I loved my interview with Lisa who I originally met over in the Twitter world a few years ago and in real life when she was speaking at a conference in Edinburgh!
Lisa’s early years in the 1970s New York City were a mixture of encounter groups, macrobiotic diets, communes, Indian ashrams, and watching naked actors on off-Broadway stages during the musical HAIR. By the time her older brother was ten, Lisa’s father had him smoking pot. By the time Lisa was ten, Lisa’s mother had them pledging their lives to the Unification Church (the “Moonies”)
As a child Lisa knew the ecstatic comfort of inclusion in a cult and as a teenager the torment of rebelling against it. As an adult, Lisa struggled to break free from the hold of abuse and the scars in her heart, mind, and psyche—battling her own addictions and inner demons and searching her soul for a sense of self-worth.
She is a writer, teacher, and public speaker who owns a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm and who works to bring to others the tools, mind-shifts, and practices she’s found that have helped her heal, as well as the hope and forgiveness she’s been blessed to let into her life.
Some key points from our interview:
· How she grew up in two contrasting worlds both of which she says can make you a little wacky!
· How she recognises that when her mum joined the Moonies it gave her a lot of stability .
· How when she was attended a music camp at sixteen and met people who were different from her, she started to question all she had been told.
· How she woke up to the conditioning and manipulation she experienced growing up in the cult.
· How she now uses her voice to share three main messages – to educate people that extreme situations exist but you can leave them, that self-love and self-compassion are important and whilst there might be damage there is still always hope .
“I learnt that I’m not damaged, I have damage” – Lisa Kohn
Find out more about Lisa here: https://www.lisakohnwrites.com
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"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.
Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.
She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.
You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken, from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/
Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken
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https://www.instagram.com/unbrokenthepodcastwithmb
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Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE