#high demand groups

(It can be non-religious, but isn't gonna work for every single high control group, they're getting sneaky)

Providing community in times of need (love bombing)

Did I become a part of a welcoming community during a time of my life when I needed support and comfort, or was searching for purpose?

Did this community make me feel valued and special when I had everyone else in my life look down on me, or abandon me?

Did this community recognize something in me that nobody else did, and validated/explained to me what it means?

Have they offered reasoning, purpose and guidance that I desperately needed at the time?

Was the community's treatment of me same at the beginning and later, or did some of the warmth taper off, and rules got stricter as time went on?

You are special, here's the rulebook

Am I a part of special group of people who were chosen to save the humanity in some way, or the only ones with a chance to be saved?

Am I a part of a group who has important and sacred knowledge, and if only the rest of humanity would listen, the world would be better for it?

Is there a certain source of writings or rules that are considered the ultimate truth, and I need to adhere my whole life to it?

Am I allowed regular human freedoms like, taking walks, eating when and what I feel like, making my appearance individual or interesting as I please, without having to ask anyone or doubt if it's okay?

Am I encouraged to analyze situations and come to my own judgment, or are there certain rules I'm supposed to follow when thinking, and conclusions I'm supposed to reach? Would I be reprimanded for reaching a different conclusion?

Do we believe there is deep evil in this world, and it's being shown to us in certain human behaviours, that used to seem normal? (like drinking certain drinks, eating certain foods, making your own judgment calls, certain kinds of sexual behaviour)

Is the community convinced a certain catastrophe/great blessing will befall us, and this is why we don't need to worry about the current state of the environment or the quality of life? Is the focus only on preparing for the destined event/making it happen?

Are my finances wrapped up in this community, to the point where leaving would mean I wasted a lot of my money and labour?

You don't Need Them (You Only Need Us)

Have I been encouraged to avoid people who think or act a certain way, and to end friendships or contact with them, when they were not doing any harm to me?

Have I stopped socializing with my usual friends since joining this group, and gained distance from family members I used to like spending time with?

Have I critically examined people from the past to judge them over how wrong they've been about things, as opposed to community I'm in now?

Have I been encouraged to cut off family members and friends who don't agree with the community's beliefs or practices?

Is this community my only source of human contact, comfort, stability and safety? Would I lose everything if I left?

Would I be in danger of losing my job, my place of living or my financial situation if I left this community?

Am I in danger of losing the people closest to me if I leave, or change my beliefs so they no longer align with this community?

Will my friends in the community be encouraged to cut contact, and to not listen anything I say if I leave or change my mind about the community's beliefs?

Make us look good! (advertise)

Am I expected to wear a certain type of clothing, or have a lot of restrictions about what kind of clothing I can wear?

Are there things in the group that I have to keep a secret, and not tell to any outsider?

Is there a certain way I'm told to talk about the community, and how to display our beliefs and practices publically?

Am I encouraged, or required, to prompt other people to join the community? Are there set rules on how to approach them, and how to talk to them?

Is there surface knowledge we're supposed to share with outsiders, but deeper knowledge that needs to stay secret, until they get on our side?

Is appearance considered more valuable to my status in here than actions? Is it more important to make the group look good than to be a kind person in here?

Be Grateful (Don't think too much, don't question us)

If I follow instructions and don't feel okay, healthy or happy, is it always going to be my fault for not trying hard enough?

Have I been reminded more than once to be grateful for this community and what it's done for me?

Are there certain thoughts I'm scared to touch or think too much about, because if I did, a lot of things would stop making sense to me, and I wouldn't be able to continue believing what I do?

Are there any lacks of ethics or moral code in the group that sometimes make me uncomfortable, or make me wonder if things couldn't be done differently?

In the community's opinion, can a person become dangerous just for the kind of thoughts they have deep inside their mind? Are there thoughts we are not allowed to think?

Do I need to privately confess if I've had any unfavourable thoughts about the group?

Is it dangerous to confess if I've had any doubts or unfavourable thoughts about the beliefs of the community? Have I seen people get ostracized for doing so?

Are there always some convenient reasons to why I should not get my needs met, or be able to express how I feel? Is it considered evil or punishable to speak my own mind out loud?

Have I experiencing feeling uneasy or doubtful about some of the things that are taught to me, but I've seen what happens to people who question it so I'm keeping it silent?

Have I been instructed on what to do and how to change my mind if I feel uneasy and uncomfortable? Was my discomfort expected and sidelined by more rules?

Am I allowed to follow my own moral code that makes sense to me, or do I need to adhere to the moral code of the community and turn against anyone following their own rules, if they're a harmless and kind person otherwise?

Are there certain types of suffering that the community considers normal, or good and a sign of virtue? Are there members who are encouraged to go through suffering for some kind of benefit?

Rules for thee but not for me (I make the rules)

Is there a person, or a group of people in the community, that are so important and special, rules do not adhere them? Is it a privilege to be interacting with them or to be in their presence?

Is there a person in the community that can do no wrong, and whatever they say is considered sacred and to be listened to obediently?

Do I have to obey someone without question, on a daily basis?

Are there people who I have to obey absolutely, discarding my own thoughts and opinions? Is it forbidden to question or doubt their orders?

Is there one person central to this group's beliefs, who came up with the beliefs, and if this person was proved to be wrong, it would all fall apart?

Can I easily stand up to anyone in the community, or would standing up to certain people end up in punishment and ostracizing?

Is there a big discrepancy in how different sexes and genders are treated in this community? Are there allowances for one, where there are rules and enforcement for the others?

Is there one sex or gender that is supposed to be making all the rules, while another is supposed to follow and obey?

Is your sex and/or gender what decides your status in the community, rather than your actions and contributions?

The World is Evil (and you could be too, if you go astray)

Am I exposed only to the worst of the outside world, so I would know that there's no humanity out there? (wars, violence, abuse)

Do I feel uneasy surrounded by people who are not in my group, because they're going to be judging me, hating me, or trying to hurt me just for what I believe in and how I live?

Am I instructed to avoid looking at certain media, news, opinions, articles or books? Does it make sense to me that I shouldn't do that, or is it just because I might be manipulated by the misinformation'?

Is there a group of people whose perspectives and opinions I should not, in any case, be reading or looking at?

Have I seen or heard of people subjected to humiliation, disdain, contempt and hatred for speaking out against the community's beliefs?

Am I consistently warned that if I do a certain thing, or think a certain way, I might become 'just like one of the other ones', referring to people outside the community?

Have I ever been reprimanded for 'becoming one of them', meaning one of the outsiders?

Do I feel like there's nothing worse on than being 'one of them', referring to the outsiders of the group? Am I afraid I might become one, due to some of my doubts and things that don't make sense to me?

Does the community I'm in sometimes socially isolate and ignore people who have done something wrong in their eyes? Do people get silently ignored until they are sorry for what they've done?

Does the community sometimes overreact, and over-punish completely normal actions from certain members?

Can I end up punished for saying a wrong word to someone, or for perceiving something wrong and not the way it was meant to?

Could this punishment be out of proportion with what I did, but it doesn't matter to the community?

Have I, or other members of this community, been compared to demonic creatures, beasts, animals, slurs, or otherwise derogatory terms, in order to shame their behaviour or thoughts?

Is there a possibility to being denied food and shelter if I step out of line?

Have any members of the community been starved or sleep-deprived in order to 'achieve something' about their behaviour?

Think of the Children (but don't protect them)

Are children in the community taught to think a certain way, follow a set of beliefs, from early childhood?

Are there rules and regulations in how children are supposed to act and behave, that is not compatible with usual child behaviour?

Are children in this community given no autonomy at all? (not allowed to choose what they want to eat or what toy to play with)

Are children in this community given an inappropriate amount of responsibility? (expected to work as adults, treated as adults)

Are children restricted from reading certain books and consuming media that isn't connected to the media's rating? (book that are already safe for children)

Is parent's behaviour towards children regulated? Are there set ways of discipline that everyone follows, that would be considered abuse in the outside world, but we know better?

Does child abuse get reported in the community, or covered up and hidden from the authorities?

Do I know of one or multiple cases of sexually abused children in the community, who are unprotected and the aggressors never reported?

Are child victims of sexual abuse believed when they speak out, or is it mostly considered lying for attention?

People who Leave are Traitors (you can't listen to them)    

Are there people who were heavily invested in this community, dedicated a lot of their life and effort to contribute to it, who changed their opinion almost overnight, and distanced themselves from it?

Have people been taking their leave from the community, and then had their character attacked and smeared? Am I told to never contact these people or listen to what they have to say?

Are the stories that would make the community look bad declared offensive and obstructive material, regardless of whether there's any truth to them? Are they discarded without looking into it?

Are the people who leave portrayed as opposition who is trying to harm the group, or fakers who never truly belonged?

Do I expect something bad to happen to me if I leave?

Am I expected to become a bad, failed and broken person if I ever left the community or changed my beliefs? Would I be automatically considered a bigot or an oppressor if I left?

Believe (do not ask for proof)

Are the rules for how I should live strict, but at the same time, often changing if they're criticized or unpopular enough?

Is there a specific purpose that the community has and is claiming to achieve, but I can't tangibly see how it's being achieved? Are there promises being made that I can't see any progress on in reality?

Does the community work towards something that feels almost supernatural to achieve, and there's no visible progress, but we are assured it's going to happen?

Does the community make financial decisions that don't make sense? Is there money that disappears and nobody can tell exactly where to and what for?

Are donated/gifted resources and money disappearing never to be seen again, while the community keeps asking for more?

Does the community sometimes seem like they're above the law, and nobody could possibly inflict consequences on their actions?

Deserve to be here (you are not good enough)

Are there mandatory meetings and sessions that I have to either attend, or go through a lot of defending myself if I'm caught not present?

Are there consequences, social or practical, for failing to actively contribute in the community? Will I be shamed for being inactive?

Is there an expectation of continuous labour that I have to do consistently, but it is unpaid and uncompensated for?

Am I expected to donate/surrender my money, or some of it to the community, and failing to do so brings embarrassment and reprimands?

Is there a hierarchy I can only climb up to if I give enough labour, value, advertisement, or money to the community? Do I have to promise my loyalty in order to progress?

Is this community deciding what my income is, or what part of it can I keep? Do I get no income, but community provides survival resources and decides how much I am entitled to?

Am I continuously expected to prove my worth and value to the community, without ever feeling like it's enough?

Do I get anxious about providing enough value to the group, and feel pressured to do more for them as time goes on?

Do I often feel selfish, unreasonable and guilty for wanting and needing things for myself? Do I feel like I'm actively harming the community if I voice my needs and wants?

Am I, despite putting months and years of effort and support to this community, still sometimes made to feel like I'm no better than the outsiders?

Have I felt like I am not doing enough, and I'm not worthy of belonging here?

Your sexuality exists to serve a purpose (we decide it)

Am I expected to get married by a certain age, and see most of my peers getting married by that age?

Am I subjected to an uncommon type of marriage/relationship with a lot of restrictions/rules that are not common in the rest of society? (open marriage, polygamy, promise to be sexually available to someone without having a say)

Is sex either a restricted topic that isn't talked about in here, or something so central to the community it's being looked at and made rules about constantly?

Are the rules of the group about sex more important than consent and mutuality?

Is it frowned upon to call out sexual abuse in my community? Are the sexual predators being defended before victims are given a chance to speak out?

Are there rules restricting who am I allowed to feel attraction or love towards, and who is forbidden? If I develop a wrong type of attraction, will I be considered one of the 'bad people'?

Am I expected, at any point, to be sexually available to another person? If I refuse, will I be ostracized and deemed 'not good enough' or 'fake' in some way?

Your health is secondary to the cause

Have I been discouraged from seeking medical assistance when dealing with a medical issue? Have my issues been dismissed and downplayed when it felt serious?

Are there any rules to what kind of medical assistance I'm not allowed to receive, in a dire condition?

Am I encouraged to seek medical intervention when I'm healthy? Is there a procedure members of the community are supposed to get, in order to fully be a part of it?

Are there concerns about people's health that are being swooped aside for the sake of the community looking good and healthy?

Are there practices potentially damaging people's health, but we are pretending it's okay and discouraging those people to talk about it?

Is talking about a damaged health as the result of belonging to this community an act that is considered forbidden, aggressive and a form of fear-mongering? Is it being silenced and dismissed as nothing?

If while reading this, you felt the urge to defend a certain group of people and to prove to yourself you cannot be in a cult, do more cult research! Cults or high control groups have changed and evolved to the point where they're not religious or spiritual, and you can't see what is going on while it is happening to you. It can be a MLM or an internet support group or an off-grid society.

@saynotochabad on Instagram

Original Caption:

The guy distributing images of the Rebbe in the end 🤦

Milieu Control Perhaps the most important aspect of what makes a "high-demand group" is information and communication control. Members are often isolated from "outsiders", including outside sources not approved by leaders within the group, and family or friends that are not part of the group. Members are often made to "cut off" family and friends that are considered hostile toward the group.

Mystical Manipulation High-demand groups, particularly religious ones, will often use or manipulate events in order to further their message and bolster their doctrine. Examples of this are making prophecies or predictions that get repeatedly altered or forgotten about, or pointing to past predictions as being confirmed by a current event.

Demand for Purity Humans are flawed, and high demand groups exploit this fact by demanding perfection of their members. Sometimes, groups will even acknowledge that perfection is unachievable, but that individuals are perpetually at fault for being the only reason they cannot achieve it. This enhances feelings of guilt and shame, leading the member to feel as if the only way to improve themselves is to seek help from the group.

Confession High control groups exploit their members emotionally by having them "confess" supposed wrongdoings to another member or members. This makes the member vulnerable and constantly alert to their own and others' "sins". It is the promotion of hyper-policing of self and peers.

Sacred Science The group's ideology is held as the ultimate, capital-T "Truth"; it is the one standard by which all aspects of life must be measured. This often leads to science-denial, conspiracy-minded thinking, and isolating oneself based on the belief that others are unenlightened.

Loaded Language Members of cults will often reveal that they are a member of an in-group in the use of language. The group creates unique vocabulary, or changes/enhances the use of a term in order to create a doctrine of thought. This tactic helps to reform the member's thought process by embedding concepts into their minds that can be easily repeated and recognized through the repeated use of a simple phrase or word.

Doctrine Over Person Group belief is held as the ultimate "truth", trumping personal experience, beliefs, values, or reasoning. If the member feels or believes that something about the group is "off" or "untrue", they are taught to dismiss those thoughts and to internalize guilt about having "doubts".

Everything is overwhelming. You adjust to the idea of losing your cult-identity, to creating a new map of reality, to chicken nuggets, and nail polish, and hugs, and sleeping in, and therapy, and the fact that the flashbacks and the scars on your back are signs of abuse.

And then you hit a whole new layer of overwhelming.

You realize that this cult, this monster of a thing that hurt you and hurt so many other people in so many horrible ways-well, you were a part of it.

It was so hard to accept that you were a victim, and now you have to come to grips with the fact that you were also in some way a part of the villain. 

I have younger brothers and sisters that I helped to co-parent. I taught them the things that I had been taught, I knew no other way. 

And it’s not okay.

I know this pain, of being in a cult. I know the shame that makes you want to die. I know the fear that makes your hands shake and your vision blur randomly at three p.m. I know how confusing and hard it is to try to relearn everything you knew a different way. And I know that I was a part of giving all this garbage to other people, people I watched grow from babies, nursed through the flu, braided hair for, mended clothes for, peeled potatoes for, kissed on the forehead-people I love.

I don’t know what to do about it. It’s awful. I don’t know what the silver lining is. 

My friends and my therapist now tell me that I’m not at fault for the problems I have, and that’s hard to understand or believe. They say I’m good to the core. That I’m kind. And I do try my best to be. But I’m still a villain, for people I love. They’re my kids, you know? And they’re with my parents, being raised in another high-demand group, and I don’t have contact, and there’s logically very little chance that I’ll ever be able to talk to them freely. To apologize.

Even if I could, what is there to say?

I know it’s not positive self-talk, but there are times when I really loathe myself and tonight is one of those times.

The following post recently came from an International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) email. ICSA’s annual conference has been an incredible resource for those who have left the church, and their first series for second-generation adults and multi-generational adults (those who had parents raised in the cult, or multi-generational participation in the cult) went really well, with some videos posted online, including on HWDYKYM.

Announcing New Presentations in the S/MGA Recovery Series!

Free ICSA Webinar Series | OPEN TO ALL!

VIDEO ABOUT THE UPCOMING SERIES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgOlo_Ovg3g Sign me up!

We are excited to announce these new presentations in 2022!

This series is specifically for second and multi-generational adult former cult members, however, this is the first program for S/MGAs that is open to all. In the past, ICSA workshops for this population have been limited to those who were themselves born or raised in cults. But we see the increasing need for those outside of this population to learn about the unique recovery issues relevant to S/MGAs.

2022 Presentation Schedule:

Sunday, March 6th, 2022, 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST: Overcoming Barriers to Healthy Sexuality for S/MGAs, Presented by Doni Whitsett and Katharina Meredith

•    In Part 1 of this series we discussed some general sexual issues of S/MGAs. In Part 2 we will address more specific issues with which this populations often struggles. The life of a cult child is highly controlled and their personality shaped to conform to the expectations of the leadership. These expectations carry severe consequences when not adhered to. While some groups suppress erotic development others foster indiscriminate sexual activity creating an atmosphere that is inappropriately sexually charged and overstimulating. Anxiety surrounding sexuality may result in the sexual self becoming alienated. A critical/judgmental and shaming voice is often the result when a former member throws off the constricting cult norms and seeks to explore their own sexual potential. Learning to quiet this demoralizing voice will be addressed in our talk. We begin with the over-arching issue of the “push-pull” of intimacy, the desire to be close and the fear of that closeness. Early childhood experiences of betrayal of trust influence this ambivalent pattern and the person continues to suffer in the present. Based in attachment theory we will discuss ways to change these patterns into healthy relationships. Additionally, we will discuss certain sexual phenomena which may be of concern or interest for former members, namely fantasies, and the erotic practice of BDSM. We will also address some specific sexual difficulties in the various phases of sexual response (i.e. desire, arousal and orgasmic phases) and offer suggestions for overcoming them.

Sunday, March 13th, 2022, 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST: After the Cult: Exploring Healthy Relationships for LGBQA+ Individuals, Presented by Cyndi Matthews and Ashlen Hilliard

•    Lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and asexual (LGBQA+) individuals who were born or raised in cults may have dealt with a litany of constructs regarding what a healthy relationship looks like and how they were to live their lives while in their respective cults. These constructs could include mandates such as "Only heterosexual relationships are allowed," "Sex is only for marriage," "Sex is only for procreation," "Masturbation will turn you gay," and "Wives, submit to your husbands including whenever they want sex," along with a myriad of other constructs and beliefs. They may have been punished/rewarded by leaders/members requiring reparative therapy, public and private confessions, doctrinal lessons, marrying a person of the other gender, etc. This discussion will focus on how these constructs and mandates may have led to unhealthy expectations and outcomes in current and past relationships. Presenters will also discuss how healing can occur by re-evaluating and redefining what constitutes a healthy relationship, and ways LGBQA+ can re-imagine, explore, and reconstruct their present and future relationships. Sunday, March 20th, 2022, 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST: The Impact of Yesterday on Today, Presented by Lorna Goldberg and Ck Rardin

•    To a large extent, the cult environment has shaped many of the beliefs and character traits of S/MGAs. After they leave the cult, they may bring these beliefs and character traits with them. S/MGAs can discover that attitudes shaped within the cult might be impeding their present life. For example, in the cult, they were expected to reach perfection. This belief causes them to struggle with internalized pressure to be perfect after they leave. When S/MGAs fail at perfection, they typically might feel depressed or filled with shame. S/MGAs also might experience symptoms of C-PTSD, such as hypervigilant or hypovigilent (dissociative) behavior. Additionally, S/MGAs typically struggle with complicated emotions about their parents in the cult, and they might be uncertain about how to deal with their feelings after they leave the cult. Finally, the presenters will explore how post-cult relationships and therapy might aid former cult members.

Sunday, March 27th, 2022, 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST: Destigmatizing Medical Care Post-Cult, Presented by Eva Mackey and Ck Rardin

Those who have exited cults are likely to have many psychological barriers to accessing the medical care they need. Individuals raised in cults may have never received appropriate medical care and may have many misconceptions about illness, doctors and medicine. This talk will explore how two second generation adult (SGA) former cult members overcame those barriers. You will hear from one SGA who become his own medical advocate and was able to form healing, therapeutic relationships with his medical team and doctors. The other speaker is an SGA who went to medical school after exiting the cult and has been a practicing family physician for 20 years. She will explore the issue from both perspectives and will specifically address stigmas attached to mental illness and psychiatric medicines.

Presenter Bios:

Doni Whitsett, PhD, LCSW, LMFT, is a Fulbright scholar and Clinical Professor Emerita at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work where she taught courses focused on neurobiology, trauma, mental health, and sexuality. As a trauma-focused psychotherapist in private practice she has been working with cult-involved clients and their families for over 25 years. She is also AASECT certified as a sex therapist. Her specialties of cultic studies and sexuality often overlap due to the exploitation of human sexuality by high demand abusive groups. Dr. Whitsett has presented to professional audiences both nationally and internationally in Australia, Canada, France, Poland, and Spain. Her research activities include women’s sexuality in China, sexual dysfunction in the military, and sexual issues of S/MGAs. Her latest publications include chapters on: “A modern psychodynamic approach with first-generation former cult members” and “Global violence of women in cults.”

Katharina Meredith is currently working towards a Ph.D. in Community Psychology, studying the psychology of extremism and terrorism. Her research interests include inter-group and intra-group violence, right-wing extremism, online extremist propaganda and radicalization, group processes, exit, and identity. She is a published author with a focus on outreach and education, and the executive director of Stronger After. From age 10 to age 20, she grew up in a small New Age cult, where she was separated from her parents, cut off from the outside world, taken to three different countries, and asked to build a time machine. The time machine never worked. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two children, two cats, her therapy pug, and a fish. Her hobbies include eating, traveling, foraging for mushrooms, and reading fantasy novels.

Cyndi Matthews, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, is an experienced Counseling Clinician (15+ yrs.) working in Private Practice and as an Associate Professor in the  Counseling (CMHC) program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (Dallas). She has earned a Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education, a Masters in Counseling, and a Masters in Business - Organizational Behavior. Her passion for social justice and advocacy is exemplified in her counseling practice and research, both of which focus on effective counseling interventions for marginalized populations, such as cult survivors, domestic violence survivors, and LGBTQ+ populations. Based on her scholarship and clinical expertise she has researched and developed theory for counseling with second and multi-generation adult cult survivors.

Ashlen Hilliard (she/her), MSc, is the Director of Events for the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA). Her MSc research focused on the relationship between reproductive coercion, psychologically abusive environments, and the extent of group identity in a sample of those who have left cultic groups. Before ICSA, she worked as a case manager in Salt Lake City, Utah helping individuals leaving polygamist groups out west.  Ashlen relocated to Portland, Oregon in 2020 and is a co-organizer for the local Spiritual Abuse Forum for Education (SAFE) Meetups for survivors of cultic and spiritual abuse.  She has presented at multiple ICSA conferences on a variety of topics and has been interviewed on podcasts and media programs. She published an article in ICSA Today 10.2 / 2019 on, “The Genesis, Text, and Implications of Utah House Bill 214: Office for Victims of Crime Amendments.” Ashlen enjoys living in Portland, Oregon with her partner Ryan, their blind dog Hamilton, and their cat Ferguson.

Lorna Goldberg, LCSW, PsyA, Board Member and Past President of ICSA, is a clinical social worker and psychoanalyst in private practice and Director at the Institute of Psychoanalytic Studies. In 1976, she and her husband, William Goldberg, began facilitating a support group for former cult members that continues to meet monthly in their home in Englewood, New Jersey. She has cochaired ICSA’s Mental Health Committee, published numerous articles in professional journals about her therapeutic work with former cult members, and contributed chapters to several important texts on psychotherapy and cults. Most recently Lorna coedited (along with William Goldberg, Rosanne Henry, and Michael Langone) Cult Recovery: A Clinician’s Guide to Working With Former Members and Families (2017). Lorna and Bill are founding facilitators of the CT Workshop for Those Born or Raised in Cultic Groups.

Ck Rardin, facilitator, ICSA CT Workshop for Those Born or Raised in Cultic Groups, was born in California. His parents raised him in a cultic Catholic group and when he reached adolescence, they signed over their parental rights to the group. Ck was then sent to the cult’s headquarters in Itaquera, Sao Paulo, Brazil. He stayed in the group till age 26 when he gathered the courage and strength to leave the organization on his own. After leaving he became a certified EMT, then was certified and joined the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP ), with which he maintains his certification. He now runs his own IT consulting firm in upstate New York and spends much of his time involved in recovery from his experience, working to expose these groups (for example, assisting in research for MTV’s production of The Cult Question) as well as helping others in their recovery.

What Should I Think About..?: Coercive Control with Min Grob

Making sense of life after leaving a cult. Dad left a high control religious group, often called a cult, when he was 30 and since then has been trying to work out what he thinks about a whole bunch of stuff. With new episodes every Wednesday and a Sunday interview, "What should I think about..?" is a daughter - father podcast with the lofty, if overly ambitious goal, to make sense of the complicated, contradictory, confusing but wonderful thing we call the world. Since leaving, Dad has gained a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Organizational Psychology so brings some of this knowledge and experience to the conversation. Celine is a young filmmaker working on a number of different documentary projects including "The Pink Pound", a documentary that explores the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and commerce.