Rachel Bernstein, LMFT

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United States
Encino, CA
Rachel Bernstein, LMFT

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist, and educator who treats children, adults, couples and families.

11/18/2025

This interview was too good not to share again!

From a polygamist cult in rural Mexico to a life built on freedom and purpose, Pamela Jones’ story is one of the most powerful transformations I’ve ever heard.

Born into the Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times, Pamela was raised to believe her only purpose was obedience, to serve a husband and bear children.

After 17 pregnancies and years of abuse, she did the unthinkable: she gathered her nine children and escaped.

Today, Pamela is a successful business owner, speaker, and author. She is a woman who turned survival into strength, and control into clarity.

In this interview, she shares what it takes to rebuild a life after indoctrination and how freedom is never out of reach, no matter where you start.

The full conversation is available on my YouTube channel 🎙️

11/17/2025

Healing after control doesn’t usually happen in one conversation or one breakthrough moment.

It often happens in quiet spaces, pen to paper, page by page, as you start to remember what safety feels like.

That’s where the Restart and Restore Journal comes in.

Imagine sitting down and opening to a page that asks you: “What did safety feel like before someone told you who to be?”

You likely pause, then you write, not to be perfect, but to be honest. And for the first time, your story has a place to land that isn’t filled with judgment or fear.

This journal was created for those moments! It was made for survivors of control, manipulation, or abuse who are ready to rebuild clarity and self-trust. Each prompt helps you unpack the layers: the beliefs planted by others, the emotions you’ve silenced, and the voice that’s still yours beneath it all.

Healing does not mean you are forgetting what happened. It’s remembering who you are, and have always truly been, underneath it.

Get yours on Amazon today! https://a.co/d/cT0ee2A

11/16/2025

When it comes to talking to your loved ones, the fastest way to close a door is by being judgmental.

The fastest way to open one is by prioritizing the connection, being openly curious and willing to truly listen.

11/14/2025

One of the most radical acts after control is giving yourself permission to feel again.

Anger isn’t bad.
Vulnerability isn’t weakness.

They’re signs that your nervous system is waking back up, that your body and mind are beginning to trust safety again.

If you were taught to quiet your voice or minimize your needs, start small. Say one sentence you’ve never said before, even if it’s as simple as, “I deserve to take up space.”

That’s how recovery begins: not with perfection, but with truth.

And if you want guidance in finding those words, that’s exactly why I created the Restart & Restore Journal, to help you reconnect with your emotions, your boundaries, and your self-trust, one page at a time.

Available now on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/gMFw8sq

11/13/2025

Have you said or thought similar statements recently?

Myths like “you’ll get over it,” or “just forget the past” don’t heal survivors of control; they silence them.

Healing does not mean pretending it never happened. It’s understanding what DID happen, how it shaped you, learning to rebuild trust in yourself, and finding out how to evaluate who is trustworthy in your world..

You’re not broken. You were trained to doubt your own reality. And that’s something you can unlearn.

The Restart and Restore Journal was created with writing prompts that guide you through that unlearning. They help you move from myth to truth and from confusion to clarity.

If you’re ready to start rebuilding your sense of safety and self, this is where to begin. Available here: https://a.co/d/hD22Zy7

11/12/2025

I was interviewed for the Twin Flames documentary. In the end, I chose not to appear.

Here’s why: being in that film could have hurt the people I’m here to help. Many survivors and families reached out to me during that time, and if others still in the group when the show aired wanted to reach out to me too when they felt ready to consider leaving, I wanted to be a safe resource to them. I knew the group would demonize any professional speaking out against them, and I didn’t want current members to see me as the enemy. .

Sometimes the most ethical choice a therapist can make is to step back. My role is to protect confidentiality, safety, and healing… not chase visibility.

If you or someone you love has been affected by a controlling group or relationship, you deserve care that puts you first, not the cameras.

I’m here for the work, quietly, consistently, and ethically.

11/11/2025

The Cult Awareness Network was bought by a cult.

It’s shocking but true.

The organization many saw as a “safe space” was acquired by a high-control group, severely compromising its mission. This is why research-based leadership and independent safe spaces matter.

You can’t outsource your safety. You can’t surrender your vigilance.

If you have personal experiences with a cult or are questioning if your current experience is safe, I’ve created the Restart and Restore Journal and Companion Notebook to support your journey.

Embrace prompts to uncover your personal boundaries and brainwashing themes as you navigate your experience.

Available now on Amazon 🛒

11/10/2025

These are the hidden weapons of control.

They may sound extreme, but they show up everywhere…in relationships, workplaces, political movements, and family systems.

Coercion doesn’t always wear a uniform or a title. Sometimes it looks like “love,” loyalty, or purpose.

Healing is more than leaving the group. It’s unlearning the conditioning that made the control feel normal.

It’s noticing where exhaustion, guilt, or fear still shape your choices and learning to build safety from the inside out.

That’s why I created The Companion Notebook to Restart & Restore, to help you identify these patterns and rebuild clarity, trust, and autonomy page by page.

Comment JOURNAL and I will send you the link 🔗⬇️

11/08/2025

They were waiting by my car…
Posing as fake clients…
Gathering information on me…
I was receiving handwritten notes that said, “We’re always watching.”

I stayed home for a while, terrified, overwhelmed, and wondering if this work was worth it. Then I heard my dad’s voice in my mind: “You can’t let the bullies win.”

The scariest moments of my career weren't the threats. It was the silence that followed the choice between fear and my chosen work and autonomy.

That’s the moment I chose.
👉 To never back down.
👉 To keep speaking.
👉 To keep helping families trapped in systems that silence them.

You aren’t alone. And to increase the accessibility of support through experiences of manipulative relationships, cults, or high-control groups, I’ve created the Restart and Restore Journal and the Companion Notebook.

These resources provide practical guidance, therapeutic writing prompts, and recovery exercises for those healing. These can all be utilized by those who are helping people affected by manipulation, as well .

11/07/2025

I’m often asked, “What’s the difference between a religion and a cult?”

It’s an important question and it comes down to control.

Healthy faith communities support personal growth, free will, and questioning. You can leave, disagree, or explore doubt without fear of punishment or shame.

Cults, on the other hand, use fear, guilt, isolation, and control to keep people dependent. They claim to offer truth but they are based on deception, and they limit access to information and discourage critical thinking. They also become your entire life, purpose, and focus. Nothing else matters.

The difference isn’t just in the beliefs. It’s in the behavior of the group and the freedom of the individual.

If you’ve ever questioned whether what you were part of was healthy or harmful, that curiosity is a sign of strength, not disloyalty. 🤍

Comment or direct message me VIDEO and I will message you the link to the full video.

11/05/2025

People will often ask, “Why didn’t they just leave?” as it relates to an abusive or manipulative relationship.

But the better question is, “What dynamics were put in place that made leaving feel impossible?”

Manipulative and abusive relationships don’t start with control. These relationships start with connection, care, and conditioning.

Over time, fear, confusion, and dependency are built layer by layer until the idea of leaving feels like losing your entire world.

Rather than judgment, we need understanding as we have to realize that no one chooses abuse, they actually adapt to survive it.

This is where compassion starts, and this is how recovery begins.

11/03/2025

The hardest part after leaving a manipulative or controlling environment isn’t the exit, but it’s finding your way back to yourself.

Systems of control train you to disconnect from your emotions, your needs, and your truth. Recovery is the work of returning! That means learning to feel again, rebuilding self-confidence, and creating safety within and around you.

That’s why I created the Restart and Restore Journal and Companion Notebook. This is a trauma-informed recovery tool designed to help you navigate that journey.

You deserve to feel safe in your own body and in your own mind, and to be able to make your own choices again. Comment JOURNAL to start rebuilding that connection. I’ll personally send you the link to get yours 💌

Address

16255 Ventura Boulevard
Encino, CA
91436

Telephone

+18189070036

Website

http://www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/

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