Ashlen Hilliard is a student in the MSc program in the Psychology of Coercive Control from the University of Salford and currently works for the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) as Director of Events.
Before ICSA, she worked as a case manager in Salt Lake City, Utah helping individuals leaving polygamist groups out west. Ashlen relocated to Portland, Oregon in 2020 where she became involved in local Spiritual Abuse Forum for Education (SAFE) Meetups for survivors of cultic and spiritual abuse. More information on SAFE can be found at https://www.safeportland.org/.
She has presented at multiple ICSA conferences on a variety of topics and has been interviewed on podcasts. She published an article in ICSA Today 10.2 / 2019 on, The Genesis, Text, and Implications of Utah House Bill 214: Office for Victims of Crime Amendments. She was also featured in the article: Woodstock woman combats cults, heals survivors of spiritual abuse.
Ashlen loves living in Portland, Oregon with her partner Ryan, their blind dog Hamilton, and their cat Ferguson. Ashlen can be contacted at ashlen.hilliard.wordpress@gmail.com.
In this episode, Ashlen and Maxwell discuss Polygamy, The Church of Christ, hyper-conservative, Catholicism, Utah, Salt Lake City, Kaysville, Mormon, LDS, Church of Latter-day Saints, trying to convert people to different religions, Alexander Campbell, Joseph Smith, colonialism, hermeneutical methodology, recruiting people to the church, evangelism at Temple Square, polygamist groups, Kingstons, Kingston Clan, similar to the Mafia, preserving the blood line, Aryan, marrying young girls off early, inbreeding, white supremacy, tracking devices, and trying to save women leaving these groups.
