We have launched a fundraiser for the survivors of Sam Bateman.
Our hope is to provide these survivors some unexpected blessings to be able to something positive and wonderful, whether it’s move to a new house, put a down payment on a car, travel to Disneyworld, take dancing lessons, or who knows what else?
We’re dreaming big, hoping to raise at least $100,000. Please spread the word and pitch in what you can.
STOP JUDGING. START HELPING. STOP JUDGING. START HELPING.
Random Info
My Legal Last Name Surprises People
People get confused by my last name. Christine Marie sounds like two first names, and I am married to Tolga Katas. But my last name is not Katas, and technically, it’s not exactly even Marie. The story: When I divorced my ex-husband, I filed for a name change. Since I had written children’s books and already had a nom de plume as Christine Marie which everyone knew me as, I just made that my legal name. I signed my name change papers with a heart after it, as I always did. To my surprise, when the paperwork came back from the state, it included a heart after my new name. I thought, “How cute of them!” However, when I sold my farm, the title company checked with the State of Michigan to get my legal name change document on the record, and they informed me that my signature was not legal without the heart. I then had to go back and add hearts to every signature on the paperwork before we could close the sale. So now you know.
Signed by a judge, my legal name is Christine Marie ♥.
Select News
The Guardian | What drives the heroine of Netflix’s hit documentary Trust Me: The False Prophet?
Marie, with her blond ponytail, pink cowboy hat, pink boots and pink glasses, was a former beauty queen, ventriloquist and escape artist, now finishing her psychology doctorate. Tolga, once a rock singer, was a videographer, a city dweller who had never been on a hike.
This is the starting point of the Netflix documentary Trust Me: The False Prophet – and unsurprisingly, the couple’s arrival is met with deep suspicion. What follows, though, is gripping TV, recorded as it happened, but paced like a thriller.
The Most Fascinating Person in ‘Trust Me: The False Prophet’ Isn’t the One You Expect
Esquire | “Marie, who only dresses in pink, is able to build trust among the community thanks to her obvious empathy and sensible nature. She’s the sort of person you’d go to with a list of problems and return with a crossed-out list.. .That’s in no small part down to Marie, a main character if ever I saw one. Among her past jobs? She was a Miss Michigan, an escape artist, a ventriloquist. Sure! And as we learn, Marie is so intrigued in FLDS because of her own history with such institutions. That comes to the fore in the finale, as Marie must both liberate and betray those around her. “
Colorful Adventures in Psychology, Dignity, and Kicking Ass
Psychology
My hot topics? Media psychology, positive psychology, cult psychology, and coercion.
Traumatology
We know a lot about trauma, but what about post-traumatic growth? (aka - kicking ass!)
Dignity
Human dignity? The right to be treated like you matter, because you do.
Dr. Christine Marie
Yes, I Literally Wear Rose-Colored Glasses
I am an animal-loving, coffee-drinking, psychology nerd exploring the intersection of human life and storytelling, past and present.
My hearts desire is to empower and dignify those humiliated, misrepresented and stigmatized. I teach about critical thinking, cults, victim-blaming, and post-traumatic growth. I hope to enrich lives through the use of media, kindness, & sharing one’s story.
I’m not a therapist, but I have trauma training galore, and am a certified trauma and resiliency life coach, among other things.
“All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world.”
Mr. Rogers
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Sharon Harper, Femina Miss Asia
