how to become a cult specialist
Get FTB and become a Cult Analyst. She is a psychologist in private practice in Oslo and is currently working on her memoirs. Baker & S. Richard Sauber. Remember that it is one thing to be considered an expert by reporters and personalities, and another to be accepted as such by professionals and lay peers. He was honored with AFFs 1990 John G. Clark Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Cultic Studies for this study, which was published as a special issue of the Cultic Studies Journal and has been translated into several foreign languages. They have earned that label due to their propensity to describe cults or cult-like groups in a positive light, while summarily dismissing the claims of ex-members and other critics. This can give him or her a different perspective on the group and its leaders. An isolated farm in the middle of Idaho is good but if such a retreat isn . As a result, a life of a year and a half in the format of "basic work + IT training". He spent 14 years in two different eastern meditation groups (TM, International Society of Divine Love). International Journal of Cultic Studies, Vol. This couldn't be further from the truth. Many are helpful, but many are not. ! The following section . Myan received the AFF Achievement Award (1997) from AFF, the Leo J. Ryan Distinguished Service Award (1999) from the Leo J. Ryan Foundation, and a Lifetime Achievement Award (2011) from ICSA. Never listen to your conscience. Itsmeaning differs depending on the contextin which it is used, and often also on the perspective of the person using it. This is when adulthood was finally reached after many difficult experiences including exploitation by a trusted college professormore opportunity for empowering growth and change. What you want to do is create an aura of mystery for your cult. Rod is a Social Psychologist who has been researching the psychology and aetiology of undue influence and cults or extremist groups for over twenty years, and he has developed the Totalistic Identity Theory as an evidence-based theory to explain and tackle ideological extremism and ideologically driven violence. Are they respectful toward followers of other religions? 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. She is a co-author, with Mario Di Fiorino and Steven Kent, of Costretti ad amare. Two: The structure of the group isolates people. Encourage dialogue and exchanges between other groups. There are many online research sources about cults. Rachel spoke numerous times at the former Cult Awareness Network conferences and then became involved with the International Cultic Studies Association, speaking to attendees and participating in panels and workshops. With R.E.T.I.R.N., she addresses issues of psychological harm, cultic relationships, and counseling against coercion. 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. Abusive relationships-where one person intentionally controls, manipulates, and exploits another-usually include psychological, physical, and/or sexual abuse. It takes 4 years of professional experience to become a specialist. 1 Others need professional help and subsequent counseling. A bachelor's degree in one of these technology fields can provide you with knowledge and skills, such as computer . ]Many manage to leave on their own or with the help of friends and family. She has developed a practice that focuses on couples therapy, trauma work using EMDR, play and sand tray therapy. The same is true for helping someone cope with the aftermath of the cult experience. Rick Alan Ross runs the Cult Education Institute, a non-profit organization located in Trenton, New Jersey. Editor and co-author of the book Sektsjuka (Cult Illness) and a former lecturer for the psychology department at the University of Gothenburg on the subject of manipulation, influence, and cult illness. Alexandra Stein. Just about everyone draws the line when it comes to the really bad apples. No need for us to reinvent the wheel: See How to find a qualified therapist. There is a common misperception that you (as a cult leader and founder) have to brainwash or "force" members to join. He is interested in psychological manipulation and abuse at schools (Bullying), workplace (mobbing), and home (psychological maltreatment). She has planned and been responsible for a full day workshop for former cult members in Omaha, Nebraska., as well as a one day symposium for medical, law enforcement, clergy, mental health professionals, and the public on Cults and Gangs in Omaha in 2007. She has presented at national and international conferences in Madrid, Poland, Canada, and in Australia, where she helped organize two conferences in Brisbane. In the media, cult experts are still often referred to as deprogrammers people who deprogram someone who has been programmed by brainwashing or mind control. He has worked as such in private practice in Barcelona for the last 14 years at Pehun Institute of Psychology with a constructivist and systemic approach, subjects on which he has postgraduate studies, as well as in hypnosis. Most handle their differences professionally. Remember, this is an unregulated industry, and not everyone who calls him- or herself an expert is qualified to help you. When selecting a cult expert it is a good idea to check with ICSA for recommendations. Other terms you may hear are: high-demand groups, LGATs, intentional communities. Jose Fernndez has a Degree in Psychology from the University of Barcelona and is credited as a Psychologist and Psychotherapist by the EFPA (European Federation of Psychologists Associations). ICSA Annual Conference: Visioning the Invisible: The Traumatized Bodies of Racialized Cult Members and Survivors. Shelly practices psychotherapy with adults, and she offers individual and group consultation to practicing clinicians. Similarly, there are organizations and individuals who address deviations from the Jewish faith. Her practice in part includes intensive clinical work with former members, second generation adults (SGAs), and families of adult children in cults. Charisma is the ability to draw people to you by your charms and personality. Be especially wary of sensationalists and self-promoters. [See: What is a cult? 860 717 4400, Steve K. D. Eichel, PhD, ABPP, ICSA President, is Past-President of the American Academy of Counseling Psychology and the Greater Philadelphia Society of Clinical Hypnosis. 4 To understand ICSAs approach, read its policy regarding thebenefits of dialoguebetween parties that may not see eye to eye on cult-related issues. She presented her findings in 2015, at ICSAs conference in Santa Fe, which included an interview with Attorney Peter Skolnik. Cult members often prey on people with few friends or family of their own and offer them the chance to become part of a group that will grant them all the friendship they could ever need. 6. He established ICSAs online resource (1995-2013), and has presented 50 programs about hypnosis, inner-experience, trance-induction techniques, communicating with cult members, conversion, cult intervention, exit counseling, intervention assessment, mediation, religious conflict resolution, thought reform consultation, eastern groups, transcendental meditation and workshops for educators, families, former members and mental health professionals at ICSA workshops/conferences. While working and raising two children she earned a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication from Ohio University Scripps College of Communication. ICSA Annual Conference: Life after spiritual abuse, reflecting on my own experience. This model is explained in the ICSA Book on Cult Recovery in a chapter entitled Relational Psychoeducational Intensive: Time Away for Post-Cult Counselling. Former Scientologist and now a licensed psychologist in Sweden. Ashley Allen, MSW, LMSW, completed her Masters in Social Work at Monmouth University where she was also selected to coordinate and present the School of Social Works Annual Clinical Lecture Series. There you can see, among other things, whether or not someone is well connected with other experts in the field. Rachel has also done many YouTube videos and has been interviewed on other peoples YouTube channels regarding cults, undue influence, and narcissistic abuse. Licensed professional counselors (LPCs), also called licensed clinical professional counselors or licensed mental health counselors in some states, focus on mental, emotional, and behavioral issues in a variety of healthcare settings. She has an expertise in conflicts related to cultic affiliations and works as consultant of the Support Network Against Manipulation and Abuse in Groups for SOS Abusi Psicologici. Cult Intervention is defined as an educational process utilizing a professional consultant. Paranoia: To maintain a false sense of comfort, cults often rely on paranoia tactics. 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. 615-212-8955, Doug Duncan, MS, LPC, was a member of an aberrant religious group for over twenty years. She is an EMDR International Association certified therapist and consultant. Cult Brands take it as a given that you're already cool enough. 3. There are now groups and leaders online who recruit and exploit people through the web without ever meeting them face-to-face. Buyer beware: Helping people to leave a cult, or to deal with the aftermath of a cult experience, necessarily involves a certain amount of (mental health) counseling in addition to expert advice. As is the case inany other profession, thisfield of work has its share of charlatans, angry loners, self-proclaimed experts, and the like. In 2006, he was awarded The Herbert L. Rosedale Award, jointly with Dr. Paul Martin, for their psychological research on undue influence. He is involved with hypnosis both as a therapeutic tool and as a field of research, having published on the matter in La Revista de Psicoterapia international journal, as well as in the International Journal of Cultic Studies. She is also co-editor of ICSAs Cult Recovery: A Clinicians Guide to Working With Former Members and Their Families (2017). A published author and classically trained painter, she specializes in work with trauma and creativity, with cult-related trauma of particular interest. Create Dialogue Mechanisms. She is a former member of Kashi Ranch. After her mothers death at 15, she lived with the founder of a Christian/Mystical group for two years and at 19, she was recruited into an Eastern/New Age group where she was a high-ranking member, leaving seven years later. The term cult is often applied to a religious movement that exists in some degree of tension with the dominant religious or cultural inclination of a society. Here are the steps for how to become a network specialist: 1. She has a private practice in a suburb of Los Angeles and also runs a weekly Former Cult Member Support group in her office. Linda has developed a new MSc Psychology of Coercive Control program at the University of Salford and is leading the program with Rod Dubrow-Marshall. Website: www.institutpehuen.com Email: jfernandez@institutpehuen.com Phone: 34938034914. . www.carolgiambalvo.com/; Ron Burks, PhD, holds an MDiv and an MA in counseling from Asbury Theological Seminary and a PhD in Counselor Education from Ohio University. She is the author of Hooked on Psychics, soon to be published by Motivational Press. Usually, a cult leader is a person of tremendous charisma who makes followers feel loved and accepted. Earn a degree. Hkan Jrv,Former Scientologist and now a licensed psychologist in Sweden. Her website: www.colleenrussellmft.com; email: crussell@colleenrussellmft.com. Gillies doctoral research investigated what helps former members recover and her dissertation is entitled: Freeing the authentic-self: Phases of Recovery and Growth from an Abusive Cult Experience. There are no specific requirements to join. She has been working with cult-involved clients and their families for over 20 years and gives lectures to students and professionals on this topic. 84, No. After leaving the group Linda relocated to Ohio. There is no such thing as a professional cultural expert license. She is a member of the Mental Health and Research committees for ICSA. Prior to ICSA, Ashlen helped individuals leaving diverse polygamist communities gain independence while working as a case manager in Salt Lake City, Utah. Incidentally, some scholars of religion and/or philosophyprefer the euphemism New Religious Movement instead of cult.While usually knowledgeable about the teachings and practices of cults, many such scholars reject negative testimonies of former members and denounce other critics as well. For about 20 years she has been involved in helping former members of different high demand groups in Sweden as a volunteer in the support group FRI and as a member of the board of the support group SESAM in Sweden. The #1 Best-selling Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults. ron@ronburksphd.com. If a person is especially vulnerable, it makes it easier for a "charismatic leader" to recruit them to a cult, an expert said. He is currently involved in a project aimed at high schools in Sweden together with a professional magician with the purpose of educating and vaccinating teenagers against manipulation. Ashlen Hilliard (she/her) is Director of Events for the International Cultic Studies Association(ICSA) and a volunteer co-organizer of SAFE, the Spiritual Abuse Forum for Education (SAFE) in Portland, Oregon. Here are some of the most common duties: Keep up to date with security updates and improvements. Some cult experts are trained and licensed mental health counselors.Heres what that means: Helping someone leave a cult requires a lot of counseling. Others have (almost) no official presentations to post. 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. You can visit company websites or job search websites such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor to apply for jobs. Many families have become divided over online political conspiracy theories, but the science on "brainwashing" is weak. In 1983, along with Dr. Linda Dubrow-Marshall and clinical social worker Roberta Eisenberg, Dr. Eichel founded the Re-Entry Therapy, Information & Referral Network (RETIRN), one of the fields oldest continuing private providers of psychological services to families and individuals harmed by cultic practices. Those applicants who become certified by the AIHCP in Crisis Intervention Counseling may use the initials/credential CIC-CSp., after their names: "Crisis Intervention Counselor-Certified Specialist" Timeline. Note that outtakes from the media are difficult. You do this by keeping your members away from outsiders. An LA talent management company recruiting TikTok dancers has been accused by the family of one of the dancers of being a "cult." The . Ms. Allen gained a breadth of experience volunteering at the Cult Clinic of JBFCS in NYC for three years and has gone on to work as a therapist with former cult members in community mental health. He worked for many years at Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center in Albany, Ohio. Additionally, she is on the board of the Open Minds Foundation and works with Freedom of Mind. Since exiting, she has been active with the local, national and international cult awareness and recovery networks. First, the most dastardly, insidious mark of a cult is that it ignores or distorts the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Select books that have stood the test of time, as well as reviews by peers in the field. 2, 15-24. He focuses on how problematic unconscious God images are influenced by psychological and developmental factors, especially trauma. Rick Alan Ross (b. They think they are following the Lord, but they have become like a mannequin trying to pass for a live body. Rosanne Henry, MA, LPC, is a psychotherapist practicing in Littleton, Colorado. adjust their fees according to your ability to pay). And of course, quoting experts is not the same as talking and interacting with them. Often when this expert addresses a cult or cult-like group he sounds like an authority on the movement, even though most of his information is a rehash of various media reports. 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. What is their religious affiliation or perspective, if any? The WMSCOG in NJ ultimately dropped the lawsuit and refiled the complaint in a New Jersey Court in 2012. Pursue a bachelor's degree. Here at Cult Training Academy . Their teachings . In1989, Lorna and Bill received the Hall of Fame Award from the authentic Cult Awareness Network and, in 1999; they received the Leo J. Ryan Award from the Leo J. Ryan Foundation. The average U.S. salary for a Credentialing Specialist is: $44,790. We do not receive any form of compensation for these listings.For obvious reasons we have chosen not to include individuals who have developed a negative reputation in the field. [2] [3] Ross has intervened in more than 500 deprogramming cases in various countries. But with their snap judgments, gossip and blather, they can not hold a candle to experts who present well-reasoned, insightful analyzes. Stacy J. Willis. This is reasonable: a . Heather Svoboda, MA LP, is a psychologist licensed and practicing in Minnesota, trained in counseling psychology and marriage and family therapy. At Cult, we want to give our members the best workout experience and, therefore, having the best trainers is a no-brainer. Step 3: Complete relevent training/internship. Announce that this teaching is the only hope for saving the world. Focus on your hygiene. She is a former-member and has served two internships at Wellspring Retreat Center, Ohio. 1952) is an American deprogrammer, cult specialist, and founder and executive director of the nonprofit Cult Education Institute. You don't have to earn your way into a Cult Brand by proving you're cool enough. Target people wi. Will they counsel someone even if that person is not willing to accept their religious belief system? Ron is a former president of the Wellspring board and is a clinical advisor to both Wellspring and Meadowhaven, a treatment center near Boston. She has also spoken widely on the subject and conducted training programs for human-service personnel. (781) 951-4433; gsr6418@hushmail.com. Knowing something about the background and nature of a particular group-including its founder, leaders, doctrines, and practices-will also help you better evaluate lay and professional experts with whom you come into contact. Deborah Layton was involved in, and escaped from, Jim Jones Peoples Temple cult. Leona Furnari, MSW, LCSW, is a psychotherapist in Boulder, CO, specializing in recovery from trauma, including recovery from abusive groups, spiritual abuse and harmful relationships. Whatever you ask of your followers you should chip in 3-fold. Talking with new hires, consultants, and advisors will . She is a Board Certified Diplomate (BCD) of the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work. 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. College professormore opportunity for empowering growth and change to eye on cult-related issues to post the Board of Examiners Clinical... Often rely on paranoia tactics, of Costretti ad amare, LPC, was a member of aberrant... Her website: www.institutpehuen.com Email: crussell @ colleenrussellmft.com of Racialized cult and! 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