CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains themes of childhood abuse, physical punishment, sexual trauma and coercive control. If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, call 000. For confidential 24/7 crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au. Support is also available through Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or at beyondblue.org.au. 

What if leaving your faith meant losing everyone you'd ever loved? 

This week on You're Gonna Want To Hear This, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt speaks with author Bek Condello about her extraordinary journey out of one of Australia's most controlling Pentecostal churches. 

Raised inside the Geelong Revival Centre, Bek grew up believing the outside world was dangerous. Every aspect of life, from education and friendships to marriage and work was dictated by church leaders. Curiosity was discouraged, obedience was demanded, and fear shaped almost every decision. 

In this deeply personal conversation, Bek reflects on the childhood she now recognises as abusive, the lasting impact of religious trauma and the heartbreaking reality that leaving meant losing her family, community and identity. 

She also opens up about purity culture, consent, body shame, marrying to escape one form of control only to enter another, and the years it took to trust herself and build a life on her own terms. 

Today, Bek has transformed unimaginable loss into purpose. As the state of Victoria investigates high-control religious groups, she explains why sharing her story has become about much more than personal healing... it's about helping others recognise coercion, reclaim their autonomy and know they're not alone. 

This episode covers: 
Growing up inside the Geelong Revival Centre 
How high-control religions shape identity 
Religious trauma and childhood abuse 
The psychological impact of fear-based faith 
Purity culture, consent and bodily autonomy 
Escaping a controlling church 
Rebuilding life after leaving a cult 
Learning to trust yourself again 
Why leaving is a process, not a single moment 
Bek's advocacy for survivors of coercive religious groups

Can You Handle a Girl Like Me? by Bek Condello is available from mid-July. 

Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram 

🎧 Listen to You're Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 

👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips. 

Credits:  

Host Georgie McCourt  

Edited by Leah Porges 

Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain

With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire 

Learn More: 

You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media. 

CONTENT WARNING:&nbsp;This&nbsp;episode&nbsp;contains&nbsp;themes of childhood abuse, physical punishment, sexual&nbsp;trauma&nbsp;and coercive control.&nbsp;If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, call 000.&nbsp;For confidential 24/7 crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au. Support is also available through Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or at beyondblue.org.au.&nbsp;
What if leaving your faith meant losing everyone&nbsp;you'd&nbsp;ever loved?&nbsp;
This week on&nbsp;You're&nbsp;Gonna&nbsp;Want&nbsp;To&nbsp;Hear This, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt speaks with author Bek Condello about her extraordinary journey out of one of Australia's most controlling Pentecostal churches.&nbsp;
Raised inside the Geelong Revival Centre, Bek grew up believing the outside world was dangerous. Every aspect of life, from education and friendships to marriage and&nbsp;work was dictated by church leaders. Curiosity was discouraged, obedience was demanded, and fear shaped&nbsp;almost every&nbsp;decision.&nbsp;
In this deeply personal conversation, Bek reflects on the childhood she now recognises as abusive, the lasting impact of religious trauma and the heartbreaking reality that leaving meant losing her family,&nbsp;community&nbsp;and identity.&nbsp;
She also&nbsp;opens up&nbsp;about purity culture, consent, body shame, marrying to escape one form of control only to enter another, and the years it took to trust herself and build a life on her own terms.&nbsp;
Today, Bek has transformed unimaginable loss into purpose. As&nbsp;the state of&nbsp;Victoria investigates high-control religious groups, she explains why sharing her story has become about much more than personal healing...&nbsp;it's&nbsp;about helping others recognise coercion, reclaim their&nbsp;autonomy&nbsp;and know&nbsp;they're&nbsp;not alone.&nbsp;
This episode covers:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="&middot;" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&middot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Growing up inside the Geelong Revival Centre&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="&middot;" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&middot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">How high-control religions shape identity&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="&middot;" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&middot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Religious trauma and childhood abuse&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="&middot;" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&middot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">The psychological impact of fear-based faith&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="&middot;" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&middot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">Purity culture,&nbsp;consent&nbsp;and bodily autonomy&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="&middot;" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&middot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">Escaping a controlling church&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="&middot;" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&middot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1">Rebuilding life after leaving a cult&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="&middot;" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&middot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1">Learning to trust yourself again&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="&middot;" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&middot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="9" data-aria-level="1">Why leaving is a process, not a single moment&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="&middot;" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&middot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="10" data-aria-level="1">Bek's advocacy for survivors of coercive religious groups</li>
</ul>
Can You Handle a Girl Like Me?&nbsp;by Bek Condello is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/can-you-handle-a-girl-like-me-9781761357886">available from mid-July</a>.&nbsp;
Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/marieclaireau">Instagram</a>&nbsp;
🎧 Listen to&nbsp;You're&nbsp;Gonna&nbsp;Want to Hear This and follow us on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this/id1849312864">Apple Podcasts</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2Vsxq2nZIMJLnywOXfuxqZ?si=bb7ec5eac4184752">Spotify</a>&nbsp;
👀 Watch and subscribe to You're&nbsp;Gonna&nbsp;Want to Hear This on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/marieclaire">YouTube</a>&nbsp;📺 for full episodes and clips.&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp;&nbsp;
Host&nbsp;Georgie McCourt&nbsp;&nbsp;
Edited by&nbsp;Leah Porges&nbsp;
Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain
With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire&nbsp;
Learn More:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.marieclaire.com.au/life/youre-gonna-want-to-hear-this-podcast/">You're Gonna Want to Hear This</a>&nbsp;is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media.&nbsp;

Who’s on your celebrity fantasy dinner party list? Marie Claire have got access to the biggest celebrities and fascinating favourite people you love.  With unique pairings, the type of conversations where fun and frankness is always in style. Trust us…you’re gonna want to hear this! 

Who&rsquo;s on your celebrity fantasy dinner party list? Marie Claire have got access to the biggest celebrities and fascinating favourite people you love. &nbsp;With unique pairings, the type of conversations where fun and frankness is always in style. Trust us&hellip;you&rsquo;re gonna want to hear this!&nbsp;

You’re Gonna Want To Hear This

Author Bek Condello joins Marie Claire Editor Georgie McCourt for an extraordinary conversation about growing up inside a cult and what it really takes to rebuild a life from scratch after you’ve left. 

Robbed Of Her Childhood: Bek Condello On Escaping A Cult 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/be351b0d-a198-43ac-91c1-b4730061a1c1/transcript