Podcasts > Rotten Mango > Ruby Franke “Shares Bed” With Evil Woman/Marriage Counselor To Get Rid of Demons

Ruby Franke “Shares Bed” With Evil Woman/Marriage Counselor To Get Rid of Demons

By Stephanie Soo & Ramble

On the Rotten Mango podcast, the ethics of therapist Jodi Hildebrandt and her interactions with clients are examined. The blurb details Hildebrandt's manipulative tactics towards clients, such as isolating them from loved ones and making baseless claims about addictions and improper behaviors.

It also explores the suspension of Hildebrandt's therapy license and her subsequent launch of a life coaching business, "Connections." The summary further delves into the traumatic experiences of individuals like Adam, whose abuse as a child was weaponized against him in a custody battle after Hildebrandt misled Adam's wife into believing false allegations. Hildebrandt's abuse of power and exploitation of vulnerable clients, particularly in Mormon communities, are recounted as well.

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Ruby Franke “Shares Bed” With Evil Woman/Marriage Counselor To Get Rid of Demons

This is a preview of the Shortform summary of the Mar 20, 2025 episode of the Rotten Mango

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Ruby Franke “Shares Bed” With Evil Woman/Marriage Counselor To Get Rid of Demons

1-Page Summary

Jodi Hildebrandt's Unethical Practices as a Therapist

Jodi Hildebrandt is scrutinized for manipulative tactics towards clients and unethical conduct as a therapist. She baselessly accused clients like Adam of "addictions" and "sins," even falsely claiming food and religious text reading as addictions. Jodi isolated clients like Mary from spouses by convincing them of alleged improper behaviors. She also exploited mental health struggles, like Adam's PTSD, to control and confuse clients.

License Suspension and Life Coaching Business

Following ethical breaches, Hildebrandt's therapy license was suspended. She then started "Connections," a life coaching business with fewer constraints, promoting pseudo-religious concepts of "truth" vs. "distortion." Her income model included expensive group sessions and costly leadership programs.

Adam's Abuse and Custody Battle

Adam, a victim of abuse by an LDS Church scout leader, faced a destructive custody battle where his trauma was used to portray him as an unfit father. Hildebrandt's manipulative therapy misled Adam's wife Mary into falsely believing he was a sexual predator, leading to Adam losing custody and facing felony charges despite no evidence.

Abuse of Niece Jesse and Exploitation of Mormon Clients

Hildebrandt isolated her 14-year-old niece Jesse, forcing confessions of fabricated "sins" through coercion and physical torture like running punishments. She leveraged authority to discredit and control Jesse. Over two decades, Hildebrandt exploited LDS Church connections to attract vulnerable Mormon clients, prioritizing wealthy ones. Her unethical, intrusive practices traumatized families like Adam's.

1-Page Summary

Additional Materials

Actionables

  • You can vet mental health professionals by checking their licensing status and any disciplinary actions online before starting therapy. Most regions have a health regulatory body that maintains a database of licensed therapists, which you can search to ensure that the professional you're considering is in good standing and hasn't had any ethical breaches. For example, if you're in the United States, you can use the Department of Health website for your state to find this information.
  • Create a personal checklist of red flags for therapy based on common ethical standards to stay alert during sessions. Include points like the therapist respecting boundaries, avoiding any form of coercion, and not isolating you from loved ones. If you notice any of these red flags, such as feeling pressured to share more than you're comfortable with or being pushed towards a particular belief system, it may be time to reassess your therapy arrangement.
  • Encourage open communication with loved ones about therapy experiences to maintain healthy relationships and avoid isolation. After therapy sessions, have candid discussions with family or friends about the insights you've gained and any concerns you might have. This not only helps in processing your therapy experience but also ensures that your support network is aware of your mental health journey and can provide a balanced perspective.

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Ruby Franke “Shares Bed” With Evil Woman/Marriage Counselor To Get Rid of Demons

Jodi Hildebrandt's Unethical Practices as a Therapist

Jodi Hildebrandt is under scrutiny for her controversial therapy practices and subsequent shift to a less regulated role as a life coach, raising serious concerns about her professional ethics.

Jodi's Manipulative Techniques in Therapy

Jodi is accused of using scare tactics and control mechanisms within her therapeutic practice, often crossing personal and professional boundaries.

Jodi Accuses Clients of "Addictions" and "Sins" Without Evidence

Jodi Hildebrandt has a habit of accusing clients of addictions—everything from food to reading religious texts excessively—without tangible evidence. She also uses the necessity to avoid thinking about certain imagery, such as that on magazines, as proof of being a sex addict. Such baseless allegations have affected clients like Adam, who faced heinous accusations in the absence of proof.

Jodi Urges Clients to Isolate From Family and Friends, Relying On Her

Hildebrandt's manipulative techniques further extend to isolating her clients. She convinces Mary, a client, of her husband Adam's unacceptable behavior and pushes her to set boundaries, thus urging a rift between couples. She instructed Adam and his wife not to communicate directly, asserting that breaking the relationship was necessary to rebuild it. Additionally, she encouraged the wife of another husband to push for a divorce during a sensitive period, further isolating him.

Jodi Exploits Clients' Mental Health Struggles to Control Them

Jodi blurs professional boundaries by moving in with the Frankie family under the pretense of her house being haunted. Jodi's presence disrupts the family dynamics, even displacing family members from their rooms. Furthermore, she exploits the vulnerabilities of clients, such as Adam's PTSD, confusing him with vague accusations that every action stems from addiction. Hildebrandt is also known to apply group pressure to punish husbands for confessed behaviors in group sessions, and she claimed to require support from her clients during her own self-declared mental health crises.

Jodi's License Suspension and Shift to Life Coaching

Following ethical breaches, Hildebrandt faced professional consequences but managed to recommence her work as a life coach.

Jodi's "Connections" Business Allows Fewer Ethical Constraints

With her therapy license suspended, Jodi Hildebrandt transitions to life coaching, calling herself a "mental fit ...

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Jodi Hildebrandt's Unethical Practices as a Therapist

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • Jodi Hildebrandt is accused of making baseless accusations of addictions and sins against her clients, manipulating them by urging isolation from family and friends, and exploiting their mental health struggles for control. She blurred professional boundaries by moving in with a family under false pretenses and disrupted their dynamics. After facing consequences for ethical breaches as a therapist, she transitioned to life coaching, promoting controversial beliefs and running a financially lucrative business with group sessions and costly programs.
  • Jodi Hildebrandt is accused of making baseless accusations of addictions and sins against her clients without providing concrete evidence, causing distress and harm. She is also criticized for manipulating clients into isolating themselves from their loved ones, disrupting relationships and fostering dependency on her. Additionally, Jodi is said to exploit her clients' mental health struggles, using vague accusations and group pressure to control and manipulate them during therapy sessions. These unethical practices have led to concerns about her professional ethics and the well-being of her clients.
  • The transition from therapy to life coaching typically involves a shift from a regulated healthcare profession to a more loosely regulated personal development field. Life coaches often focus on goal-setting, motivation, and personal growth, while therapists address mental health issues and clinical diagnoses. This transition can allow individuals to continue working with clients but under different ethical guidelines and without the same level of oversight. Life coaching may offer more flexibility in approaches and services provided compared to traditional therapy.
  • Jodi Hildebrandt promotes a mix of pseudo-religious and ideological belief ...

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Ruby Franke “Shares Bed” With Evil Woman/Marriage Counselor To Get Rid of Demons

Adam and Mary's Family's Destruction

Adam's journey from being a victim of abuse to being branded as an abuser reveals the intricate and often destructive complexities within systems of justice, perception, and support.

Adam's Abuse and Quest For Justice

Adam was abused by a scout leader who also held a position in the LDS Church at a Boy Scouts camp. As one of the biggest whistleblowers of the LDS Church's abuse cases, his attempts at exposing the abuse ironically led to being shunned and dismissed by the institution meant to protect him.

Adam's Past Impacts Marriage and Custody Battle

Adam Paul Steed's history as a victim of abuse significantly affected his later life, especially his marriage. His past was instrumentalized against him in a vicious custody battle. His childhood trauma was used to argue that he was unfit to be a father, leading to a 500-page honor code file at BYU, potential expulsion from college, and a problematic divorce. Adam is now facing a precarious situation, with severe implications on his legal standing, financial situation, custody rights, and reputation.

Mary Misled By Jodi, Making False Claims Against Adam

Jodi Hildebrandt, a therapist, influenced Mary's perception of Adam, leading her to believe he was a dangerous sexual predator. Allegations arose without verifiable evidence, further aggravating Adam's already delicate situation. Jodi's guidance not only appeared to manipulate Mary's thinking but also suggested a potential collusion in fabricating evidence against Adam. Manipulative counseling and questionable collusion between Mary and Jodi ...

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Adam and Mary's Family's Destruction

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Actionables

  • You can document your personal experiences with abuse or injustice in a private journal to process emotions and identify patterns. Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be therapeutic and may also serve as a personal record if you ever need to recall specific events or patterns of behavior. For example, if you ever find yourself in a situation where your credibility is questioned, having a detailed account can be invaluable.
  • Create a personal support network by reaching out to friends, family, or support groups who understand your situation. Having a reliable support network can provide emotional backing and practical advice when facing challenges like false accusations or legal battles. You might start by joining online forums or local support groups where you can share your experiences and receive support from others who have faced similar issues.
  • Educate yourself on your legal rights and ...

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Ruby Franke “Shares Bed” With Evil Woman/Marriage Counselor To Get Rid of Demons

Jodi's Abuse Of Niece Jesse and Client Exploitation History

Jodie Hildebrandt's career as a licensed therapist is marred by accounts of abuse and exploitation, particularly concerning her niece, Jesse, and vulnerable Mormon clients.

Jodi's Religious and Psychological Abuse of Niece

Jodi Isolates Jesse and Forces Confession of Fabricated "Sins"

Jodi Hildebrandt isolated her 14-year-old niece, Jesse, at a family gathering, taking them to "fix" them, implying coercion into confessing fabricated "sins." Jesse, who has always been inquisitive by nature and was raised in a strict LDS environment, was pressured by Jodi to confess to "sins" and "addictions" they didn't commit. Jodi, leveraging her authority as a therapist, confiscated Jesse to a room, instructing them to write down their sins daily and would force Jesse to make up sins to appease her demands.

Jodi Physically Tortures Jesse to "Fix" Them

Jodi physically tortured Jesse as part of her abusive tactics. She made Jesse run on Hell Hole Pass Road for their "sins," punishes them for a fabricated sexual history, and used the threat of hell to motivate compliance. Jesse describes having to run up and down mountains as penance for attempting to escape, endure freezing temperatures on a balcony, and sleep in a windowless room on a floor at Jodi's office. When Jesse resisted these abuses, Jodi punched Jesse, knocking them down. Jesse also was made to wear duct tape over their mouth, being labeled a liar, and they were forced to beg for forgiveness in humiliating ways.

Jodi Uses Authority to Discredit and Control Jesse

Jodi leveraged her legal authority over Jesse, who was terrified at family events and frequently attempted to escape. Jodi falsely claimed to family members that Jesse was a dangerous individual, bordering on murderous, and manipulated Jesse to lie to church members to protect her narrative. Jodi's power allowed her to make Jesse sleep in inadequate and unsafe conditions, falsely reassuring Jesse's parents about their wellbeing.

Jodi's Exploitation of Vulnerable Mormon Clients

Jodi Targets LDS Clients, Leveraging Church Resources

Jodi Hildebrandt is known for exploiting her status, particularly within the LDS community, over the past two decades. Using her connections, Jodi attracted many clients referred by church bishops, with the LDS church covering therapy costs through tithes. Jessie noticed that most of Jodi's clients emerged from such recommendations. Moreover, through a company called Life Star, she further leveraged these connections, causing a conflict of interest ...

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Jodi's Abuse Of Niece Jesse and Client Exploitation History

Additional Materials

Actionables

  • You can educate yourself on the signs of ethical therapy to ensure you and your loved ones receive proper care. Look for resources from accredited mental health organizations and familiarize yourself with the therapist's code of conduct. This knowledge will help you identify red flags in therapy sessions, such as a therapist sharing too much personal information or creating a dependency rather than fostering independence.
  • Develop a personal support system that includes a variety of perspectives. Reach out to friends, family, or community members who are outside of your immediate circle. This diverse support network can provide checks and balances, offering different viewpoints and helping you recognize if someone is exerting undue influence or control in your life.
  • Create a personal accountability plan that i ...

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