Anthia Gillick warns self-improvement groups can mask coercion

Former OneTaste member Anthia Gillick says cults have adapted to social media and now often present themselves as life coaches, wellness experts and self-help communities. She is urging stronger legal protections in the U.S. as other countries move to recognize coercive persuasion as a crime. Why it matters: - Gillick says people seeking confidence, healing and belonging can be drawn into coercive groups through familiar wellness and coaching language. - The warning lands as the global wellness economy tops $6 trillion and life coaching continues to expand. - Gillick says younger people are increasingly exposed because manipulation now travels through social media and mobile devices. What happened: - Former OneTaste member Anthia Gillick publicly warned that modern cults are using self-improvement brands to recruit people. - Gillick said her own search for spiritual renewal and belonging first pulled her toward OneTaste. - A visit from Los Angeles accompanied the message, which focused on the risks of coercive control in wellness spaces. - Gillick said the public often misunderstands cult recruitment because the process usually unfolds gradually, not through a single dramatic event. The details: - Gillick said these groups do not sell captivity. They sell hope, then build emotional, social and financial dependence. - She said the tactics are designed for social media and can reach people constantly. - Gillick pointed to reporting by EL PAÍS that experts say social media has made predatory groups cheaper and easier to scale globally. - Gillick said France, Belgium and Luxembourg already recognize coercive persuasion and abuse of vulnerability as crimes. - She said Spanish cult survivors delivered 300,000 signatures to Congress in 2024 seeking similar protections. - Gillick said control can be psychological, not just physical. - Gillick said the strongest U.S. charge that tends to stick in cult cases is forced labor conspiracy, a statute also used in agricultural contracting syndicates. Between the lines: - Gillick is framing the issue as a modern consumer-protection and public-safety problem, not just a fringe religious issue. - Her comments suggest the gap in U.S. law may leave survivors with fewer tools to describe coercion in court. - The social media angle matters because it removes the geographic and social barriers that once limited recruitment. What’s next: - Gillick is urging U.S. lawmakers and courts to develop stronger language and charges for psychological coercion. - She says legal reform needs to move quickly to better protect young people and other vulnerable groups. - Gillick says she will continue speaking publicly, and she is available for interviews through her media contact. The bottom line: - Gillick’s message is that self-improvement branding can hide coercive control, and current U.S. law may not be keeping up.