International Cultic Studies Association

International Cultic Studies Association 

Empowering Minds. Advancing Research. Supporting Recovery. 

Advancing education, research, and understanding of cultic influence since 1979. 

ICSA advances knowledge and fosters open dialogue on cultic influence through research and education with the aim of supporting survivor recovery and deepening public understanding.

Our mission

ICSA fosters open dialogue and rigorous research on psychological manipulation and cultic influence. We provide education, support resources, and a safe space for survivors, families and professionals to advance understanding and challenge harmful ideologies. 


Our vision

ICSA envisions a world where knowledge and critical discourse empower individuals and communities to recognize and respond to coercive influence, creating safer societies and stronger protections for those affected by cultic involvement. 


OUR PILLARS

Knowledge, dialogue, and support

ICSA is not an activist or advocacy group but a unique non-profit organization grounded in three pillars: advancing knowledge, fostering open dialogue, and supporting recovery from cultic and coercive influence. Since 1979, it has contributed extensively to academic and recovery fields through its global network of contributors, numerous articles, books, and journals. ICSA connects survivors and families with educational resources, peer support groups, and counseling information, while facilitating collaboration across professional and lived-experience communities. 


At its core, ICSA believes that no understanding of cultic influence is complete without engaging with all perspectives, even those that may be controversial or challenging. ICSA’s mission is to create a space where all information, research and viewpoints can be examined, questioned, and debated openly—rather than censored or suppressed. This commitment to intellectual rigor ensures that harmful ideologies can be exposed and countered through critical discussion rather than thriving in obscurity.

Each year, ICSA brings together researchers, mental health professionals, service providers, survivors, and families at its annual conference—an inclusive space for learning, connection, and community-building. Additional regional events, webinars, and virtual gatherings further expand access to vital resources and shared knowledge, particularly for those affected by cultic dynamics.
With a global reputation, diverse board, and relationships with major organizations across multiple countries, ICSA serves as a leading hub for knowledge, dialogue, and support in the field.

https://internationalculticstudies.org/

Cult Trip: Coming Too Close - Anke Richter

Cult Trip: Coming Too Close - Anke Richter

ICSA International Conference 2024
Barcelona, Spain

CultNEWS101 Articles: 7/21/2025

Social Contagion,  Elitism, Cult Recovery, Conference Video, Workbook

The Conversation: Misinformation lends itself to social contagion – here's how to recognize and combat it

" ... Research shows that both misinformation and disinformation spread faster and farther than truth online. This means that before people can muster the resources to debunk the false information that has seeped into their social networks, they may have already lost the race. Complex contagion may have taken hold, in a malicious way, and begun spreading falsehood throughout the network at a rapid pace.

People spread false information for various reasons, such as to advance their personal agenda or narrative, which can lead to echo chambers that filter out accurate information contrary to one's own views. Even when people do not intend to spread false information online, doing so tends to happen because of a lack of attention paid to accuracy or lower levels of digital media literacy.

Inoculation against social contagion

So how much can people do about this? One way to combat harmful contagion is to draw on an idea first used in the 1960s called pre-bunking. The idea is to train people to practice skills to spot and resist misinformation and disinformation on a smaller scale before they're exposed to the real thing.

The idea is akin to vaccines that build immunity through exposure to a weakened form of the disease-causing germ. The idea is for someone to be exposed to a limited amount of false information, say through the pre-bunking with Google quiz. They then learn to spot common manipulation tactics used in false information and learn how to resist their influence with evidence-based strategies to counter the falsehoods. This could also be done using a trained facilitator within classrooms, workplaces or other groups, including virtual communities.

Then, the idea is to gradually repeat the process with larger doses of false information and further counterarguments. By role-playing and practicing the counterarguments, this resistance skills training provides a sort of psychological inoculation against misinformation and disinformation, at least temporarily.

Importantly, this approach is intended for someone who has not yet been exposed to false information – hence, pre-bunking rather than debunking. If we want to engage with someone who firmly believes in their stance, particularly when it runs contrary to our own, behavioral scientists recommend leading with empathy and nonjudgmentally exchanging narratives.

Debunking is difficult work, however, and even strong debunking messages can result in the persistence of misinformation. You may not change the other person's mind, but you may be able to engage in a civil discussion and avoid pushing them further away from your position."

Damian Adkisson: Elitism

Cults are often known to use 'Elitism' to create a sense of exclusivity and superiority among their followers. Here are some ways that cults may weaponize Elitism:

1. Creating an "in-group" mentality: Cults often emphasize that their members are part of a select group, often using phrases like "we're the awakened ones" or "we're the chosen few."

2. Demonizing outsiders: Cults may use language that portrays outsiders as inferior, ignorant, or even evil, reinforcing the idea that their group is superior.

3. Emphasizing exclusivity: Phrases like "they don't understand us" or "we move differently" can create a sense of separation and exclusivity, making followers feel like they're part of a special group.

4. Fostering a sense of privilege: Cults may claim that their members have access to exclusive knowledge, spiritual truths, or experiences that others don't have.

5. Encouraging dependency: By creating this sense of superiority, cults can make followers dependent on the group for validation and self-worth.

This elitist mentality can lead to:

1. Us vs. them mentality: Followers may become wary of outsiders and outside influences and may view them as threats or simply inferior.

2. Loss of critical thinking: Followers may become less critical of the group's teachings and more likely to conform.

3. Increased loyalty: Followers may feel a strong sense of loyalty to the group and its leader.

By using elitist language and ideologies, cults can effectively manipulate their followers and maintain control. It's important to be aware of tactics such as these and approach groups that use them with caution.

ICSA International Conference 2024: Recovery and Self-Help: Finding a Way to Recovery and Growth After Abuse in a Cultic Setting, and the Role of a Workbook - Gillie Jenkinson (video)

Memory Warp: How the Myth of Repressed Memory Arose and Refuses to Die

ICSA Reviews: "Memory Warp: How the Myth of Repressed Memory Arose and Refuses to Die", reviewed by Joe Szimhart

Upper Access Books. 2017. Ebook 758 pages.

Review by Joe Szimhart and Copilot A

" ... Memory Warp is structured in a way that guides readers through the history, development, and impact of the recovered memory movement. Pendergrast begins by revisiting cases from the 1980s and 1990s, a period when the belief in repressed and recovered memories gained significant traction. He provides detailed accounts of individuals and families affected by these memories, highlighting the often-devastating consequences.

The book also explores the role of therapists and the methods they use to uncover supposedly repressed memories. Pendergrast critically examines techniques such as hypnosis, guided imagery, and other suggestive practices, questioning their validity and the scientific basis behind them. He presents compelling evidence that these methods can create false memories, leading to a phenomenon known as False Memory Syndrome (FMS)."

[complete review]

https://icsahome-my.sharepoint.com/personal/admin_icsahome_com/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fadmin%5Ficsahome%5Fcom%2FDocuments%2FDropbox%2FProgramming%2FICSA%20REVIEWS%2FBook%20Reviews%2FMemory%20Warp%2FICSA%20Reviews%20Memory%20Warp%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fadmin%5Ficsahome%5Fcom%2FDocuments%2FDropbox%2FProgramming%2FICSA%20REVIEWS%2FBook%20Reviews%2FMemory%20Warp&ga=1

http://url8931.mailer.zeffy.com/ls/0click?upn=u001.aP11x-2BTa8op9XS4ZJfF0xU3Du5PGqQhaSa1rZDgpW-2B03QTpqvfyvMlAqKwg9OvNa1WnPzAogAGA3FkE2-2Fi4Mnue37-2FtreGmMDWMdGbeR2tcD79I-2Bw4Qph3uEm3CLXzu8-2Fg406rj0EWgRBLe7wQwDng-3D-3DZiJp_NSezBTrhxwKOy8fWZNQpgSD-2F2bVXDAthfSAHnS0qwtaw-2BnVbQbNUtC884-2F2JAxMjDeUHHVva-2FOb3haIH2cd2ig3BDD2SmgsCNpziSpVscpkcchvSVJsRSUw9I3o0zzrCeYZQ93wBGH2oEw0dE956AUwMVNKPjWePGb-2BRhNF3MlrYJkO1pQZHOIjTOHf8hR-2Flz-2FSV0nt9r4NZiwmo65-2BTD1OwrsvoZ8bFpczkoJyn-2FSNMtSmAn3-2Fus3Llexa8GeoWo8hGfrbk910wn2b3CermaN97CyEDnakJQnSnBnUdnvmf3nl4dNLatwMNinBdu90TEexbV0cYucxO4Px73Enx43IC2vtDazoSVYdM3pncLY-2FSXAigrb-2BU0XkYnWMV4E1o2xSDelMHpHzx8mqVg1RuWgyCpR45TY2eY0MWywk5-2FZJyB9tOupGWCnZXTUxtagcWAcp29rxXR4yu34vfA5MaBw-3D-3D

ICSA Topic Collections: Children

ICSA Topic Collections: Children
https://www.icsahome.com/elibrary/topics/children

Articles

A Workshop for People Born or Raised in Cultic Groups. Kelley McCabe; Lorna Goldberg, MSW; Michael Langone, PhD; Kristen DeVoe, MSW . ICSA E-Newsletter. 6(1), 2007.

Authoritarian Culture and Child Abuse in ISKCON. Nori J. Muster CSR, 3.1, 2004 (4-18) 

Born and Raised in Aesthetic Realism – Ann Stamler, MA, MPhil IT, 2.3, 2011 (20-23) 

Born into a Doomsday Cult – Andie Redwine, IT , 4.1, 2013 (2-5) 

Born or Raised in Closed, High-Demand Groups: Developmental Considerations. Leona Furnari. ICSA E-Newsletter, 4(3), 2005.

Brainwashing and Re-Indoctrination Programs in the Children of God/The Family. Stephen A. Kent, Ph.D. & Deana Hall. CSJ, 17.0, 2000 (56-78)

Child Fatalities from Religion-Motivated Neglect. Seth M. Asser, M.D. & Rita Swan, Ph.D. Cultic Studies Journal, 17, 2000, 1-14.

Child Protection in an Authoritarian Community: Culture Clash and Systemic Weakness. Livia Bardin, MSW. Cultic Studies Review, 4(3), 2005, 233-267. 

Childhood Adversity and Neural Development: Deprivation and Threat as Distinct Dimensions of Early Experience - Katie A. McLaughlin, Ph.D.,,  Margaret A. Sheridan, Ph.D.,, and Hilary K. Lambert, B.S.

Children and Cults.  Michael D. Langone & Gary Eisenberg.  In Michael D. Langone (Ed). Recovery From Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse.  Norton, 1993.

Children and Cults: A Practical Guide.Susan Landa.  Journal of Family Law, 25(3), 1990-1991.

Cults and Children: The Abuse of the Young. A. Markowitz, C.S.W. & D. Halperin, M.D. CSJ, 1.2, 1984 (143-155) 

Cults and Children: The Role of the Psychotherapist. David Halperin, M.D. CSJ, 6.1, 1989 (76-85) 

Current Status of Federal Law Concerning Violent Crimes Against Women and Children. Robin Boyle, J.D. Cultic Studies Review, 1(1), 2000, 65-89.

Diana, Leaving the Cult: Play Therapy in Childhood and Talk Therapy in Adolescence. Lorna Goldberg IJCS, 2.0, 2011 (33-43) 

Education and Reeducation in Ideological Organizations and Their Implications for Children. Stephen A. Kent, Ph.D. CSR, 4.2, 2005 (119-145) 

Generational Revolt by the Adult Children of First-Generation Members of the Children of God/The Family. Stephen A. Kent, Ph.D. CSR, 3.1, 2004 (56-72) 

Growing up in the Culture of a Cult. Lorna Goldberg. ICSA Today, 10(3), 2019, 18-21. 

House of Judah, the Northeast Kingdom Community, and the Jonestown Problem: Downplaying Child Physical Abuses and Ignoring Serious Evidence - Stephen A. Kent. International Journal of Cultic Studies, 1, 2010, 27-48.

How Children in Cults May Use Emancipation Laws to Free Themselves. Robin A. Boyle. Cultic Studies Journal, 16(1), 1999, 1-32.

Innocent Murderers? Abducted Children in the Lord’s Resistance Army. Terra Manca CSR, 7.2, 2008 (129-166) 

Lessons Learned from SGAs About Recovery and Resiliency – Leona Furnari, MSW, LCSW & Rosanne Henry, MA. ICSA Today, 2(3), 2011, 2-9.

Litigating Child Custody with Religious Cults. Ford Greene, Esq. Cultic Studies Journal, 61), 1987, 69-75.

Litigating the Cult-Related Child Custody Case. Randy Francis Kandel, Esq. Cultic Studies Journal, 4(2)/5(1), 1987/88, 122-131.

Mothers In Cults: The Influence of Cults on the Relationship of Mothers to Their Children. Alexandra Stein. CSJ, 14.1, 1997 (40-57) 

New Hope for Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse Seeking Justice - Carla DiMare. ICSA Today, 11(2), 2020, 16. 

Physical Child Abuse in Sects – Lois Kendall, PhD. ICSA Today, 2(2), 2011.

Prayer-Fee Mandates Removed from Federal Health Care Bills – Rita Swan IT, 1.2, 2010 (18-21) 

Psychosocial Evaluation of Suspected Psychological Maltreatment in Children and Adolescents. American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. CSJ, 13.2, 1996 (153-170) 

Questions and Answers About Memories of Childhood Abuse.  American Psychological Association.

Raised in Cultic Groups: The Impact on the Development of Certain Aspects of Character. Lorna Goldberg, MSW. Cultic Studies Review , 5(1), 2006, 1-28.

Recovery for My Children and Myself - Gretchen Ward. ICSA Today, 11(3), 2020, 11-15.

Religious Justifications for Child Sexual Abuse in Cults and Alternative Religions. Stephen A. Kent IJCS, 3.0, 2012 (49-74) 

Ritual Child Abuse: Understanding the Controversies. David Lloyd, Esq. CSJ, 8.2, 1991 (122-133) 

Ritualistic Abuse of Children: Dynamics and Impact. Susan J. Kelley, R.N., Ph.D. CSJ, 5.2, 1988 (228-236)  

Stairway to Heaven: Treating Children in the Crosshairs of Trauma.  Bruce Perry, MD, PhD; Maia Szalavitz.  

Starting Out in Mainstream America.  Livia Bardin.

Task Force Study of Ritual Crime. Michael Maddox, Esq. & the Virginia State Crime Commission. CSJ, 8.2, 1991 (191-250) 

The Psychobiology of Trauma and Child Maltreatment. Doni Whitsett, Ph.D., L.C.S.W. CSR, 5.3, 2006 (351-373) 

Women, Elderly, and Children in Religious Cults. Marcia Rudin. CSJ, 1.1, 1984 (8-26)

https://www.icsahome.com/elibrary/topics/children

CultNEWS101 Articles: 7/17/2024 (Awards, Universal Knowledge, Australia, Legal, Neuroscience Research)

Awards, Universal Knowledge, Australia, Legal, Neuroscience Research 

Info-Cult: Centre for Assistance and for the Study of Cultic Phenomena: Winners of the Dianne Casoni International Award 2024

The International Dianne Casoni Award aims to promote and reward a written work that addresses one or more aspects of cultic phenomena.

Scientific Category: This year the award winners were Omar Saldaña, Emma Antelo et Álvaro Rodríguez-Carballeira for the outstanding quality and relevance of their article: "Group Psychological Abuse Perpetration: Development and Validation of a Measure Using Classical and Modern Test Theory"

Popular Category:This year the award winner was Gillie Jenkinson for the outstanding quality and relevance. of her book "Walking Free from the Trauma of Coercive, Cultic and Spiritual Abuse. A Workbook for Recovery and Growth"

ICSA: Lifetime Achievement Award 

Ann Stamler: "Though I am profoundly grateful to be considered for this award, I actually think it is we, who have benefited so deeply, who should be giving this award to ICSA.

According to its website:  "ICSA's Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals who have, to an exceptional degree, embodied in their work ICSA's values of openness, courtesy, and dialogue, and who have made academic and/or other exceptional contributions to the field of cultic studies."  I remember when I attended my first full ICSA annual conference, in 2010 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, what thrilled me was that every aspect of the conference exemplified exactly the values this award names: openness, courtesy, and dialogue.

Like an increasing number of people today, I grew up in an environment that was the polar opposite of those values—it was closed, abusive, and unwilling to hear to any but one person's philosophy. At that 2010 conference's closing ceremony (I believe I was sitting next to Bill Goldberg, who had just received the first Lifetime Achievement Award), I remember saying, out loud, I want to retire so I can volunteer with ICSA. Not long afterwards, I was able to do exactly that, and in the years since have had the honor of enjoying the most meaningful work of my life."

Previous award recipients: 

2022: Joseph Kelly

2018: Carol and Noel Giambalvo
2016: David Clark
2016: Joseph Szimhart
2013: Eileen Barker, PhD; Friedrich Griess
2011: Patrick L. Ryan
2010: William Goldberg, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., Psy. A.

The Examiner: Former cult leader Natasha Lakaev loses libel case appeal

"Accused former cult leader Natasha Lakaev has failed in her bid to overturn the findings of her marathon libel trial against one of her former members, Carli McConkey.

Ms Lakaev, who headed the Universal Knowledge organisation throughout the 2000s, launched libel proceedings against Ms McConkey following the publication of her book, 'The Cult Effect', in 2017.

In it, Ms McConkey detailed her experience of living as a Universal Knowledge member over a [13]-year period, and described the organisation as a "doomsday cult" that abused its members and prophesied the end of the world in 2011 or 2012.

During the trial, Ms Lakaev's lawyer Daniel Zeeman claimed that the book and other articles Ms McConkey published online improperly impugned her as a criminal, a bully, a fraudster and as someone that indoctrinated people into a cult.

Ms Lakaev denied the allegations in the book and articles, but in March this year, Justice Stephen Estcourt found that all 16 of Ms McConkey's imputations were either true or substantially true.

Ms Lakaev later appealed the decision, claiming that Justice Estcourt erred in his decision by finding that four of the imputations in Ms McConkey's book were truthful.

Former Universal Knowledge member Carli McConkey defended herself during the libel trial.

In his reasons for decision released on Friday, July 12, Supreme Court Chief Justice Alan Blow ruled there was little chance of Ms Lakaev's appeal grounds succeeding."

The Mercury: No 'significant prospects of success': Former 'cult' leader appeal hopes dashed

" ... Dr Lakaev previously launched a defamation battle against former follower Carli McConkey over claims she made about Dr Lakaev in her self-published book, The Cult Effect.

The claims include that Lakaev labelled herself a reincarnation of Jesus Christ and Ms McConkey was forced to parade naked in front of Lakaev.

Dr Lakaev wished to challenge all sixteen findings found in the dismissal of her defamation claim.

She alleged the presiding judge made findings based "solely on character" and "improper handling" of Ms McConkey's expert witness and that her former legal counsel represented her "so badly" an appeal should be allowed.

Lakaev ran into issues when filing her appeal to the Supreme Court however, with a change of legal representation three times before finally representing herself, a process which took two months.

Court documents revealed that Lakaev's original legal representation Hobart firm Butler McIntyre & Butler was unwilling to act for her in the appeal due to an outstanding trial bill over $100,000.

In handing down his decision, Chief Justice Alan Blow said Dr Lakaev was "unlikely to succeed" in an appeal to the Full Court – a court consisting of three or more Supreme Court Judges.

"If the appeal is not dismissed, the respondent will suffer significant prejudice in bearing the burden of defending the proceedings," Chief Justice Blow said."

PsyPost: Brain neurons key to learning from negative experiences identified in new study

"Negative experiences often drive us to avoid repeating them. This fundamental aspect of learning is crucial not only for humans but also for animals.

A recent study conducted by neuroscientists at the HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine in Budapest, Hungary, and published in Nature Communications, has identified a specific group of neurons in the brain that play a key role in this process. The study found that neurons located in a deep brain region known as the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca (HDB) are essential for learning from negative experiences.

The ability to learn from negative experiences is a critical survival mechanism. When faced with adverse outcomes, our brain processes the event, learns from it, and adjusts our behavior to avoid similar situations in the future. This type of learning is often driven by increased attention and arousal triggered by negative stimuli. The researchers aimed to understand which specific neurons and brain regions are responsible for this enhanced attention and learning from negative events, a concept they refer to as 'attention for aversive learning.'"

" ... The study, "Parvalbumin-expressing basal forebrain neurons mediate learning from negative experience," was authored by Panna Hegedüs, Bálint Király, Dániel Schlingloff, Victoria Lyakhova, Anna Velencei, Írisz Szabó, Márton I. Mayer, Zsofia Zelenak, Gábor Nyiri, and Balázs Hangya."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultEducationEvents.com

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

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Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Ashlen Hilliard (ashlen.hilliard.wordpress@gmail.com)

Joe Kelly (joekelly411@gmail.com)

Patrick Ryan (pryan19147@gmail.com)

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CultNEWS101 Articles 3/3/2023 (Shaman, Donner, ICSA History, Cult Recovery, Larry Ray)

Shaman, Donner, ICSA History, Cult Recovery, Larry Ray

High Times: The Anthropologist Who Became a Shaman Cult Leader

"Browsing through an antique bookstore in Quito, I stumbled on a book called Shabono: A Visit to a Remote and Magical World in the South American Rainforest, written by an anthropologist named Florinda Donner. Published in 1982, I expected it to be like most academic texts: interesting but long-winded and dusty. Instead, I got a gripping adventure that puts even Indiana Jones to shame.

The book opens with Donner, a German immigrant studying anthropology in California, feeling hopeless. She's spent weeks on the border between Venezuela and Brazil shadowing Indigenous healers who refuse to reveal the secrets of their trade. Preparing to return to the U.S. empty-handed, she befriends a kind but crazy old woman who wants to introduce her to her village, located deep inside the rainforest. The woman dies on the journey, and when Donner arrives at the village, she joins a ceremony where she drinks banana soup seasoned with the woman's ashes.

And that's just the first couple chapters. Later, Donner experiences existential hallucinations after snuffing epená, a tryptamine derivative, and narrowly avoids getting kidnapped by another tribe.

The story of Shabono is so compelling I found it hard to believe it was true, which – it turns out – it wasn't. While the book was praised for its writing, it was torn apart for lack of academic rigor. Some anthropologists believe Donner made everything up, claiming she never left the U.S. and plagiarized the account of a Brazilian woman who had once been held captive in the same region of the Amazon.

As shocked as I was to learn all this, the rabbit hole proved to go much, much deeper.

It's hard to separate the story of Florinda Donner from that of Carlos Castenada. Castenada, like Donner, was a California-based anthropologist accused of fabricating his studies on Indigenous healing. He claims to have met Don Juan Matus, the Yaqui sorcerer at the center of his bestselling 1968 book The Teachings of Don Juan, whilst waiting for a Greyhound bus in Arizona. Critics questioned Don Juan's existence, and Castenada, who didn't like being questioned, offered no help in trying to locate him.

Although The Teachings was shunned in academic circles, it made a huge impact on the general population. Castenada's recollections of inhaling the dust of psilocybin mushrooms and turning into a crow after smoking devil's weed were required reading for anyone involved in the sex and drugs culture of the late 60s.

Though he might have been a lousy anthropologist, Castenada was a masterful storyteller who knew how to use his gift to bewitch those around him. Following the publication of his third Don Juan book, Castenada – by then a multimillionaire – purchased a two-story house in Los Angeles' Westwood Village. This is where his personal writerly following would flourish into what some would now consider to have been a full-blown cult.

One of Castenada's followers was Gloria Garvin, who sought him out after reading The Teachings under the influence of pumpkin pie laced with hashish."

ICSA History Collection: Interview of David Clark, Joseph Kelly, and Patrick Ryan.  

Robert E. Schecter, PhD, interviewed three 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.

Cult Recovery: A Clinician's Guide to Working with Former Members and Families

Lorna Goldberg (Author), William Goldberg (Author), Rosanne Henry & Michael Langone

"People are different, and different people will respond to the same environment in different ways. That is why the first clinical rule in working with former cult members and families is to remain flexible and not rigidly adhere to a clinical ideology. The chapters in this book reflect this attitude of openness, while describing how different experts approach the kinds of problems that might confront therapists working with former cult members and those with affected loved ones.

Though primarily aimed at helpers, the clearly written chapters of this 500-page book can help family members and former members of cultic situations, including those born or raised in such environments."

NY Times: Sex Cult's 'Lieutenant' Gets Over 4 Years in Prison for Abetting Abuse

"For years, Lawrence V. Ray manipulated and exploited a group of young people who had lived with his daughter in a dormitory at Sarah Lawrence College. He didn't do it alone, prosecutors say: Among them was an enforcer.

Isabella Pollok became Mr. Ray's "trusted lieutenant," prosecutors have said, helping abuse her one time roommates. Descriptions of how she played a part in keeping Mr. Ray's followers' complaint and terrified emerged last year as former students testified at his trial, which led to a 60-year sentence for extortion, sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and other charges.

Ms. Pollok ran the accounts and meted out discipline, prosecutors said, pushing group members to serve and fund Mr. Ray across a decade and several states. One former student testified that Ms. Pollok and Mr. Ray showed up to a hotel room where she had been earning money for them by working as a prostitute. Ms. Pollok taunted her, the former student, Claudia Drury, said, and Mr. Ray assaulted her for as long as eight hours, placing a plastic bag over her head and threatening to kill her.

On Wednesday, a judge in Manhattan sentenced Ms. Pollok, who pleaded guilty last fall to a single count of conspiracy to launder money, to four and a half years in prison. That ends a case that began on the campus of an elite college in Westchester County with a progressive intellectual tradition then devolved into squalid scenes of abuse and domination played out in hotel rooms and homes in New York City and beyond.

When Ms. Pollok pleaded guilty, she offered no public explanation of why she had become devoted to Mr. Ray. Her lawyers since had argued that Ms. Pollok was "brainwashed" and that she had been too fully in Mr. Ray's thrall to act independently.

Among those who seem to have arrived at a similar view was Ms. Drury, who wrote to the court that, although she still puzzled over Ms. Pollok's behavior, she believed that her former roommate had lacked agency and deserved lenience.
Federal prosecutors had asked the judge, Lewis J. Liman of U.S. District Court, to impose a sentence of five years, writing that Ms. Pollok "held a privileged position" within what they called "the Ray family." They added that she was "responsible for managing Ray's finances, enforcing Ray's rules" and making and maintaining recordings of false confessions he elicited from followers, then used as leverage to demand payments."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultEducationEvents.com

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

Facebook

Flipboard

Twitter

Instagram

Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations and related topics.

Selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view in order to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) EVENT: The Occult in Cults: Toward a Better Understanding

International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) EVENT: The Occult in Cults: Toward a Better Understanding
June 26, 2022, 3:00 PM - 3:50 PM, Track 3

Hidden knowledge, ancient wisdom revealed, mystical power, and secrecy all attend what we call the occulture that undergirds most religious movements, new and old. The speaker will reference the work of James C. N. Webb (1946-1980), a remarkable, young Scottish historian and biographer. whose concentrated on the history and effects of the occult in religion, politics, and personal growth. Human curiosity about things hidden from our senses and awareness has led our species to create plausibility narratives as disparate as astrology and astronomy to help us make sense of the world and ourselves. Harmful cults often bait recruits with the potential to realize and learn how to use occult powers.

Joseph Szimhart began research into cultic influence in 1980 after ending his two-year devotion to a large New Age sect. As a cult interventionist since the early 1980s, he has assisted in over five-hundred interventions in America and abroad. He was chairman of an interdenominational, cult information organization in New Mexico for seven years. Since 1998, he has worked as a mental health professional at a psychiatric emergency hospital. He maintains a cult informational website, lectures, consults for the media, and has published articles, book reviews, and papers related to the cult problem. His novel, Mushroom Satori: The Cult Diary, was released in 2013. His memoir of how he became a cult interventionist, Santa Fe, Bill Tate, and me, appeared in 2020. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from International Cultic Studies Assoc. in 2016. He graduated from the University of Dayton and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He maintains an art career in his private studio.

• Conference Information
• Agenda
• Conference Registration
• Scholarships (Joan Capellini Scholarship Fund)

ICSA Annual Conference

ICSA Annual Conference - Virtual

ICSA Annual Conference - Virtual
June 24-26, 2022, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm EST

70 Speakers, 60+ Talks/sessions, 5 Workshops, 4 Tracks

Talks are available on the Whova platform for 30-days after the conference - you may also continue to interact with speakers and attendees.

• Registration: $125

• Student Registration:  $50

• Scholarships are available.

Sample of conference sessions:

• Cultic Gaslighting (William Goldberg)

• Coercive Control and Sexual Exploitation (Carrie McManus, Andrea Silverstone, Linda Dubrow-Marshall, Rod Dubrow-Marshall)

• Drugs as a Tool for Coercive Control (Robin Boyle)

• Visioning the Invisible: The Traumatized Bodies of Racialized Cult Members and Survivors (Evvie Ormon)

• What do SGAs Want to Cover in Counseling? (Cyndi Matthews)

• Synergy Between Cults and Terror Groups (Darin Challacombe)

• Cults and Media Stereotypes: Does Media Coverage of Current and Former Cult Members Hinder Victims’ Recovery? (Dhyana Levey)

• Discussion Group for Former Members Who Were Parents in the Cult (Lorna Goldberg, Doni Whitsett)

• Catholic Cults in our Midst? Catholic orders and movements accused of being cult-like (J. Paul Lennon)

• Legal Aspects of Harm and Victimization in Cultic Groups (Linda Demaine)

• The Evolution of Cult Intervention (Patrick Ryan, Joseph Kelly, Doni Whitsett, Rachel Bernstein)

• Award ceremonies

• Conference Information

• Agenda

• Conference Registration

• Scholarships (Joan Capellini Scholarship Fund)

ICSA POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT - JOB TITLE: Executive Director, International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

 

JOB TITLE:  Executive Director, International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)

AVAILABLE:  August 1, 2022

SUBMIT:  Vita, references, and letter of introduction to ICSA Search Committee, c/o Debby Schriver (debbywrites1@gmail.com)

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:  July 1, 2022

ABOUT ICSA

Founded in 1979, ICSA is a global network of people concerned about psychological manipulation and abuse in cultic and other high-control environments. ICSA is tax-exempt, supports civil liberties, and is not affiliated with any religious or commercial organizations. ICSA is unique in how it brings together former group members, families, helping professionals and researchers.  ICSA's mission is to provide information, education, and help to those adversely affected by or interested in cultic and other high-control groups and relationships. 

ICSA fulfills its mission by applying research and professional perspectives to:

•    Help former members of cultic and other high-control environments;

•    Provide guidance and support to families of people involved in high-control environments;

•    Educate the public about psychological manipulation and the harmful effects of high-control environments;

•    Encourage, support, and conduct research to advance understanding of psychological manipulation and high-control environments;

•    Support helping professionals interested in this area.

 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

1)   Organization Development:  Works with board and staff to ensure that the mission is fulfilled through strategic planning, programs, membership cultivation, and community outreach.

•    Work with the Board of Directors to develop strategic plans to ensure that ICSA can successfully fulfill its mission into the future.

•    Responsible for implementation of ICSA’s programs that carry out the organization’s mission.

•    Actively engage and energize ICSA volunteers, board members, committees, and funders so as to enhance ICSA’s mission.

•    Establish and maintain employment and administrative policies and procedures for all functions and for the day-to-day operation of the nonprofit.

•    Work with the Board of Directors for the hiring and retention of competent, qualified staff.

•    Prioritize projects, programs, and tasks on a daily basis.

•    Identify needs and delegate projects/tasks to appropriate staff or volunteers.

•    Establish and supervise volunteer committees as needed to further programs.

•    Communicate clearly with staff/volunteers, providing direction and feedback when needed.

•    Ensure effective systems to track progress and regularly evaluate program components to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.  

 

2)   Financial Performance and Viability:   Develops resources sufficient to ensure the financial health of the organization.

•    Responsible for fundraising, membership development, and developing other revenues necessary to support ICSA’s mission.

•    Work with Finance Committee to ensure the fiscal integrity of ICSA, which includes submission to the Board of a proposed annual budget and reporting to the Board on accountants’ quarterly financial statements.

•    Under Finance Committee’s supervision, responsible for reviewing, approving, and signing all notes, agreements, and other instruments made and entered into and on behalf of the organization.

 

3)  Board Governance:  Works with Board in order to fulfill the organization mission.

•    Responsible for leading ICSA with integrity, in a manner that supports and guides the organization’s mission as defined by the Board of Directors.

•    Responsible for communicating effectively with the Board and providing, in a timely and accurate manner, all information necessary for the Board to function properly and to make informed decisions.

•    Report to and work closely with the Board in policy decisions, fundraising, and to increase the overall visibility of the organization.

•    Serve as ex-officio member of standing and ad hoc committees. 

•    Seek and build board involvement with direction for all goals and activities. 

 

QUALIFICATIONS

•    Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

•    High level strategic thinking and planning. Ability to envision and convey the organization’s strategic future to the staff, board, volunteers, and donors.

•    Ability to effectively communicate the organization’s mission to donors, staff, volunteers, and the overall community.

•    Demonstrated ability to supervise, coordinate, and collaborate with staff and volunteers.

•    Ability to relate to individuals and organizations, including funders, partner agencies, media, staff, and volunteers.

•    Solid organizational abilities, including prioritizing, planning, delegating, program development, and task facilitation.

•    Strong financial management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision making, and reporting.

•    Strong written and oral communication skills.

•    Strong public speaking ability.

•    Strong work ethic with a high degree of energy and initiative.

International Cultic Studies Association, Inc.

PO Box 2265

Bonita Springs, FL 34133

ICSAHOME.COM