Work on the internal landscape — shame, authentic self, identity rebuilding and the courage to be seen.
brenebrown.com
Researcher and storyteller whose work on shame, vulnerability and courage has reached tens of millions of people. Her books Daring Greatly, The Gifts of Imperfection and Atlas of the Heart reframe vulnerability not as weakness but as the prerequisite for genuine connection. Her TED Talk on vulnerability is one of the most watched in history.
Brené Brown's research on shame and vulnerability is foundational in trauma-informed counselling and identity work, directly supporting the self-compassion work at the heart of Waypoint Within's practice.
ifs-institute.com
Creator of Internal Family Systems therapy — a model that understands the psyche as made up of distinct parts, each with its own role and history. His book No Bad Parts introduces the idea that healing is not about fixing what is broken, but returning to the Self that was never damaged. Particularly powerful for cult survivors who have had their identity systematically dismantled.
IFS is an evidence-based therapy increasingly used in trauma recovery, cult recovery and identity rebuilding. The concept of Self-energy is central to Waypoint Within's therapeutic approach.
John Welwood
Author of Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships and the therapist who coined spiritual bypassing — the tendency to use spiritual practice to avoid rather than process difficult emotions. Essential for anyone whose healing path includes both spiritual development and psychological work.
Spiritual bypassing is particularly relevant in cult recovery contexts where spiritual frameworks were used to suppress genuine emotional and psychological needs.