International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 10, 2019 5
group (Kendall, 2016 Lalich &McLaren, 2018
Matthews &Salazar, 2014 Rosen, 2014). No
matter how abusive or toxic the group was, it is
important for clinicians to realize that one of the
draws of cultic groups lies in the intensity and
closeness of the relationships formed (Herman,
1997). Survivors will have happy memories in
addition to negative ones and may find it hard to
accept the existence of both simultaneously.
They will often lose contact with loved ones.
The losses need to be honored and grieved
(Kendall, 2016 Lalich &McLaren, 2018
Matthews &Salazar, 2014 Rosen, 2014).
Particularly for second-generation survivors,
leaving may mean losing every major
connection they have (Kendall, 2016 Lalich &
McLaren, 2018 Matthews &Salazar, 2014).
Often, the loss of connection may be the result
of shunning practices of the group that treats a
member who leaves as a nonperson, as dead or
nonexistent, or as a stranger (Hassan, 1990
Kendall, 2016 Lalich &McLaren, 2018 Lifton,
1963 Singer, 2003). However, there are times
when individuals may find that they must make
the choice to cut off former abusive connections
for their own well-being or to maintain
boundaries (Celani, 2016). Either way,
counselors must be able to help survivors
process and grieve their losses.
Emotional Issues
Cultic environments are saturated with pervasive
guilt and fear (Hassan, 1990 Lifton, 1963
Perry, 2006). As mentioned previously, fear of
the outside world and of authority figures such
as law enforcement, counselors, or doctors often
will have been deliberately fostered within the
group (Barden, 2005 Casoni, Pacheco, &
Kropveld, 2015 Singer, 2003 Ward, 2011).
Additionally, members may have been told that
leaving the group would result in their death,
whether through direct retaliation from the
group or through fated acts of divine will
(Hassan, 1990 Kendall, 2016 Nunes &
Timoner, 2007 Singer, 2003). Members
frequently have been conditioned to feel
worthless and guilty on an existential level
(Hassan, 1990 Kendall, 2016 Lifton, 1963),
and they may have been inured to accept
responsibility for their abuse (Herman, 1997
Kendall, 2016 Ward, 2011). While it is
somewhat normal for those who experience
overwhelming, violent, or life-threatening events
to struggle with a certain amount of fear, shame,
and self-blame (Rothschild, 2000), cult survivors
have the added layer of deliberately instilled
guilt, shame, and fear. Survivors may have very
specific phobias that need to be addressed for
them to reclaim normative experiences such as
sexuality or leisure (Hassan, 1990). Because
most fears may be largely ungrounded in reality
(Matthews &Salazar, 2014), survivors will
benefit from learning how to question and
dismantle their fear (Hassan, 1990 Matthews &
Salazar, 2014). However, Matthews and Salazar
(2014) discourage dismissing physical threats
from the cult without careful consideration of
whether those threats could be carried out some
groups can become particularly dangerous or
violent when people try to leave (Lalich &
McLaren, 2018 Singer, 2003).
Although it might be helpful for survivors to
notice patterns of response that might put them
in vulnerable positions, generally they will need
to let go of a sense of over-responsibility for
their abuse (Rosen, 2014). It is necessary to
empower them to see opportunities for choice or
change moving forward, while not blaming them
for what they experienced in the past (Herman,
1997).
Leaving a cultic group or abusive relationship is
complicated. Regardless of whether a survivor
could have physically exited the abusive
situation earlier, emotional readiness is equally
important. Questions such as “Why didn’t you
just leave?” or “Why did you stay/join?” are
often far more stigmatizing than helpful (Rosen,
2014).
One particularly sensitive area of guilt with
which survivors may contend is in regard to
their own participation in unethical or abusive
practices toward others. A totalistic system is
designed to gain the compliance and
participation of those within it (Lalich &
McLaren, 2018 Lifton, 1963). Different groups
have different ways of involving members.
Some have members participate in scam-like
activities that involve deception and exploitation
of nonmembers (Hassan, 1990 Singer, 2003).
However, even in the absence of con-like
group (Kendall, 2016 Lalich &McLaren, 2018
Matthews &Salazar, 2014 Rosen, 2014). No
matter how abusive or toxic the group was, it is
important for clinicians to realize that one of the
draws of cultic groups lies in the intensity and
closeness of the relationships formed (Herman,
1997). Survivors will have happy memories in
addition to negative ones and may find it hard to
accept the existence of both simultaneously.
They will often lose contact with loved ones.
The losses need to be honored and grieved
(Kendall, 2016 Lalich &McLaren, 2018
Matthews &Salazar, 2014 Rosen, 2014).
Particularly for second-generation survivors,
leaving may mean losing every major
connection they have (Kendall, 2016 Lalich &
McLaren, 2018 Matthews &Salazar, 2014).
Often, the loss of connection may be the result
of shunning practices of the group that treats a
member who leaves as a nonperson, as dead or
nonexistent, or as a stranger (Hassan, 1990
Kendall, 2016 Lalich &McLaren, 2018 Lifton,
1963 Singer, 2003). However, there are times
when individuals may find that they must make
the choice to cut off former abusive connections
for their own well-being or to maintain
boundaries (Celani, 2016). Either way,
counselors must be able to help survivors
process and grieve their losses.
Emotional Issues
Cultic environments are saturated with pervasive
guilt and fear (Hassan, 1990 Lifton, 1963
Perry, 2006). As mentioned previously, fear of
the outside world and of authority figures such
as law enforcement, counselors, or doctors often
will have been deliberately fostered within the
group (Barden, 2005 Casoni, Pacheco, &
Kropveld, 2015 Singer, 2003 Ward, 2011).
Additionally, members may have been told that
leaving the group would result in their death,
whether through direct retaliation from the
group or through fated acts of divine will
(Hassan, 1990 Kendall, 2016 Nunes &
Timoner, 2007 Singer, 2003). Members
frequently have been conditioned to feel
worthless and guilty on an existential level
(Hassan, 1990 Kendall, 2016 Lifton, 1963),
and they may have been inured to accept
responsibility for their abuse (Herman, 1997
Kendall, 2016 Ward, 2011). While it is
somewhat normal for those who experience
overwhelming, violent, or life-threatening events
to struggle with a certain amount of fear, shame,
and self-blame (Rothschild, 2000), cult survivors
have the added layer of deliberately instilled
guilt, shame, and fear. Survivors may have very
specific phobias that need to be addressed for
them to reclaim normative experiences such as
sexuality or leisure (Hassan, 1990). Because
most fears may be largely ungrounded in reality
(Matthews &Salazar, 2014), survivors will
benefit from learning how to question and
dismantle their fear (Hassan, 1990 Matthews &
Salazar, 2014). However, Matthews and Salazar
(2014) discourage dismissing physical threats
from the cult without careful consideration of
whether those threats could be carried out some
groups can become particularly dangerous or
violent when people try to leave (Lalich &
McLaren, 2018 Singer, 2003).
Although it might be helpful for survivors to
notice patterns of response that might put them
in vulnerable positions, generally they will need
to let go of a sense of over-responsibility for
their abuse (Rosen, 2014). It is necessary to
empower them to see opportunities for choice or
change moving forward, while not blaming them
for what they experienced in the past (Herman,
1997).
Leaving a cultic group or abusive relationship is
complicated. Regardless of whether a survivor
could have physically exited the abusive
situation earlier, emotional readiness is equally
important. Questions such as “Why didn’t you
just leave?” or “Why did you stay/join?” are
often far more stigmatizing than helpful (Rosen,
2014).
One particularly sensitive area of guilt with
which survivors may contend is in regard to
their own participation in unethical or abusive
practices toward others. A totalistic system is
designed to gain the compliance and
participation of those within it (Lalich &
McLaren, 2018 Lifton, 1963). Different groups
have different ways of involving members.
Some have members participate in scam-like
activities that involve deception and exploitation
of nonmembers (Hassan, 1990 Singer, 2003).
However, even in the absence of con-like
