Celebrating 40+ Years of ICSA
Celebrating 40+ Years of ICSA
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About This Page
About This Page
This page illuminates the history of ICSA (name changed from American Family Foundation in 2004) and the cause to which its directors, staff, volunteers, and supporters are dedicated. We trust that this historical retrospective will strengthen your support for ICSA’s important work.
ICSA members have access to all ICSA periodicals back to 1979, as well as many other resources. If you are not already a member, please become one.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
ICSA Pioneers
ICSA Pioneers
Kay Barney, founder and first president of ICSA/AFF, was an executive with Raytheon Corporation. He currently enjoys an active retirement.
John G. Clark, MD (1926-1999). Because of Dr. Clark’s courage in standing up to harassment The Psychiatric Times named him 1991 psychiatrist of the year, describing him as "a quiet, courageous man of conviction, who was fighting an all-too-lonely and unappreciated battle against well-financed, ruthless organizations."
Guy Ford (1922-2007). Though he was never formally the president of AFF, Guy functioned in that capacity during the 1980s. His guiding hand kept AFF firmly anchored to reality during its crucial early years.
Herb Rosedale (1932 -2003) was AFF's president from 1988 until his death. He gave pro bono legal advice and help to thousands of families, former group members, clergy, helping professionals, and others. When Herb died so many unsolicited emails arrived that we put together a special Rosedale Memorial Reflections,. Rosedale Memorial Collection. His impact on AFF/ICSA cannot be underestimated.
Margaret Thaler Singer, PhD (1921-2003), University of California, Berkeley, was one of the pioneers in the cultic studies field. Her writings and down-to-earth talks had great influence in the field. See Singer Memorial Reflections. Singer Memorial Collection.
L.J. West, MD (1925-1999), Director of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, pioneer in the cultic studies field, and chief organizer of the Wingspread conference, gave great credibility to the cultic studies field.
Readings
Readings
ICSA: The First 40 Years (Michael Langone)
Changes I Have Seen in the 40 Years of AFF/ICSA (Marcia Rudin)
ICSA’s Earliest Years—From a Focus on Government to Education, Assistance, and Research (Michael Langone)
International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) 1979–2019: A Walk Through History With Publications That Reflect the Development of the Cultic Studies Field (Michael Langone)
Changes in the North American Cult Awareness Movement (Carol Giambalvo, Michael Kropveld, Michael Langone)
After the World of the Cult: My 45-Year Journey with ICSA and Beyond (Paul Engel)
Dialogue and Cultic Studies: Why Dialogue Benefits the Cultic Studies Field (A Message From the Directors of ICSA)
ICSA's Openness to Dialogue: Historical Perspective (Michael Langone)
Closed Cults, Open Conferences (Steve K. D. Eichel)
We Disagree—Let’s Talk! Why Diversity and Dialogue Are Necessary, and How We Overcome Undermining Factors (Lorna Goldberg) Video of conference talk.
Videos: ICSA History Collection
Videos: ICSA History Collection
Interview of Michael Langone. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Michael Langone, PhD, on April 7, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA’s history. Dr. Langone, long-time executive director of ICSA, discusses his work in the early 1980's with Dr. John Clark and the American Family Foundation (ICSA's original name), the changes he has observed in the organization and the cultic studies field, and his views on ICSA and its future.
Interview of Marcia Rudin. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Marcia Rudin, MA, on July 5, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA’s history. Ms. Rudin discusses her early work in this field, including the publication of one of the first books on the subject. She also discusses her work as director of ICSA’s International Cult Education Program and her views on ICSA and its future.
Interview of Michael Kropveld. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Michael Kropveld on April 7, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA’s history. Mr. Kropveld discusses how he first got interested in this field, the founding of the organization he now heads (Info-Cult/Info-Secte), changes he has observed in the field over the years, and his views on ICSA and its future.
Interview of Steve Eichel. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Steve K. D. Eichel, PhD, on July 7, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA’s history. Dr. Eichel, who has served as ICSA’s president, discusses his early work in this field, including co-founding the counseling organization RETIRN. He also discusses changes he has observed in the field and his views on ICSA and its future.
Interview of Alan Scheflin. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Alan W. Scheflin, JD, LLM, MA, on July 6, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA’s history. In the interview, Professor Scheflin, a former president of ICSA, discusses how he became interested in cults, his research and writings, and his views on ICSA and its future.
Interview of Eileen Barker. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Professor Barker on July 7, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA’s history. Dr. Barker describes her early work in this area, including the founding of the British organization, INFORM, and how the pro-anti-cult polarization diminished as a result of ongoing dialogue that began in the late 1990s. She also discusses her views of ICSA and its future.
Interview of Wendy Ford Wolfberg. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Wendy Ford Wolfberg on May 3, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA’s history. Ms. Ford Wolfberg, who wrote Recovery From Abusive Groups, discusses her cult experience, deprogramming, and recovery. She also discusses changes she has observed in the field and her views on ICSA and its future.
Interview of Rod Dubrow-Marshall. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Rod Dubrow-Marshall, PhD on July 5, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA's history. Dr. Dubrow-Marshall describes his initial contact with ICSA, early work in this area, development of totalistic identity theory, and his views on ICSA and its future.
Interview of Linda Dubrow-Marshall. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Linda Dubrow-Marshall, PhD on July 5, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA's history. Dr. Dubrow-Marshall describes her early work in this area, including the founding of the counseling organization, RETIRN, and her views of ICSA and its future.
Interview of David Clark, Joseph Kelly, and Patrick Ryan. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed tree exit counselors, David Clark, Joseph Kelly, and Patrick Ryan, on October 27, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA's history. The three men discuss the changes they have seen over the many years of their involvement in the field.
Interview of Marsha Addis. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Marsha Addis on March 11, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA’s history. Ms. Addis discusses her early work in this field with Dr. Jolly West, including her work with the Los Angeles Jewish Family Service's Cult Clinic and her history with ICSA.
Interview of Carol Giambalvo. Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed Carol Giambalvo on July 5, 2018 as part of a series of interviews designed to illuminate ICSA’s history. Ms. Giambalvo discusses her personal cultic experience, how she became involved in the field, the work she did for ICSA, and her views on ICSA and its future.
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