Shows
Rights and RemediesExposing the Truth About the Troubled Teen Industry with Founder of Unsilenced with Meg Appelgate | Ep 20In this episode of Rights and Remedies, I’m joined by Meg Applegate, CEO of UNSILENCED, a nonprofit dedicated to ending institutional child abuse in the so-called "troubled teen" industry.Meg shares her harrowing story of being abducted at age 15 and held in two residential facilities for over three years. She details her long journey of waking up to the abuse she experienced, and how that healing process ultimately led her to create UNSILENCED, one of the most active survivor-led organizations in this space.Together, we discuss:What the “troubled teen industry” really is - and...
2025-07-2428 min
The Pain Game Podcast with Lyndsay SopranoUnsilencing the Survivors of the Troubled Teen Industry⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of institutional abuse, medical neglect, and trauma experienced by survivors of the troubled teen industry. Please listen with care.This one’s heavy—but necessary. In this gripping episode, Lyndsay Soprano sits down with Meg Appelgate to expose the disturbing realities of the troubled teen industry—a multi-billion-dollar machine built on silence, shame, and survival.Meg shares her personal story of being institutionalized as a teenager, detailing the abuse, medical neglect, and psychological control she endured under the guise of “treatment.” From attack therapy to forced circle sessions, this conversation pulls back the...
2025-07-2251 min
Something Was WrongS24 Ep2: Unsilenced
*Content warning: institutional child abuse, childhood abuse, death of a child, suicide, psychological, physical and sexual violence, abduction, kidnapping, disordered eating, stressful themes, disability abuse, ableism, PTSD, medical abuse and neglect.
*Meg Appelgate’s Work:
Meg Appelgate’s website here: https://megappelgate.com/my-story/
Meg Appelgate’s nonprofit, Unsilenced here: https://www.unsilenced.org/
Meg Appelgate’s memoir, Becoming UNSILENCED: Surviving and Fighting the Troubled Teen Industry: https://megappelgate.com/book/
*Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips:
somethingwaswrong.com/resources
Please note: Kenny Pannell and Mary Alexine have never publicly...
2025-07-1849 min
Speaking of CultsSpeaking of Cults...The Troubled Teen Industry with Meg AppelgateThis week I welcome Meg Appelgate, founder of Unsilenced.org and a survivor of the "troubled teen industry" - a loose network of abusive labor trafficking and cultic control groups which focus their efforts on abusing children and teens to "manage and control them" so they will somehow stop being so "troublesome." It's truly sick and disgusting work and it's being done to the tune of $23 billion in government and private funding, and no one is doing a thing to stop it.
Meg's website: https://unsilenced.org
2025-05-241h 31
Real Crime ProfileHome Sweet Horror Part 2Jim, Francey, and Kathy continue their discussion with guest Meg Appelgate, co-founder and CEO of "Unsilenced", an organization that exposes and stops institutional child abuse within the troubled teen industry.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2025-04-1731 min
Best Case Worst Case432|Home Sweet Horror part 2Jim, Francey, and Kathy continue their discussion with guest Meg Appelgate, co-founder and CEO of "Unsilenced", an organization that exposes and stops institutional child abuse within the troubled teen industry.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2025-04-1731 min
Sh*ts F*ckedExposing The Troubled Teen Industry with Meg AppelgateIn this episode, Paris chats with Meg Appelgate, survivor, author of Becoming UNSILENCED, and founder of Unsilenced, about what really goes on behind closed doors in the Troubled Teen Industry in the United States.Meg shares her experience growing up in these institutions, the lack of oversight that allows abuse to continue, and why “tough love” approaches often cause more harm than healing. We dive into how normal teenage behaviour gets pathologised, the emotional toll of gaslighting and victim-blaming, and what kind of real support families need when they’re struggling.While the focus is on the...
2025-04-1459 minReal Crime ProfileHome Sweet Horror Part 1In this special edition crossover episode of Real Crime Profile and Best Case Worst Case, Jim, Kathy, and Francey are joined by guest Meg Appelgate, co-founder and CEO of "Unsilenced", an organization that exposes and stops institutional child abuse within the troubled teen industry.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2025-04-1035 minBest Case Worst Case431|Home Sweet Horror part 1In this special edition crossover episode of Real Crime Profile and Best Case Worst Case, Jim, Kathy, and Francey are joined by guest Meg Appelgate, co-founder and CEO of "Unsilenced", an organization that exposes and stops institutional child abuse within the troubled teen industry.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2025-04-1035 min
The Child Psych PodcastUnsilenced: The Truth About the Troubled Teen Industry with Meg Appelgate, Episode #111Every year, thousands of children are sent against their will – often ripped out of their beds in the middle of the night by strangers – to private facilities to be treated for various mental illnesses, addiction issues, and perceived behavioral problems. Due to inconsistencies in the definition of what a therapeutic program is and a lack of regulatory oversight, the exact number of these centers and children in them is not known but it is estimated that there is over 120,000+ children kept in over 5,000+ centers around the United States and abroad. This is collectively known as the “Troubled Teen Industry.”
2024-12-1839 min
The Jordan Harbinger Show1091: Troubled Teen Industry | Skeptical SundayA $23B industry is warehousing and abusing teens under the guise of therapy. Survivor Meg Appelgate shares her harrowing story here on Skeptical Sunday.
Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by Meg Appelgate, the CEO of Unsilenced, a grassroots organization dedicated to speaking out against institutionalized child abuse in the troubled teen and youth mental health industry!
On This Week's Skept...
2024-12-1555 min
Just Between UsThe Troubled Teen Industry with Meg Appelgate, Therapy-Resistant Siblings and Losing A ParentAllison looks like a grown-up girl now. A listener wonders how to help her brother who won't go to therapy despite showing signs of mania again. Next, Meg Appelgate joins the conversation to talk about how the troubled teen industry takes advantage of parents' fears and traumatized kids, including her younger self. And finally, Allison shares what it was like to lose her mom. Check out all of our content on Patreon, Ad Free! Watch the full episodes of TLDRI, listen to the full episodes of The Variety Show, watch the International Question and To...
2024-12-0427 min
Resilience Development in ActionE.177 Breaking Silence: Surviving and Reforming the Troubled Teen IndustrySend us a textMeg Appelgate, a courageous survivor of the troubled teen industry and co-founder of Unsilenced, joins us to share her profound story of resilience and advocacy. We explore her experiences with institutional abuse and the urgent need for reform to protect vulnerable teenagers. Meg's book, "Surviving and Fighting the Troubled Teen Industry: Becoming Unsilenced," is a must-read for those wanting to understand the depth of these critical issues, as she works tirelessly to end institutional child abuse and offer justice for survivors.We delve into the harsh realities of the troubled teen...
2024-11-0645 min
Voices of Courage with Ken D FosterVoices Of Courage, October 22, 2024S3EP2, Advocate Against Abuse with Meg Appelgate
Our next guest is a survivor, turned advocate for youth. Meg Applegate survived childhood abuse and now advocates against institutional abuse of troubled teens. We’ll hear her own journey as a survivor and how she became a leading voice in stopping institutional abuse. She turned her trauma into a catalyst for change.
Show Benefits:
~ Understanding Institutional Abuse
~ Learn how you can help
~ Gain important resources to help in your own community
Broadcast Bio:
Meg Appelgate, CEO of Unsilenced, advocates against institutional child abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry (TTI). Surviving two TT...
2024-10-2359 min
Voices Of Courage#VOC S3EP2 | The Courage to Advocate Against Abuse | Meg Appelgate | Ken D FosterOur next guest is a survivor, turned advocate for youth. Meg Applegate survived childhood abuse and now advocates against institutional abuse of troubled teens. We’ll hear her own journey as a survivor and how she became a leading voice in stopping institutional abuse. She turned her trauma into a catalyst for change.Full Episode (Youtube): https://youtu.be/HvXkMi_3RFE#voicesofcourage #kendfoster #MegAppelgate #abuse #survivor #resilience #advocacy #troubledteens #trauma #change #reform
2024-09-3059 min
Voices Of Courage#VOC S3EP2 | The Courage to Advocate Against Abuse | Meg Appelgate | Ken D FosterOur next guest is a survivor, turned advocate for youth. Meg Applegate survived childhood abuse and now advocates against institutional abuse of troubled teens. We’ll hear her own journey as a survivor and how she became a leading voice in stopping institutional abuse. She turned her trauma into a catalyst for change. Full Episode (Youtube): https://youtu.be/HvXkMi_3RFE #voicesofcourage #kendfoster #MegAppelgate #abuse #survivor #resilience #advocacy #troubledteens #trauma #change #reform
2024-09-3059 min
Office Hours with David MeltzerDr. Alise Cortez, Monica Suleski, Meg AppelgateDr. Alise CortezDr. Alise Cortez is the Chief Ignition Officer at Gusto, Now!, a consultancy that helps organizations improve engagement, performance, and profitability by fostering meaning and purpose. With over 25 years of experience as an organizational psychologist, logotherapist, speaker, and author, she focuses on building purpose-driven leadership and high-performing cultures. Her global work helps individuals and companies lead more fulfilling and impactful lives.Monica SuleskiMonica Suleski is a visionary entrepreneur and design expert with a passion for beauty and timeless art. Born to a Polish father and Colombian...
2024-09-1142 minThe Pain Game Podcast with Lyndsay SopranoUnsilenced: The Troubled Teen IndustryIn this powerful episode, Lyndsay Soprano and Meg Appelgate, co-founder and CEO of Unsilenced, confront the hidden atrocities of the troubled teen industry (TTI). Lyndsay courageously shares her own scars from trauma and abuse, setting a raw and unfiltered tone for the conversation. Meg then opens up about her own nightmare—being kidnapped at 15 and subjected to years of relentless psychological abuse within TTI programs.This episode pulls back the curtain on a $23 billion industry that thrives on the suffering of vulnerable children, exposing the shocking truths that have been kept in the shadows for far too long. It...
2024-09-1050 min
Psycho TherapyTroubled Teen Industry: Unsilenced With Author Meg AppelgateThe troubled teen industry encompasses various programs and facilities aimed at modifying behavior in adolescents deemed "problematic" by parents and authorities. In this episode we sit down with author and survivor Meg Appelgate to discuss the efficacy, ethics and potential long term psychological out comes of these treatment programs.
2024-07-3038 min
Crime Stories with Nancy GraceBOY, 12, DEAD AFTER 24 HOURS AT CAMP, FOUND WITHOUT PANTS: RULED HOMICIDEThe death of a boy, who dies in his first night at Trails Carolina, has been ruled a homicide. The autopsy report of the 12-year-old says the cause of death is asphyxia due to smothering. Trails Carolina has the troubled youths sleeping in bivies that are placed on top of a thick plastic sheet that is folded up the sides in the form of a canoe. The mesh in the bivy being torn and replaced with the weather-resistant door secured with an alarm that would alert if someone tries getting out of the bivy. Counselors c...
2024-06-2744 min
Preacher Boys Podcast305: Surviving the Troubled Teen Industry and Becoming Unsilenced | Meg AppelgateOn today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Meg Applegate, the CEO of Unsilenced Project Inc., a non-profit on a mission to stop institutional child abuse by empowering self-advocates to promote lasting social change.At the age of 15, Meg was abducted by two strangers in the middle of the night from her California home and was told that “she was coming with them.” 8 hours later, she found herself at a lockdown treatment facility in Boise, Idaho. Then, 6 months later, she found herself in an additional behavioral modification program in northern Montana, where she spent th...
2024-05-0754 minPreacher Boys Podcast305: Surviving the Troubled Teen Industry and Becoming Unsilenced | Meg AppelgateOn today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Meg Applegate, the CEO of Unsilenced Project Inc., a non-profit on a mission to stop institutional child abuse by empowering self-advocates to promote lasting social change.At the age of 15, Meg was abducted by two strangers in the middle of the night from her California home and was told that “she was coming with them.” 8 hours later, she found herself at a lockdown treatment facility in Boise, Idaho. Then, 6 months later, she found herself in an additional behavioral modification program in northern Montana, where she spent th...
2024-05-0754 min
Life After MLMEpisode 232 : Meg AppelgateTrigger Warnings : This episode talks about child abuse, kidnapping and CSA. Please use discretion when listening.When she was just 15, Meg Appelgate was abducted by two strangers in the middle of the night from her home in California. Over the course of the next 6 months Meg would enter a behavioral modification program called Chrysalis in northern Montana where she would spend the next 3 years. These programs go by the names "youth residential treatment centers", "wilderness programs", "boot camps", or "therapeutic boarding schools" among others, but they are what we now know as the Troubled Teen Industry, a vile...
2024-04-141h 22
A Little Bit CultyCult-Proofing 101: Julie Bogart on Critical ThinkingToday’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Julie Bogart homeschooled her five children for seventeen years and participated in a Cincinnati homeschool co-op of 100 families with over 300 youngsters. But it wasn’t merely homeschoolers that were a little bit culty in her life. With experiences of missionary evangelical Christianity, the New Thought movement, Scientology, and four years as an e s t devotee, Julie Bogart’s got some culty notches in her belt. Now she’s helping cult-proof parents and their kids by teaching families to think well. In this episode, Julie shares insight into susceptibilities for cult-jumpin...
2023-11-131h 15
A Little Bit CultyUnsilenced: Meg Appelgate on the Troubled Teen IndustryToday’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a teen, Meg Appelgate was gooned – that is, legally kidnapped – from her home in the middle of the night and taken to a lockdown facility in Idaho, then shipped to Montana where isolation, chemical sedation, and brainwashing were the norm…for a day of underage drinking. She survived and went on to develop and recruit for similar organizations. Then she woke up and channeled her indignation toward making positive change. Right now, anywhere from 120,000 to 200,000 or more young people are institutionalized as private equity firms rake in ten...
2023-10-091h 10
Out of QueeriosityMeg Appelgate & Katie McNamara: Talking About the Troubled Teen Industry with Unsilenced In this episode, we chat with Meg Appelgate and Katherine McNamara of Unsilenced. Unsilenced is a nonprofit dedicated to lifting the voices of survivors of the troubled teen industry and eradicating the industry altogether. This is incredibly important work for the LGBTQ+ community, as a disproportionate amount of LGBTQ+ youth are in these dangerous organizations. In many instances, this is where our youth experience conversion therapy and live with the consequences.
From Unsilenced -
Every year, thousands of children are sent against their will – often ripped out of their beds in the middle of the night...
2023-09-2856 min
The Optimal Life325. Tammy Adams :: Abused Children Need to Know there is Always Hope, Never Give UpTammy Adams is the founder of Life Purpose Shaman, a spiritual healing and life coaching consultancy helping people overcome traumas and discover their life's purpose. In this emotional episode, Tammy joined me to discuss the brutal forms of abuse she was exposed to as a child and how she has overcome those, including ways in which she is now helping some young children cope with the horrors of their reality. She also provides insight into karmic healing, spiritual healing and soulmate connections. Learn more at https://lifepurposeshaman.com Follow our podcast on Facebook @NateHaberPodcast ...
2023-06-2738 min
Mind DiveEpisode 31: Neuropsychiatry, Connecting the Brain to Behavior with Dr. Julia Ridgeway-DiazOnce a psychiatrist understands what is happening in their patient’s brain, who gives insight on why this is happening? Join this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast as hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell explore the world of behavioral neurology with Dr. Julia Ridgeway-Diaz, psychiatrist, neurologist and neuropsychiatrist at Menninger. As they dive into the neuropsychiatrist’s role in physical and mental health, explore the important relationship between medical ailments and resulting behavioral changes. Also discussed is the importance of a neuropsychiatric perspective in complex cases, including a real-life example...
2023-05-2234 minMind DiveEpisode 30: The Troubled Teen Industry with Meg Appelgate, CEO of UnSilencedWhile child abuse in the home is well defined and often met with clear repercussions, are parents, clinicians and even government agencies missing red flags of institutional child abuse within the troubled teen industry? Dive into this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast as nonprofit leader Meg Appelgate shares her own teenage experiences with the dangerous shortcomings of the troubled teen industry as a behavioral health solution. Join Meg as she speaks with hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland about her work with survivors of the industry and offers advice to...
2023-05-0829 min
All About ChangeMeg Appelgate - The Troubled Teen IndustryMeg is the CEO of Unsilenced, a grassroots organization dedicated to speaking out against institutionalized child abuse in the troubled teen and youth mental health industry. After being sexually assaulted and expelled from school for drinking at 15, Meg's parents spoke to an educational consultant and forcibly sent her to a children's facility and boarding school. For the next 17 years, Meg dedicated herself to non-profit work before eventually coming to the realization that she had been abused and brainwashed throughout her time in the troubled teen industry. Having already done extensive work in the non-profit sector, Meg eventually...
2023-04-0339 min
IndoctriNationUnsilenced w/Meg AppelgateMeg Appelgate is the CEO of Unsilenced, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to stop institutional child abuse by empowering self-advocates to promote lasting social change. The organization envisions a world where youth are free from institutionalization and the voices of young people are respected in the development of their own mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
At the age of 15, Meg was abducted by two strangers in the middle of the night from her California home and was told that “she was coming with them”. 8 hours later she found herself at a lockdown treatment facility in Boise, Idaho. Then, 6 months late...
2023-02-081h 09
Critical Mass Business Talk Show | Orange County’s Longest-Running Business Talk ShowCritical Mass Business Talk Show: Ric Franzi Interviews Meg Appelgate, Co-Founder & CEO of Unsilenced (Episode 1412)Meg Appelgate is the Co-Founder & CEO of Unsilenced. At the age of 15, Meg Appelgate was abducted by two strangers in the middle of the night from her California home and was told that “she was coming with them." 8 hours later she found herself at a lockdown treatment facility in Boise, Idaho. Then, 6 months, she found herself in an additional behavioral modification program in northern Montana where she spent the next 3 years.
After graduating college, with a degree in psychology, completely oblivious to the abuse she had experienced, Meg spent the next 17 years dedicating her life serving on va...
2023-02-0123 min
The Inner Circle with Carrie DollMeg Appelgate: Staying Unsilenced About Reform SchoolsMeg is the CEO of Unsilenced. She is a survivor of Chrysalis and Intermountain Children's Hospital, where she spent a combined total of 3 1/2 years of her life. After graduating from Carroll College with a Bachelors in psychology, and has spent the last 15 years dedicating her life to philanthropy, Board development and recruitment, and helping nonprofits develop and expand to further their impact. She brings an extensive background in nonprofit management, Board development, and fund development. She is currently the Vice President, Trustee and Managing Director at the Gochnauer Foundation. In addition, she is actively involved with and serves on the Boa...
2023-01-2458 min
The Optimal LifeMeg Appelgate :: Stopping Institutional Child AbuseMeg Appelgate is the founder of Unsilenced Project, a non-profit organization aimed at stopping institutional child abuse at boarding schools. She joined me to discuss the troubled teen industry and the problems with sending kids to these so-called "treatment facilities," "conversion therapy facilities" and "behavioral modification schools." Learn more at https://unsilenced.org Connect on Instagram @Unsilenced_Now If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Ep. 226 - Fatima Oliver :: Overcoming Domestic and Sexual Assault Ep. 151 - Byrdy Lynn :: Overcoming Sexual Abuse and a Childhood of Turmoil
2022-12-0539 min
News Du JourBONUS: UnsilencedMeet: Caroline Cole and Meg AppELgate, co-CEOs of Unsilenced. They were both abducted from their beds in the middle of the night as teens and taken to "camps" that were more abusive and restrictive than most prisons. Today, they champion advocacy work (alongside Paris Hilton) to close these facilities and build options for families that would actually help children, rather than abuse them. WEBSITE: https://www.unsilenced.org/PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trapped-in-treatment/id1603708300THEIR INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/UnSilenced_Now/THEIR TIKTOK: https://www...
2022-02-0952 min