Info for: mental health professionals
Readings
Family Responses to a Young Adult's Cult Membership and Return  VIEW
Info for: mental health professionals  VIEW
Psychotherapy With Ex-Cultists: Four Case Studies and Commentary  VIEW
The Psychobiology of Trauma and Child Maltreatment  VIEW
Traumatic Abuse in Cults: A Psychoanalytic Perspective  VIEW
Message
  • Each person is unique; some have serious psychological problems before joining a cult, others don't.
  • Each group is different; some can be extremely controlling and demanding, others much less so.
  • Groups change over time and can vary from place to place
  • People respond to the same group differently
  • To be useful, information must be accurate and relevant
  • Information without understanding can negatively affect a relationship
  • Understanding takes time and effort
  • Families concerned about a loved one in a group often need to develop a strategy to collect information before they can assess their situation and make an informed decision about how to respond.
  • Ex-members often have to deal with issues of trauma, loss, betrayal, trust, and discouragement; healing can often take one to two years.

Readings
 
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