The journal and her contribution was entitled, The Last Draw: Cults and Creativity. Email: dwehlelcsw@gmail.com Phone: (212) 479-7963, Joseph F. Kelly, a graduate of Temple University (focus in religion), has been a cult intervention specialist (thought reform consultant/exit counselor,mediator) since 1989. One expert who himself lacks formal training has gained a decidedly bad reputation due to his sustained attacks on highly qualified cult experts he disagrees with, including degreed professionals. Shelly teaches trauma-informed psychotherapy at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy, the Training Institute for Mental Health, and the National Institute for the Psychotherapies. Some take an angry, argumentative or even belligerent approach, while others are far too nice. 5, No. Rick Alan Ross runs the Cult Education Institute, a non-profit organization located in Trenton, New Jersey. There are many books that deal with cults and cult-related issues. And of course, quoting experts is not the same as talking and interacting with them. A published author and classically trained painter, she specializes in work with trauma and creativity, with cult-related trauma of particular interest. Dr. Dubrow-Marshall is a Consultant in Clinical Hypnosis (advanced certification) with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and is certified by the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Institute. Credentialing Specialist salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. First, the most dastardly, insidious mark of a cult is that it ignores or distorts the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What you want to do is create an aura of mystery for your cult. Shelly Rosen, LCSW, is a psychotherapist with 35 years of clinical experience. Important: cult-related counseling is an unregulated field.The term cult expert is not protected. She is also the Programme Leader of the MSc Applied Psychology (Therapies) Program at the University of Salford. While working and raising two children she earned a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication from Ohio University Scripps College of Communication. She is a member of the Mental Health and Research committees for ICSA. She believes it is crucial that she meet her clients exactly where they are while using her skills to empower them towards individuality. They also post interviews with or by other professionals or lay experts often including former cult members. She has facilitated ICSAs Recovery workshops for twenty-five years. There are many capable counselors who do not have official degrees and or licenses. Some cult experts who market themselves as such are, in fact, shunned by many respected professionals and organizations in the field. AtCounterCultSearch.comyou can search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts, as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudo-scientific claims across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse information, ex-cult counseling & support. These cult experts help current cult members understand why and how to leave. There you can see, among other things, whether or not someone is well connected with other experts in the field. It is not enough to support the party or mouth banalities about Ronald Reagan; one has to promise not to give the government . Usually, a cult leader is a person of tremendous charisma who makes followers feel loved and accepted. Used incorrectly, such articles may instead confirm what the person has come to expect: lies and persecution. Look for websites that offer a variety of research resources including original material written by recognized, respected experts. Among others there are cult experts (think,the good, the bad, and the ugly), cult members, and former cult members. Watch short videos about #cultspecialist on TikTok. [2] [3] Ross has intervened in more than 500 deprogramming cases in various countries. If you're the one forming the cult, it's likely that you're the leader, but you need to make sure that your cult is organized for good purposes, not for your own material gain, or purposes of power grabbing. He is interested in psychological manipulation and abuse at schools (Bullying), workplace (mobbing), and home (psychological maltreatment). ICSA Annual Conference: Visioning the Invisible: The Traumatized Bodies of Racialized Cult Members and Survivors. If you are helping someone who is trapped in a cult, it pays to familiarize yourself with the terminology and issues surrounding cults. These professionals work with families, individuals, groups, and couples in roles as wide-ranging as substance abuse counseling, psychoanalysis, and learning disability counseling. It has become a cult. This is true for licensed professionals (e.g. Search When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type. Weekdays - 1-1-1.5 hours and one weekend day - 3-5 hours. They're masters at expressing their feelings and making their followers relate to them. Naturally, theres a fair bit of disagreement between cult experts. His doctoral dissertation to date remains the only intensive, quantified observation of a deprogramming. Some are helpful; a lot are not. Cult leaders tend to be highly charismatic. She is trained in relational/interpersonal psychoanalytic psychotherapy, sensorimotor psychotherapy, family therapy, and internal family systems. There is a common misperception that you (as a cult leader and founder) have to brainwash or "force" members to join. Begin by creating your own reality. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com. She attends as corepresentative of RETIRN/UK as correspondent to the General Assembly of FECRIS (European Federation of Centres of Research and Education on Sects). Not all cult experts, lay or professional, have the expertise, training, and licensure to provide effective assistance in this area. As is the case inany other profession, thisfield of work has its share of charlatans, angry loners, self-proclaimed experts, and the like. This is when adulthood was finally reached after many difficult experiences including exploitation by a trusted college professormore opportunity for empowering growth and change. The third thing is total ideology, like, 'You only need me and no other belief system has any relevance whatsoever.' As mentioned earlier, when researching cults it is necessary to understandthedifferences between theological and sociological definitionsof the term cult.. Are they respectful toward followers of other religions? This is reasonable: a . She was one of the original founders of reFocus and the original Cult Awareness Network, NY/NJ chapter. Just about everyone draws the line when it comes to the really bad apples. They think they are following the Lord, but they have become like a mannequin trying to pass for a live body. Most videos simply show the person in question speaking to an imaginary audience that is not on camera. Who are their professional contacts and affiliations? They are frequent presenters at churches, civic groups, and conferences, as well as facilitators of a support group for former members of cults and high-demand groups. [1] He frequently appears in the news and other media discussing groups some consider cults. Start out by learning thedifferences between sociological and theological definitionsof the term cult.Knowing from which background and perspective a cult expert operates is important.Issues to understand: Cult research organizations tend to operate from a non-sectarian or secular perspective. There are many types of cults: political, religious, self-help, large group awareness . It should be noted that the majority of them refer to Christians and Christian organizations particularly those that participate in evangelism among Jews as cultists and cults. (After all, when defined theologically, cults depart from the essential doctrines and practices of a particular faith). After working on their cult recovery issues by reading all the available cult literature, attending conferences, and becoming involved with ICSA, Doug and Wendy started a ministry to increase the awareness and understanding of cults. Some cult experts are licensed mental health counselors, while others have no formal training in counseling.Helping someone leave a cult and deal with the aftermath requires a lot of counseling. ), is Research Coeditor of ICSA Today and is a cofounder of RETIRN (please also see www.retirn.com), a private practice that provides services to individuals and families who have been affected by cultic influence and abusive relationships. She attended and assisted in organizing conferences and served as president of the local CAN affiliate, Free Minds. He is presently an adjunct professor in the social work and social science departments of Dominican College and he is on the faculty of the Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies. During the past 10 years he has specialized in Bible-based communal groups and aberrational Christian groups. Paranoia: To maintain a false sense of comfort, cults often rely on paranoia tactics. Gillie delivers training for counsellors wishing to work effectively with former cult members. Newark, DE 19711 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. Editor of the online journal of SOS Abusi Psicologici, Manipulation and Abuse http://www.abusievessazioni.it/; she is an expert for the Criminal Court of Udine in the branch of education, with a specialization in criminology and problems related to cultic affiliations; Italian Co-correspondent for ICSA Today. But one thing that continually comes up is that most people who become involved with a cult are going . Since exiting, she has been active with the local, national and international cult awareness and recovery networks. She has developed an approach to counselling former members Post-Cult Counselling which is either delivered in weekly sessions, intensively over a few days (Time Away for Post Cult Counselling) and in Psychoeducational Recovery Workshops for up to 9 individuals. Step 4: Research application support specialist duties. Contact Information: Lorna Goldberg, LCSW, PsyA, 171 Meadowbrook Road, Englewood, NJ 07631, (201) 894-8515, www. Apparently, this cult was opposed superstition, obscurantism . Rosannes private practice specializes in the treatment of cult survivors and their families. Peter Malinoski, PhD, has been a clinical psychologist in private practice since 2001. Never reflect. A graduate member of the British Psychological Society, Rod is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Cultic Studies Association and is also Chair of the ICSA Research Committee and Network and he is co-Editor of the International Journal of Cultic Studies (since its inception in 2010). In 2007, Bill retired from the Rockland County, NY Department of Mental Health, where he directed several programs and clinics. He enrolled in a masters program in counseling and earned a degree and license to practice therapy. What is their religious affiliation or perspective, if any? Cult Brands take it as a given that you're already cool enough. She worked as a Senior System Consultant, Software Designer, and VP of Marketing. Licensed & Board Certified Psychologist She presented this paper at the October 2016 Pratt Institute conference: Art of Mentalizing: Communicating the Unknown, with Peter Fonagy as the keynote speaker. The reason we use the term cult anyway is that the word tends to be the first that comes to mind when someoneis looking for help when a loved-one is caught up in, well, a cult-like group. Helping someone leave a cult - and deal with the aftermath - requires. Speaking about cults: There is a never-ending discussion about the definition of the term cult. The word is controversial, in large part because over the years it has taken on a negative connotation. 1) Let the people come to you. She practices client-centered and trauma-informed therapy in a community clinic with people (ages 2.5 and up) from many different cultures, life experiences, and needs. In 2009, she received the Margaret T. Singer Award from ICSA. 4 To understand ICSAs approach, read its policy regarding thebenefits of dialoguebetween parties that may not see eye to eye on cult-related issues. Saggi sui Bambini di Dio, the Family (only Italian) [Compelled to love- Essays on the Children of God-The Family], and many other articles. He offers psychotherapy to former members of cults and is also employed as a consultant by the help organization for former cult members in Sweden, Hjlpkllan, to train their nationwide network of volunteer workers. They are no longer a vital expression of the Body of Christ and are becoming a cult. Steve K. D. Eichel, Ph.D., ABPP, CST ICSA Annual Conference: Life after spiritual abuse, reflecting on my own experience. She received a Master of Social Work from Norfolk State University in 2013 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Old Dominion University in 2011. For the past twenty years she has been active in the counter cult movement working closely with the former Cult Awareness Network and ICSA. She presented her findings in 2015, at ICSAs conference in Santa Fe, which included an interview with Attorney Peter Skolnik. He focuses on how problematic unconscious God images are influenced by psychological and developmental factors, especially trauma. To further her understanding of her life experiences and develop a career using these invaluable life learnings Linda began her journey towards becoming a Mental Health Clinical Counselor. There are now groups and leaders online who recruit and exploit people through the web without ever meeting them face-to-face. In evaluating lay and professional experts, take into consideration demonstrable ability, a proven track record, and their standing among peers. To Create Your Very Own Cult. Note that outtakes from the media are difficult. You can visit company websites or job search websites such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor to apply for jobs. Maggie was born into a religious cult called the Christ Brotherhood. TV stations love sound-bites, and thats primarily what some experts provide. For her Masters thesis/project Linda educated several mental health agencies in her area about cults and provided them with a DVD of her presentation Cults: Gaining Perspective. Linda chose her career as an LPCC to offer her a wide range of practice in mental health including recovery from group exploitation. Given that you & # x27 ; re already cool enough opposed superstition, obscurantism intervened in than. Loved and accepted as Indeed, LinkedIn, and VP of Marketing explore salary ranges by market. 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