to use intuition for deeper discernment
The need for an entirely holistic way of healing
If you’re an intuitively intelligent physician or clinician, now is the time to embrace your intuitive gifts and integrate them into your practice.
Love what you’re hearing?
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to Robyn. Each month, one listener will receive a Scroll of Recognition—a custom energetic blessing, activation, or intuitive message written just for you.
Robyn McKay, PhD, is an award-winning therapist and psychospiritual advisor who teaches and leads at the intersection of psychology × spirituality × energetics. With deep roots in clinical psychology and a lifetime of living at the crossroads of intuition and credentials, she is a rare bridge between science and soul, credentials and codes, strategy and spirit.
Early in her career, Robyn served as a university psychologist before stepping into her broader calling as a guide for high performers, creatives, and seekers. She addresses a wide spectrum of human experience — healing trauma, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and ADHD in women; accessing spiritual gifts; and navigating existential crossroads.
Having sold $2.5M+ in retreats and private intensives, Robyn is now architecting an entirely new category of retreats: expert-led, trauma-informed, miracle-level. She helps credentialed, neurodivergent, and spiritually awake women leaders design transformational retreats that carry depth, meaning, and lasting impact.
Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:
LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhD
Facebook: Dr. Robyn McKay
Instagram: @robynmckayphd
Book a call with Dr. Robyn! https://drrobynmckay.com/call
Join the $100K Retreat Leaders Secrets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100kretreatsecrects
In this eye-opening conversation, Robyn is joined by one of her very first clients, self-taught mixed media artist Laura Madden, to share her journey of transformation from fitness to life coaching, and ultimately answering her calling in the arts.
This episode explores:
How Laura transitioned from fitness to life coaching
Finding the alignment between your gifts and your soul
Why we start with the neo-personality profile
Harnessing creativity through upcycling
Bringing beauty into the world
Finding fulfillment through art
Laura’s turning point toward visibility
Why many artists struggle with self-consciousness
How art is often dismissed as just a hobby
Women’s fear of invisibility and becoming irrelevant
Making life changes through art reveals a deeper purpose. You’re not weird for following what fulfills your heart — it’s a process of becoming.
Love what you’re hearing?
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to Robyn. Each month, one listener will receive a Scroll of Recognition—a custom energetic blessing, activation, or intuitive message written just for you.
Laura Madden is a self-taught mixed media artist based in Phoenix, Arizona. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, she reimagines reclaimed materials and found objects—items that might otherwise be dismissed as disreputable or disposable—as the foundation of her artistic practice. In 2019, she made the decision to pursue art professionally after recognizing it as her true life’s calling. Madden’s creative path began with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Physiology from the University of New Hampshire, where she graduated summa cum laude. She spent 15 years working in the fitness industry before transitioning into sustainable fashion— a field that continues to inform her work. Drawing inspiration from her passion for the environment, design, and the intersection of beauty and sustainability, Madden creates layered, textural works that are both elegant and evocative.
Connect with Laura Madden:
Website: https://www.iamlauramadden.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamlauramadden/?hl=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauramaddenstudio/#
Robyn McKay, PhD, is an award-winning therapist and psychospiritual advisor who teaches and leads at the intersection of psychology × spirituality × energetics. With deep roots in clinical psychology and a lifetime of living at the crossroads of intuition and credentials, she is a rare bridge between science and soul, credentials and codes, strategy and spirit.
Early in her career, Robyn served as a university psychologist before stepping into her broader calling as a guide for high performers, creatives, and seekers. She addresses a wide spectrum of human experience — healing trauma, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and ADHD in women; accessing spiritual gifts; and navigating existential crossroads.
Having sold $2.5M+ in retreats and private intensives, Robyn is now architecting an entirely new category of retreats: expert-led, trauma-informed, miracle-level. She helps credentialed, neurodivergent, and spiritually awake women leaders design transformational retreats that carry depth, meaning, and lasting impact.
Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:
LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhD
Facebook: Dr. Robyn McKay
Instagram: @robynmckayphd
Book a call with Dr. Robyn! https://drrobynmckay.com/call
Join the $100K Retreat Leaders Secrets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100kretreatsecrects
In this unflinching and wide-ranging conversation, Robyn welcomes back bestselling coach and author Nicole Cherie Hesse, whose new novel A Shadow Called Sunshine is fiction-ish, soul-coded, and anything but self-help as usual.
This episode explores:
Why Nicole wrote a novel instead of a business book
The dangers of turning survivorship into an identity
How trauma bonding gets masqueraded as empowerment
The rise of the relatable trauma brand—and why Nicole’s not here for it
The cultural spell of Twilight, 50 Shades, and “healing” arcs that leave women stuck
What it means to choose the pattern interrupt
The So That What movement and how it builds beyond #MeToo
Plus, we reflect on our own experiences with narcissistic abuse, spiritual trauma, and what it means to hold radical responsibility without shame.
If you’ve ever been sold the story that being chosen by a powerful person was the win—this one will set the record (and your nervous system) straight.
Order A Shadow Called Sunshine: sothatwhat.org
Join the So That What Telegram group: sothatwhat.org
Connect with Nicole: @unicornsonlyauthor on IG
Love what you’re hearing?
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and send a screenshot to Robyn. Each month, one listener will receive a Scroll of Recognition—a custom energetic blessing, activation, or intuitive message written just for you.
Because this podcast isn’t just content. It’s a codex. And your voice helps write it.
🛍️ Resources + Links:📝 Leave a Review + Receive a Scroll
The one with the polyamory plot twist
In this inaugural episode of their monthly podcast, Robyn and Alyse are back behind the mic and pulling zero punches. With a name (finally) and a whole lot of opinions, the duo dives into:
The origin story of this very podcast (spoiler: ChatGPT may or may not be to blame)
A spicy little detour on the blank slate model still being taught in therapy training (?!), and how that relates to self-disclosure, clean fields, and the ethics of being real
A collective side-eye toward the Aubrey Marcus “Radical Monogamy” situation and what it reveals about manipulation in spiritual branding
The difference between intuition vs. influence in the age of algorithmic consensus
A lowkey philosophical throwdown on trauma-as-performance, the relatability-industrial complex, and why your story doesn’t have to be tragic to be powerful
AI weirdness, deep-fake Brene Brown, and the art of trusting your own energy over what the algorithm tells you is real
From Barbie-core psychotherapy flashbacks to high-level insights on consent, discernment, and the post-Bewitched era, Robyn and Alyse are here to decode the culture, name the patterns, and say what everyone else is (very politely) not.
New episodes drop monthly.
Title: Don't Let Them.
Vibes: Phoebe from Friends + Elaine from Seinfeld, but make it multidimensional.
Join me over in the House of Sheology for weekly lives where I teach about how to create premium offers that hold all of your medicine and feel just as good selling as they do delivering.
Welcome back to the House of Sheology, the podcast for spiritually intelligent leaders who are building lives, businesses, and bodies of work that are both profitable and principled.
This week’s episode is part of what I’m calling the After Series—conversations that were recorded before we officially closed the book on the entity formerly known as “Betty,” but that carry essential codes and clarity for this moment in time.
You’re about to hear the audio from one of our most powerful Instagram Lives—a Debriefed conversation with my cohost Alyse Bacine and our guest, Elizabeth Purvis. At the time, we were still inside the unraveling, still metabolizing the lessons. Listening now, from the other side of the spell, the wisdom hits even deeper.
In this episode, we explore what it means to walk the path of eldership, why powerful women so often remain silent in the face of manipulation, and how to find your voice—again. There’s a little tarot (you’ll know which card), a lot of truth, and yes... a brief and very joyful nod to Phoebe Buffay.
If you’ve ever questioned your instincts inside a mentorship…
If you’ve ever wondered why you stayed longer than you wanted to…
If you’re ready to hold yourself—and your students—to higher standards of spiritual maturity and leadership…
This one’s for you.
In this episode, we explore:
What spiritual eldership really means—and how you know you’re ready
The role of shame in silencing powerful women
The nuances of mentorship, projection, and unmet needs
Why we stayed, how we left, and what we’ve reclaimed since
How the archetypes of the Empress and that Tarot card shape our stories
The importance of writing it down—and saying it out loud
Elizabeth’s return to teaching the Akashic Records
Alyse’s full-circle moment as a teacher
And yes… the long-awaited Smelly Cat video makes its official debut. You can watch right here (I apologize in advance) 🎸
Featured Offerings:
🌟 Download Elizabeth's book The 7-figure Goddess
🌟Elizabeth’s Akashic Records Training is open now—a fresh start for a sacred tool. Find out more right here.
🌬️ Alyse’s Metamorphosis Method begins soon: her signature program for clearing ancestral patterns and claiming your power. DM her on IG: @alyse_breathes for more information
🌀Robyn's C-Suite, is accepting new members—a 9-month executive roundtable for intuitive women codifying their multidimensional modalities, and marketing & selling premium and high-ticket programs. Check the C-Suite
✍️ Healing the Healers—Robyn's forthcoming ebook for practitioners supporting clients after spiritual harm. Reserve your copy now right here.
Connect with Us:
🎧 Follow the podcast and leave a review
📲 Share this episode with a friend or mentor
📸 Follow along on Instagram @robynmckayphd
💌 Sign up for updates at https://drrobynmckay.com
Thank you so much for being part of this conversation.
We love you a million.
Episode 13 — The One Where We Close the Book
After 13 episodes and 11 powerful stories, we’ve arrived at the final chapter of Season One.
This series has been called groundbreaking.
It’s also been called the most important conversation on the internet right now.
In this episode, Robyn and Alyse reflect on what’s been revealed, remembered, and reclaimed—and what happens when we stop centering the so-called leader and start listening to the women who walked away.
We explore the patterns that emerged across every story—trauma bonding, isolation tactics, emotional whiplash, psychic manipulation, and manufactured loyalty—as well as the psychological architecture behind it all. Robyn brings forward insights from personality psychology and spiritual intelligence, and Alyse maps the energetics of trauma-based mind control and recovery.
We also name what Bewitched is—and what it is not.
This was never a cult exposé.
It was never about revenge.
It’s about clarity. Integrity. Discernment.
And the women who chose to tell the truth.
In this episode, we cover:
Why we didn’t reveal Betty’s identity—and why that matters
The patterns of manipulation seen across all 11 stories
The contrast between the Dark Tetrad and the Light Triad
How personality traits like openness, agreeableness, and unhealed trauma made us vulnerable to harm
Why the decision to tell these stories now is a reclaiming of voice, power, and consciousness
What happens next—for us, and for the field of spiritual leadership
Robyn also shares the moment she knew it was time to speak.
And she closes the season with the words her dear friend Barb gives her every time she leaves the farm in Kansas:
“Now, voyager—sail thou forth to seek and find.”
~Walt Witman
What's next?
🔮 Join Us Live
We’re hosting one final Instagram Live to Wrap Up Season :
🗓️ Monday, May 12 at 10 a.m. PT
📍 @robynmckayphd + @alyse_breathes
We’ll reflect, answer your questions, and share what’s next.
✨ Healing the Healers: 11 Things Every Spiritually Intelligent Leader Needs to Know About Helping Clients After Spiritual Harm
📖 Reserve Your CopyRobyn’s new ebook is now available to reserve. This is your next step if you’ve been listening and thinking: Now what?
Reserve your copy here
Episode 11 of Bewitched: Breaking the Spell After Spiritual Mentoring Goes Wrong
Baljit Rayat was there in the beginning.
The first student.
The one who trusted deeply, taught faithfully, and stayed loyal — even after her intuition told her something wasn’t right.
In this episode, Baljit shares her story of spiritual mentorship turned sideways: the gaslighting, the psychic tracking, the grief, and the moment in Santa Fe when the portal was opened… and something else walked in.
Baljit’s episode arrives on Beltane — a sacred day of fire and fertility, crowned also by May Day, when Catholics honor Mary, the Divine Mother. It also marks the 11th story in the series — a number known in numerology as a gateway, a spiritual master number, a turning point.
What she reveals in this conversation is layered and lucid — including:
The early years of deep trust and transformation
Her experience with fawning and subtle coercion
How she now sees signs of spiritual psychosis
The energetic aftermath: psychic tracking, sexual energy blocks, and more
And the unexpected role she may have played as a “handler” inside the system
I trusted her.
I carried her work.
I stayed loyal.
And then I saw what it had become.
This is the final story before the season finale.
The spell is nearly broken.
Links & Mentions:
– Baljit Rayat’s music and work: https://www.baljitrayat.com/
– Connect with Robyn on Instagram: @robynmckayphd
– Connect with Alyse Bacine: @alyse_breathes
– Reserve your copy of Healing the Healers ebook (right here)
– Join the conversation: DM Robyn or Alyse, or share your story at clientcare@drrobynmckay.com
Some women are with you until the very last page of the story. Brenda is one of them.
In this week’s episode, Alyse and I sit down with Brenda, who knew “Betty” since 2016 and stayed close through two major retreats—including the last one in Croatia.
Her reflections are grounded, insightful, and offer a rare perspective on what it means to stay, witness, and ultimately walk away with clarity.
This isn’t a dramatic tell-all.
It’s a steady, clear conversation about what happens when truth begins to override loyalty.
In this episode:
Why staying ‘too long’ is often part of the process
The subtle distortion of gaslighting over time
How Brenda found her way out—not in a blaze, but with quiet strength
What it really looks like to reclaim clarity after spiritual confusion
Why women like Brenda matter to the narrative
✨ Also inside:
The difference between devotion and entanglement
The moment the spell breaks—and what comes next
A few solid nods to our Friends fandom (could we be any more obvious?)
📖 Supporting clients through spiritual harm recovery?
Reserve your copy of Healing the Healers—our guide for therapists, coaches, and multidimensional practitioners. It’s practical, resonant, and ready when you are.
🎸 Missed the Phoebe moment?
Yes, I finally released the guitar video. Phoebe Buffay hair, guitar, a little sass, and a lot of heart. Watch here.
⚡️PS: There’s only one more episode before the season finale.
So if you’ve been riding the Thursday wave with us—don’t miss this one.
Same time, same spell-breaking vibe.
We’ll see you next week.
Episode Title: The One Where She Said What Needed to Be Said
Podcast Series: Bewitched: Breaking the Spell After Spiritual Mentoring Goes Wrong
Guest: Elizabeth Purvis
Episode Description:
Before there was Betty, there was Elizabeth Purvis—a brilliant teacher, skilled magician, and established transformational leader whose work was already flourishing long before Betty entered the scene.
In The One Where She Said What Needed to Be Said, Elizabeth joins Robyn and Alyse to share the story she’s never told publicly. Not because she was hiding it—but because the moment had to be right. And now, it is.
This episode pulls back the curtain on what happens when leadership turns to manipulation, when discernment gets clouded by charisma, and when a trusted mentor crosses the line from inspiration into appropriation. Elizabeth speaks with clarity, grace, and grounded power as she recounts the years-long arc of her relationship with Betty—culminating in the ultimate irony: being accused of copying the very material Betty quietly took from her.
This is not just a story about what went wrong. It’s a conversation about reclaiming your space. About choosing truth over comfort. About leading with both power and integrity—even when it costs you something.
As always, we've changed the name of the mentor ("Betty") and the retreat locations. But the story? True, blue, and unfiltered.
Mentioned in this episode:
What to watch for when a mentor starts crossing the line
How Elizabeth’s magical lineage shaped her discernment and devotion to ethical practice
Why spiritually intelligent, high-achieving women are often targeted—and how to see it sooner
The difference between divine neutrality and emotional disconnection
What it looks like to reclaim your leadership after being accused of copying work she originated—and choosing to walk away with integrity
Take the next step:✨ Reserve your copy of Healing the Healers, our guide for therapists, coaches, and multidimensional practitioners supporting clients after spiritual harm.
🗓 Join us for the live Instagram debrief: Monday at 10 a.m. PT with Robyn, Alyse, and Elizabeth
Where to find Elizabeth Purvis:
Website: 7figuregoddess.com
Book (great intro to her work): 7figuregoddessbook.com
Facebook (where she hangs out most): @elizpurvis
Subscribe + Share:If this episode stirred something in you, consider sharing it with a friend or colleague. We’re building a movement of clarity, integrity, and high-frequency leadership.
Same time, same spell-breaking vibe next Thursday.
Lacing Up and Walking Out: Audrey Hilliker on the Psychology of Breaking the Spell
Therapist and trauma specialist Audrey Hilliker joins Robyn and Alyse to share the story of how she broke free from a high-control spiritual mentorship—one that promised ascension and certification, but delivered financial exploitation, public shaming, and psychological manipulation.
Audrey’s voice was pivotal in breaking the spell. In this episode, she shares how her clinical mind and intuitive body worked together to name what was really going on—and how she found her way back to herself.
🎧 Topics include:
• Red flags and cognitive dissonance
• Psychological abuse in “spiritual” mentorship
• What it feels like to be gaslit by a charismatic leader
• The moment she realized: I think I’m in a cult
• What therapists need to know to support clients through spiritual harm
This episode changes everything you thought you knew about Betty. Once you listen, you’ll never see her the same way again.
✨ Reserve your free copy of Healing the Healers - it's coming in April. A guide for therapists and spiritual guides supporting clients after spiritual harm:
https://robyn-mckay.myflodesk.com/healingthehealers
📲 Join the live debrief
Mondays at 10 a.m. MST on Instagram:
@robynmckayphd + @alyse_breathes
Bewitched: Louisa Havers — The Oracle Was You All Along"
In this powerful episode of Bewitched, Robyn is joined by trusted colleague and spiritual guide Louisa Havers, one of the first people she reached out to after returning from her own 24-day misadventure with the spiritual teacher we call "Betty."
Louisa shares her deeply personal journey—from reverence to realization—and how her initial awe of a seemingly gifted mentor slowly unraveled into a web of spiritual manipulation, gaslighting, and trauma bonding. With wisdom, discernment, and grace, Louisa names the patterns and reclaims her power.
Together, we explore:
Why intuitive “authority” can become dangerously distorted
What trauma bonding can look like in spiritual mentorship
The consequences of confusing charisma with credibility
How Louisa made sense of what happened—and found her way back to herself
⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode includes references to spiritual abuse, gaslighting, and manipulation. Please listen with care.
💡 Looking for the clinical lens on all this? Robyn and Dr. Barbara Kerr recorded a special crossover episode on Two Shrinks on the Farm where they dive deep into the psychological profile of spiritual manipulators. It’s a potent companion to this episode. Listen here → (link to be inserted)
📘 Robyn’s new ebook, Healing the Healers: 11 Things Every Spiritually Intelligent Leader Needs to Know About Guiding Clients After Spiritual Harm, is coming soon. Reserve your copy here → (link to be inserted)
Find us on IG: @robynmckayphd @ alyse_breathes @louisahavers
📲 If this conversation resonates, please share it and leave a review—it helps us keep spreading the message and breaking the spell, one story at a time.
🌀 Be sure to join us for our weekly debrief session — Monday at 10 a.m. PT on IG Live (@robynmckayphd). Follow along, bring your questions, and share the episode with someone who needs to hear it.
What happens when the shiny promise of spiritual business mentorship loses its sparkle?
In this episode of Bewitched, we sit down with Nicole Cherie Hesse—founder of Real Unicorns Don’t Wear Pants—to talk about what happens when a mentorship experience veers into something… less than magical. Nicole shares her personal story of disillusionment inside a spiritual business container and the process of reclaiming her direction on the other side.
We explore the difference between mentoring and manipulation, the red flags that are easy to ignore when you're under someone's spell, and how smart, intuitive women can find their way back to clarity and confidence.
This conversation is a reminder: just because something is spiritual doesn’t mean it’s sacred. And just because you were once under the spell doesn’t mean you can’t break it.
Follow Nicole on Instagram: @moneymakingunicorns
Follow Alyse on Instagram: @alyse_breathes
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✨ Reserve your copy of Dr. Robyn McKay’s brand new ebook Healing the Healers — a guide for spiritually intelligent leaders who are here to restore, protect, and liberate human consciousness: https://robyn-mckay.myflodesk.com/healingthehealers
Bewitched: Breaking the Spell – After Spiritual Mentoring Goes Wrong
Episode Summary
Welcome back to Bewitched, the podcast series where we illuminate spellbinding stories of spiritual awakenings, intuitive leaps, and when spiritual mentoring goes terribly wrong. I'm your co-host, Dr. Robyn McKay, joined by trauma and breathwork expert Elise Bein. In today’s compelling conversation, we sit down with Andrea Donnelly, who bravely shares her experience of a spiritual mentorship that turned toxic.
When Andrea first encountered her mentor—whom we’re calling Betty—she was drawn to her big-picture perspective and seemingly deep spiritual wisdom. But what started as an inspiring alliance soon spiraled into a manipulative power dynamic. From coercive retreats and erratic behavior to gaslighting, financial strain, and outright psychic interference, Andrea recounts the red flags she overlooked and how she ultimately freed herself from the entanglement.
We explore the shadow side of spiritual authority and how so-called enlightened leaders can weaponize their influence. If you’ve ever felt disoriented or even spiritually hijacked in a mentorship relationship, this episode is for you. Together, we shine a clear and compassionate light on manipulation in spiritual spaces, empowering you to reclaim your discernment and confidently chart your own path.
Key Takeaways:
The Initial Draw: Andrea shares why she was captivated by Betty’s presence, messaging, and claims of spiritual intelligence.
When the Good Outweighed the Bad – Until It Didn’t: The subtle ways manipulation and control crept into their dynamic.
Gaslighting and Destabilization: How Betty leveraged power and isolation tactics to maintain control over Andrea and other clients.
Financial and Emotional Toll: The high cost—both literal and figurative—of staying in a spiritually abusive mentorship.
Breaking Free: Andrea’s powerful decision to step away, reclaim her energy, and rebuild in the aftermath.
Energetic Interference & Siphoning: The role of psychic manipulation and energy extraction in toxic spiritual relationships.
Healing After Spiritual Betrayal: Andrea’s journey of self-reclamation, the support she sought, and advice for others navigating similar situations.
Resources for Listeners:
Join Robyn and Alyse every Monday at 10:00 AM Pacific for a weekly debrief on Instagram Live (@robynmckayphd and @alyse_breathes), where we dive deeper into each episode and answer your questions.
If this episode resonates with you, please share Bewitched with your friends, colleagues, and fellow spiritually intelligent leaders. Your thoughtful reviews help us spread this vital message.
Final Thoughts:
Andrea’s story is a potent reminder that even in spiritual circles, manipulation and control can take hold. But by sharing these experiences, we illuminate the path forward for ourselves and others. You are not alone, and you have the power to reclaim your radiant discernment.
Now, it’s time once again to break the spell—let’s dive in.
If Part 1 left you with more questions than answers… buckle up, buttercup!
Today, I’m sharing the rest of my journey—what happened when my spiritual mentoring experience took a turn, and how I found my way back to clarity, confidence, and trust in myself.
If you’ve ever second-guessed your intuition, felt pulled into someone else’s agenda, or struggled to discern the difference between influence and truth—this episode is for you.
In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of the final retreat I attended with Betty—what was supposed to be a 10-day experience that turned into a 24-day unraveling.
From the unsettling dynamics of the retreat to the high control, paranoia, and mind games that followed, I share what it took to finally wake up, reclaim my power, and break the spell for good.
This isn’t just about one mentor or one retreat.
It’s about recognizing when a situation no longer serves you, sharpening your discernment, and reclaiming your own wisdom. Because while guidance can be valuable, your intuition always gets the final say.
Key Topics:
✨ The retreat experience that made me second-guess what I knew to be true.
✨ The fine line between deep spiritual work and losing connection with your own power.
✨ Influence vs. intuition—understanding the difference and why it matters.
✨ How I navigated the aftermath—and what healing has looked like since.
Reflection Questions:
💭 Where have you overridden your own gut instincts for the sake of belonging?
💭 When have you felt the pressure to doubt your own wisdom?
💭 How can you strengthen your discernment so that it never happens again?
Join the Conversation!
So many of you have reached out saying “I’ve been there, too.” Maybe not in the exact same way, but in situations where you felt the pull between your own wisdom and someone else’s influence.
📲 Join Alyse and me LIVE on Instagram.
📅 Monday, March 17 at 1 PM ET
We’ll be debriefing this episode, answering your questions, and diving even deeper.
✨ @robynmckayphd
✨ @alyse_breathes
👉 If this episode resonates, share it with a friend, leave a review, and help us bring more light to this conversation.
Welcome back to Bewitched: Breaking the Spell After Spiritual Mentoring Goes Wrong.
In this episode, we sit down with Alicia Isaacs Howes, who bravely shares her journey of realizing the extent of a spiritual mentor’s influence over her life and reclaiming her own wisdom.
Alicia’s story spans more than a decade, from her initial admiration and deep investment in Betty’s teachings to the unsettling experiences that ultimately led her to break free.
Through this conversation, we explore:
✨ How Alicia first encountered Betty and became deeply involved in her mentorship
✨ The warning signs that were easy to dismiss at the time but became glaring in hindsight
✨ The psychological and emotional manipulation that kept her—and so many others—entangled
✨ The moment she realized she had been groomed and how that awareness shifted everything
✨ How ‘divide and conquer’ tactics were used to separate trusted leaders from their communities
✨ The breaking point in Croatia and the terrifying retreat that unraveled into paranoia, control, and energy siphoning
✨ What it took to finally walk away—and how Alicia makes sense of it all today
Alicia’s story is one of heartbreak and resilience, a testament to the power of trusting your own wisdom. We also reflect on the bigger picture—what these experiences reveal about spiritual leadership, authority, and the importance of discernment in the coaching and healing industries.
If this episode resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. Join us for our weekly Instagram Live sessions after each episode, where we’ll continue the conversation, answer your questions, and hold space for your reflections.
📲 Connect with us on Instagram:
Robyn McKay → @robynmckayphd
Alyse Bacine → @alyse_breathes
🔗 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. The only way to truly break the spell is to bring the truth into the light.
✨ Thank you for being here. Let’s keep rewriting the story together. ✨
Join the Conversation
In this episode of Bewitched: Breaking the Spell When Spiritual Mentoring Goes Wrong, Dr. Robyn McKay and Alyse Bacine sit down with Jia, a sharp, intuitive leader who found herself caught up in the world of high-level spiritual mentorship—until things took a turn.
Jia was with Robyn and Alyse in Santa Fe for what was supposed to be a transformational business and personal development retreat.
Later, she traveled to Croatia with the same mentor, “Betty,” and got a front-row seat to the dark side of mentorship gone wrong.
From sleep deprivation to gaslighting, from over-the-top paranoia to questioning every major life decision—this episode is a real talk on what happens when spiritual leadership gets messy.
If you’ve ever looked up to a mentor, only to realize they weren’t who you thought they were, this conversation is for you.
Jia shares her experience with refreshing honesty (and a little humor), reminding us all how easy it is to get caught up in someone else’s version of the truth—and how powerful it is to reclaim your own.
If this episode hit home, we’d love to hear from you.
💬 Join us for the Bewitched Debrief every Monday at 3 PM Eastern on Instagram Live, where Alyse and Robyn reflect on the episode, answer questions, and dive deeper into these topics.
📲 Connect with us on Instagram:
🔹 @robynmckayphd
🔹 @alyse_breathes
🔹 @opulence_with_jia
💌 If you have a story to share, reach out—we’re here for real conversations about truth, healing, and reclaiming your own wisdom.
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The more we talk about these things, the less power they have.