‘Trapped in Treatment’ hosts Caroline Cole and Rebecca Mellinger discuss working with Paris Hilton and other survivors from Provo Canyon School

March 2, 2022

“Trapped in Treatment” hosts Caroline Cole and Rebecca Mellinger joined Podsauce to discuss their documentary podcast exposing the troubled teen industry. They told Podsauce about working with Paris Hilton on the series, reporting on Provo Canyon School for season one, advocating for survivors, and bringing awareness to the public. The hosts also shared some podcast picks.

First, Dax shared “Doughboys” as the Odd Pod Pick of the Week. This comedy series digs into reviewing food chains like McDonald’s with guests like Sarah Silverman, In-N-Out Burger with Rob Lowe, and more. Dax recommends this podcast for foodies and anyone who loves talking about food.

Alesha’s pick of the week is Dr. Morgan Anderson’s “Let’s Get Vulnerable: Relationship and Dating Advice,” a podcast helping listeners navigate the “mean dating streets” with advice. Start the 200+ episodes on self-improvement topics in any order. Alesha listened to Episode 201: “Keys to Finding and Maintaining a Healthy Relationship: The Purely Podcast Interview with Alysia Pope.” From this episode, Alesha said she learned about secure attachment and trauma bonding, and she appreciates Dr. Anderson’s clinical approach with tips to make dating more bearable.

Next, Caroline and Rebecca told Podsauce about “Trapped in Treatment.” The series exposes the dark secrets lurking inside “behavior modification” facilities that “troubled teens” are sent to. Schools like Utah’s Provo Canyon School are marketed to parents as intervention options where they believe their kids are receiving the help they need. But as reported by survivors in the podcast, these schools inflict disturbing and harmful “treatments” such as emotional abuse and corporal punishment.

Caroline and Rebecca shared their connection to the project and talked about working with Paris Hilton and other survivors on the podcast. These facilities have been around for decades, and more survivors have come forward to report the abuse they faced in recent years. Caroline is also a survivor and shared her experience with Podsauce.

Paris attended Provo Canyon School as detailed in her documentary, This is Paris. Her outspokenness has empowered survivors to speak up about the abuses they’ve experienced at such schools and bring awareness to the problematic and unregulated industry, including more schools than just Provo Canyon School. Caroline, Rebecca, and Paris hosted a rally in Utah for survivors and provide a platform for other survivors to share their stories on the podcast. Caroline explained the non-profit, Unsilenced, that fosters community, provides resources for young people, and lends support to survivors. Paris is part of Unsilenced as an advocate for policy change and bringing awareness to the forefront.

Caroline and Rebecca shared their podcast picks. Caroline listens to Paris Hilton’s candid podcast, “This is Paris.” Rebecca loves learning from Crooked Media’s “Pod Save America.”

Lastly, Alesha and Dax’s Sneaky Celeb segment was all about Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast, “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” co-hosted by Nischelle Turner and Spice Adams. Episodes cover sports, pop culture, entertainment news, business, and more in weekly episodes.