Beyond the Documentary: Dr. Christine Marie on Cults, Coercion, and Giving Voice To The Voiceless
Get Obsessed : With Living Your Best Life
09/08/26
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In this episode of the Get Obsessed podcast, Julie Lokun continues her conversation with Dr. Christine Marie, going behind the scenes of Trust Me The False Prophet and the years she spent building trust inside the FLDS community.
Dr. Christine explains how vulnerability and the need to belong can make people susceptible to religious cults, how destructive groups can control thoughts, relationships, information, behavior, and emotions, and how she began recognizing troubling behavior surrounding Sam Bateman.
She also shares what happened after recording evidence of abuse, the challenges of working with law enforcement, and the eventual investigation that led to Sam Bateman’s arrest and 50-year sentence. The conversation also explores the impact on women and families, the importance of speaking up when someone is being harmed, and why survivors should have the freedom to tell their stories in their own time.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How vulnerability and the need to belong can make people susceptible to cult control
- Cult control and its influence on thoughts, relationships, information, and behavior
- Early rumors about Sam Bateman and his relationships with underage girls
- A confession that revealed ritualistic sexual abuse within Sam’s group
- The investigation, law enforcement challenges, and the events that led to Sam’s arrest
- The lasting effects on women, children, and families connected to the community
- Why speaking up against harm matters and how survivors can reclaim their stories
Dr. Christine Marie holds a PhD in Psychology specializing in media psychology, along with an MBA and a specialization in Positive Psychology. She is an author, speaker, researcher, educator, kindness advocate, and certified Trauma and Resiliency Life Coach.
Her work focuses on coercive control, cult psychology, media trauma, public shaming, critical thinking, kindness, and resilience. In 2021, she received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the American Psychological Association’s Division of Media Psychology and Technology.
Christine is the founder of Voices for Dignity, a nonprofit supporting marginalized communities and survivors. She has spent the past decade doing humanitarian and dignity work in Short Creek and has extensive experience working with members of the FLDS community. In 2026, she was featured in the Netflix documentary Trust Me: The False Prophet.
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
- (Netflix documentary) Trust Me: The False Prophet - https://www.netflix.com/title/81758532
- (Episode) Inside the Cult of Scientology with Anne Gollert Hill Part 1: https://www.getobsessedpodcast.com/podcast/episode/2d75b703/inside-the-cult-of-scientology-with-anne-gollert-hill-part-1 Part 2: https://www.getobsessedpodcast.com/podcast/episode/4aeb558d/inside-the-cult-of-scientology-with-anne-gollert-hill-part-2
- Website: https://christinemarie.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinemariePhD/
- X (Twitter): https://x.com/christinemariek
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.christinemarie
Website: www.getobsessedpodcast.com
Be a Guest! http://www.getobsessedguest.com
Reach Out To Us! hello@getobsessedmedia.com
The Get Obsessed podcast is dedicated to exploring the passions, mindsets, and habits that drive high performers. We believe that what you obsess over defines your future.
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Previous Episode
In this episode of the Get Obsessed podcast, Julie Lokun sits down with Dr. Christine Marie to unpack the story behind Trust Me The False Prophet and her years living in Short Creek, an FLDS community.
Christine explains why she moved to Short Creek in 2016, how her own experiences with polygamy shaped her initial perspective, and how getting to know FLDS families challenged some of the assumptions she had formed through sensational media coverage.
The conversation explores how cultic influence works, why Christine believes it is important to look at coercion rather than stereotypes, and how she and her husband Tolga gradually built trust within the community. She also discusses the role of media in giving people the opportunity to tell their own stories, the impact of Warren Jeffs remaining influential while imprisoned, and how Sam Bateman used that loyalty to establish his own authority.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Moving to Short Creek and challenging assumptions about the FLDS through firsthand experience
- Christine’s experience with polygamy and trauma and how it shaped her work with survivors
- Understanding cultic influence and coercive control through different forms of control
- Building trust within the FLDS community and connecting with people in Short Creek
- Using media to give people a voice and let FLDS members share their own stories
- Warren Jeffs and Sam Bateman’s influence and Bateman’s rise to authority
- Why people enter high control groups and how belonging and love bombing can lead to coercion
Her work focuses on coercive control, cult psychology, media trauma, public shaming, critical thinking, kindness, and resilience. In 2021, she received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the American Psychological Association’s Division of Media Psychology and Technology.
Christine is the founder of Voices for Dignity, a nonprofit supporting marginalized communities and survivors. She has spent the past decade doing humanitarian and dignity work in Short Creek and has extensive experience working with members of the FLDS community. In 2026, she was featured in the Netflix documentary Trust Me: The False Prophet.
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
(Netflix documentary) Trust Me: The False Prophet - https://www.netflix.com/title/81758532
CONNECT WITH DR. CHRISTINE MARIE:
- Website: https://christinemarie.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinemariePhD/
- X (Twitter): https://x.com/christinemariek
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.christinemarie
Website: www.getobsessedpodcast.com
Be a Guest! http://www.getobsessedguest.com
Reach Out To Us! hello@getobsessedmedia.com
The Get Obsessed podcast is dedicated to exploring the passions, mindsets, and habits that drive high performers. We believe that what you obsess over defines your future.
LISTEN, RATE, REVIEW AND SUBSCRIBE - Get Obsessed : With Living Your Best Life - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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