Episode 14 - Deprogramming from Trust with Michelle Minnikin

In this episode of the Good Girl Deprogramming podcast, Michelle Minnikin takes us on a deep dive into Chapter 3 of her book, Good Girl Deprogramming, titled “Establishing Trust: We’ve Got Your Best Interests at Heart.”

With a powerful quote from Stephen King — “The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool” — Michelle sets the stage for a critical exploration of trust. While trust is essential for human connection, it can be weaponised to control and manipulate, particularly for women taught to “trust the grown-ups” in their lives. This conditioning leaves us vulnerable to manipulation, self-doubt, and a silenced inner voice.

In this episode, Michelle unpacks the five key steps to deprogram from this “blind trust” and embrace critical thinking — a vital skill for reclaiming our power and agency.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why Trust Can Be Dangerous: How society conditions women to trust blindly — and how this conditioning keeps us small, compliant, and easy to control.

• The Role of Critical Thinking: Why critical thinking is essential for deprogramming from Good Girl Conditioning and how it helps us resist manipulation.

• The Five Steps to Deprogramming Trust:

• • Don’t believe everything you’re told — Learn to question authority and the motives behind the information you consume.

  • Don’t believe everything you think — Discover how biases, societal narratives, and your own brain can mislead you.

  • Ask better questions — Embrace your inner 5-year-old and use curiosity to challenge assumptions and dig deeper.

  • Listen to perspectives you disagree with — Why staying in an echo chamber is dangerous and how to gain valuable new perspectives.

  • Question your own thinking — Reflect on your beliefs, challenge them, and be open to change.

We Want to Hear From You!

What’s one area of your life where you’re ready to question the status quo? Send Michelle a message or tag her on social media with your thoughts!

Follow Michelle on social media:

Website - https://www.michelleminnikin.com/

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mminnikin/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/goodgirldeprogramming

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@michelleminnikin

Buy Good Girl Deprogramming

Ebook and Paperback available at all good bookshops (and Amazon - https://amzn.to/3AQHuFf)

Audible - https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0D9MKBDBW/?source_code=AUKFrDlWS02231890H6-BK-ACX0-406719&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_406719_rh_uk

Take the Good Girl Quiz

Find out if you’re a Good Girl at https://goodgirlquiz.co.uk/

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