Willow Tree Felixstow: 481 Payneham Road, Felixstow, SA, 5070
Phone: 08 8331 3936 or 08 82330828 Mobile: 0434 536 236
Fax: 08 8180 1725 Email: info@willowtreepsychology.com.au
Willow Tree Psychology and Wellbeing - Adelaide Psychologist
Post-Cult Counselling
Post-Cult Counselling
Post-Cult Counselling is a specific psychological approach for helping people who have left a controlling, coercive, or high-demand group or organisation. These groups may be religious, New Age, self-development, or psychotherapy groups. The groups may be secretive or may have the appearance of mainstream religions. Most people are unaware that they have been in a cult and many former members struggle to understand their experience.
Post-Cult Counselling focuses on psychoeducation around the effects of cult-like groups, to allow people to understand what has happened to them. Post-Cult Counselling helps people assess their group, to understand and evaluate the effects and any harm from their group experience. The counselling helps former members identify the strategies used by cult leaders to gradually and deceptively recruit people and then keep them from leaving. Post-Cult Counselling uses cognitive behavioural therapies to heal the harm, loss and/or trauma from the cult experience, and help people recover their authentic self, set healthy boundaries, and establish a meaningful life.
Post-Cult Counselling with Dr Ruth Jarman is available at Willow Tree Psychology and Wellbeing. Ruth has trained in Post-Cult Counselling with Dr Gillie Jenkinson of Hope Valley Counselling in the United Kingdom. Dr Jenkinson is well known in the field of cult recovery and has written articles, book chapters, a PhD thesis, and is about to publish her book on the effects of cults and recovery from cult experiences. Ruth has ongoing support and supervision from Dr Jenkinson as she works with people who have been in cults or high-control groups in Australia. Medicare rebates can be accessed if you have a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP or Private Health insurance can be used.
Was I in a cult?
The word “cult” can be quite a controversial term. Sometimes it is difficult to recognise when a group is a cult, especially if it has the appearance of a legitimate religion.
Although it is common for many high-demand or controlling groups to actively claim that they are not a cult, many of these groups can be classified as cult-like.
The following questions may help you answer the question of whether or not your group was a cult or had cult-like characteristics.
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Did your group exhibit great devotion to a leader, a leadership group, or an ideology?
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Did your group profess to have the answers to all of life’s questions and offer a special solution to be gained only by following the group’s rules?
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Was there an ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality? Was the world outside the group seen as frightening, dangerous, and to be avoided?
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Was there absolute authoritarianism by the leader or leadership group?
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Were criticism or questions forbidden or punished?
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Did the group require a high level of obedience and commitment from the members?
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Was there a belief that former followers are always wrong for leaving and there is never a legitimate reason for anyone to leave?
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Was life in the group dominated by fear of being punished, excommunicated, or cut off from family and friends?
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Did the group use tactics to persuade, control, and socialise members to the group’s unique beliefs, values, and practices?
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Were members physically or psychologically abused or harmed?
If you answered yes to several of these questions, it is probable that your group is a cult or has cult-like characteristics.
These questions were based on lists compiled by two cult experts, Dr Gillie Jenkinson and Michael Langone (links below).
https://www.icsahome.com/articles/characteristics
Additional Information
For further information fee information; referral information; or any other questions you may have, please contact our admin team at Willow Tree Psychology and Wellbeing at 86465601 or info@willowtreepsychology.com.au