Cheetah House

What happens when spiritual devotion turns into psychological abuse, labor exploitation, and extreme isolation?

Join us on September 17th for a special "Letters to My Former Self" event featuring comedian and whistleblower Sofia May—former assistant to Lama Tsultrim Allione and key witness in the exposé on the Tara Mandala Buddhist retreat center.

Sofia will share her harrowing personal journey navigating severe emotional abuse, food deprivation, and forced labor under Allione, detailing how core tenets of traditional Tibetan Buddhism were weaponized to enable and conceal coercive control.

🎟️ Save 60% with code EBMAY through August 23rd! Link in bio.

When meditation is integrated into clinical therapies like DBT and CFT, we rarely discuss the potential risks—or what happens when spiritual teachings are used to mask psychological pressure and abuse.

Join Dr. Michelle Haslam—a UK-based senior clinical psychologist and survivor of spiritual abuse within Buddhist communities—for a critical live presentation on the dynamics of psychological harm and spiritualized victim-blaming in Buddhist sects.

Learn to recognize how concepts like karma and equanimity can be weaponized to invalidate trauma, and understand the systemic barriers to help-seeking and whistleblowing.

🎓 APA credit available.

🎟️ Save 60% with code EBRISKS through August 15th! Link in bio.

For many, a meditation crisis forces us to look closely at the religious or spiritual conditioning we grew up with. Next week on Wednesday, 7/29— Sue talks candidly about how discarding those old, restrictive frameworks allowed her to find true solace in mysticism and real validation in consciousness science. You are not alone in this territory. 🔗 Link in bio.

Meet the facilitators behind the Neurodivergent Mindfulness Network (NiMiN)! 👋

Our sessions are led by Jessica Andexer and Dr. Kelly Birtwell—two multiply neurodivergent professionals passionate about accessible, inclusive mental health and wellbeing.

🎨 Jessica Andexer has been practicing as a psychotherapist since 2006. She is an educator, consultant, and mindfulness teacher who has worked across trauma services, charities, and the NHS.

🔬 Dr. Kelly Birtwell is a chartered psychologist, counsellor, and mindfulness teacher. Her research focuses heavily on mindfulness for underserved groups and the health and wellbeing of autistic adults.

Join Jessica and Kelly on Monday, July 27th for a safe, shared community space.

🔗 Register for free at cheetahhouse.org/nimin

Participation is completely free, supported by Cheetah House. Come as you are on Monday, July 27th! (Because this is a live-only space with no recordings available, make sure to double-check your local time zones so you don't miss it!)

🔗 Link in bio to register: cheetahhouse.org/nimin

Healing from meditation-related adversity isn't just about returning to baseline—it's about the unexpected gifts uncovered along the way. For artist and interior designer Sue, that meant opening up a completely new vein of expressive creativity and a faith unencumbered by past conditioning. Join us on July 29th for this intimate community conversation.

🔗 Sliding scale available. Link in bio.

⏰ Early bird registration closes this Sunday, July 19th! Don't forget to use code EBTEACHER at checkout for 60% off our upcoming lecture with Dr. Nicholas Canby and Dr. Willoughby Britton.

Join us on August 6th! Discover why the social context of meditation—specifically group cohesion and the student-teacher relationship—frequently predicts therapeutic outcomes better than the actual type or amount of hours spent meditating. Protect your practice or your students with data-backed contemplative safety insights.

🔗 Register via link in bio!

🚨 Early Bird Reminder! This Saturday, July 11th is the last day to use code LTMFS726 for 50% off registration for Sue's July 29th talk.

As a long-time spiritual seeker active in 12-step recovery, Sue found her world upended by a meditation crisis. By blending her faith with consciousness science, she mapped out a unique path to healing. Don't miss this raw, honest discussion. 🎟️ Registration link in bio!

When a meditator runs into intense psychological or somatic challenges, a meditation teacher’s response can either be a vital lifeline or deeply harmful. Drawing on data from the Varieties of Contemplative Experience (VCE) project, Dr. Nicholas Canby and Dr. Willoughby Britton are breaking down what makes a student-teacher dynamic safe and beneficial.

Learn to identify the key traits of supportive guidance and how "Buddhist modernism" influences our expectations of teachers.

🎟️ Save 60% with code EBTEACHER by July 19th! Link in bio.