The Imagination S6E51 | Tarese Estelle - 'The Chosen 144,000': Abused in an Isolated High-Control Religious Group
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Today I’m honored to introduce you all to: Ritualistic, religious and child sexual abuse survivor and overcomer, social media whistleblower and content creator, therapist and educator, award winning and renowned fashion designer, founder of Tarese Estelle Couture and Birds With a Feather, plant parent, passionate speaker and writer, and an incredible DID system sharing their story with the intent that others know they aren’t alone and that hope is possible: Tarese Estelle & Co
Born into the shadows in Sydney, Australia - then carried to the isolated strictures of Queensland, Tarese grew up as the eldest of eight in a world sealed by rigid religious doctrine. Her family believed they were part of ‘the chosen’ - only 144,000 souls bound for heaven - while the rest of humanity languished in damnation. No birthdays, no Christmas, no play on the Sabbath; only rules, isolation, and heavy burdens placed on young shoulders. As a child, Tarese carried and took care of her siblings when her mother could not rise from illness, her innocence guarded by dissociation that turned horrors into distant, flickering glimpses she viewed through a wooden fence.
Adolescence arrived as a tornado: depression like a suffocating fog, anxiety a relentless storm inside her chest, self-harm escalating to life-threatening extremes, to eating disorders, to further exploitation from the little bit of connection she had to the outside world. At age 14, she ran away, dreaming of escape through the only value she believed she possessed.
But light pierced the darkness. In 2009, at 18, Terese stepped through the doors of Destiny Haven - a sanctuary of unconditional love, where volunteers poured their hearts into healing broken women. There, she learned to name her emotions, to face the flashbacks she once dismissed as imagination. Art therapy unveiled truths long buried; sewing awakened a dormant creativity. Birthdays, once forbidden, became celebrations of her existence. She discovered a God of grace, not judgment, and began weaving beauty from pain - transforming fabric into whimsical, ethereal gowns inspired by fairy tales she was never allowed to indulge in as a child.
From there, her wings unfolded. She studied fashion design, launched incredible collections, collaborated with other renowned artists, was featured in iconic magazines, dressed icons, and created poignant campaigns. Runway shows, scholarships, ambassadorships - each step a defiant declaration: I am more than my scars.
Today, Terese stands as a beacon of hope and light - a warrior whose scars are constellations guiding others home. She advocates fiercely for survivors, sharing her story to shatter stigmas, ignite hope, and prove that healing is not a destination but a courageous, ongoing journey.
CONNECT WITH TARESE:
Website: https://thehungryaustralien.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thehungryaustralien
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thehungryaustralien
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehungryaustralien
Substack (coming soon!): https://substack.com/@tareseestelle
Birds with a Feather (sharing stories):
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Birdswithafeather
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@birds.with.a.feather
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birds.with.a.feather
CONNECT WITH EMMA:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imaginationpodcastofficial
EMAIL: imagineabetterworld2020@gmail.com OR standbysurvivors@protonmail.com
Substack: https://emmakatherine.substack.com/
BUY ME A COFFEE: https://www.buymeacoffee.com