Press Kit:

CONTACT: GERETTE BUGLION

Phone: 802-498-8015

Email: gerette@gerettebuglion.com

Address: 200 Park St. Suite 3 Morrisville, VT 05661

Website: Gerettebuglion.com

PROMO IMAGES (click image for hi-res)

BIO:

Short - 103 words 

Born a middle child of seven, it’s not surprising Gerette Buglion became a lifelong educator. From parent-child programs, to Special Ed and Primary School, she’s played many teacherly roles. She has found her sweet spot as a cult recovery educator and facilitator of her signature Writing to Reckon classes that support survivors to create coherent narratives out of the chaos of coercive control. Her memoir An Everyday Cult details her master’s-level training in undue influence. Her greatest professional achievement to date is being co-founder of igotout.org and co-managing the #igotout movement whose mission of education, healing and prevention makes her heart sing. 

Long: 293 words

First time author, Gerette Buglion B.A. Elementary Education and Special Education, was born on Long Island, NY where she was tossed around by waves at Jones Beach as a young child. Her northward migration started at five years of age, when her large family moved to Dutchess County NY to farm. Cows, sheep and untold numbers of cats accompanied the rest of her childhood until she fledged farther north. Work and passions merged in caring for others as an elementary school teacher, certified special educator, house parent for people with special needs as well as a hiking guide. Gerette’s greatest joy comes from parenting two exceptional young adults, being married to an extraordinarily understanding man for over 30 years and escaping from what she calls an ‘everyday cult’. An Everyday Cult, her memoir, was published in 2021 and details the inspiration for her current work in cult recovery and education: helping others navigate and avoid the complex power dynamics involved in cultic or controlling groups of all kinds. Gerette has presented at the annual conference for ICSA, the International Cultic Studies Association since 2015. She and her husband, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, co-founded a cult recovery support group. Buglion also  launched and co-facilitated Cults & Culture, a year long community discussion forum at her local library, offers consulting and education in cultic abuse for individuals, families and organizations of all kinds. Her signature writing course, Writing to Reckon offers survivors support for the process of finding a coherent narrative out of the traumatic experiences of coercive control. In October 2020, Gerette co-founded igotout.org and co-manages the hashtag #igotout movement, whose sole mission is to inspire survivors of cultic abuse to tell and share their stories to promote healing, education and prevention. 

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY:

In October 2020, Buglion collaborated with cult expert, Steve Hassan, PhD, whistleblower Sarah Edmondson, author Mark Laxer and an anonymous activist to launch the hashtag movement that became the 501c3 nonprofit Living Cult Free, of which Gerette Buglion is the Executive director, under the guidance of the Board of Directors. 

The Mission is: 

HEALING • EDUCATION • PREVENTION

The mission of Living Cult Free is to inspire survivors of high demand environments who have experienced cultic, religious, or spiritual abuse to tell and share their stories. The hashtag, the igotout.org website, and associated social media platforms are intended to provide a safe online space in which we can heal, learn from each other, and prevent further harm. 

By sharing personal stories, a supportive path is created for people exiting high-control environments to recognize the universal aspects of our experiences, including trauma and abuse, so as to lessen any burden of shame, stigma, and isolation. 

We believe the simple yet profound act of sharing our stories is a catalyst for personal healing and community education, which can correct widespread misconceptions about cultic involvement and religious/spiritual abuse. 

These stories can help the general public better understand the nuance of cultic influence – the complex dynamics of coercive control and undue influence in today’s landscape and how this impacts us all.

ICSA Presentations:

International Cultic Studies Association
Gerette has presented at the annual conference for ICSA, the International Cultic Studies Association:

2017 Bordeaux, France 
Mindbugs, Cults and Other Things Good People Prefer Not To Think About 

2018 Philadelphia, PA, USA
Everyday Cults

2020-21 Montréal, Canada/Online 
Believing the Unbelievable - how smart people get hooked by the absurd 201

Gerette is a regular contributor to Medium.

TESTIMONIALS:

Comments about An Everyday Cult: 

“With everything happening in the world today, Gerette is hoping for a bold new movement that will destigmatize the judgment made about people caught up in cults,” wrote Joelene Pynnonen in the Independent Book Review. “This book is a fantastic step toward that goal.”

Comments about Writing to Reckon class: 

”I’m so grateful for this class. Gerette has created a soft space for people who have left cultic experiences to land and express themselves in a safe and warm environment. It’s truly been the place where I have experienced the most healing and felt the most seen and understood.”

- Lori

”Being part of Gerette's writing class has changed my life. It was with her and my fellow writers that I found a safe place to share my thoughts through the written word. Gerette has a way of intuitively choosing writing prompts that consistently resonate with me. Her words of encouragement and support have given me the courage to dream of publishing my work in the future. Warm and empathetic, Gerette provides a nurturing, online environment within which I have been able to take risks as well as have the honour to witness the amazing creations of others from all over the world. I am truly grateful to be working with Gerette!”

- Jen S. Toronto, Canada

SELL SHEET: (click image for pdf)

PODCAST APPERANCES:

PRESENTATIONS:

ARTICLES ABOUT GERETTE

• ‘Snapping out’ of a cult and sharing her healing with others. Written by award winning journalist specializing in religion reporting, Tracy Simmons.

• A Cult Awareness Educator Helps Survivors by Sharing Her Own Cautionary Tale. Vermont-based newspaper Seven Days, did a feature story on her current work as a Cult Awareness Educator in January 2020.  

• Hyde Park couple turns cult experience into support group. Times Argus, a Barre-Montpelier, VT based newspaper also published a story in October 2019.