Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1 1988 Page 88
are non-monogamous, non-coresidential and frequently formed and resolved at the dictates of
the leadership.
The heart of the various profit and not-for-profit entities under which the Sullivanians operate is a
―psychotherapeutic institute‖ to which the leaders and both licensed and lay therapists belong. AU
members are required to be in perpetual therapy with these therapists. According to former
Sullivanians, the therapists control members‖ lives through manipulation of the transference
phenomenon. Transference is the process by which the patient transfers onto the therapist many
of the primary reactions, feelings, and thoughts that were once associated with other highly
significant persons in the patient's life. Responsibly handled transference can be therapeutic, but
it offers the therapist an opportunity to exercise great control over the patient Unscrupulously
handled transference can become a medium to foster cult allegiance and a means to the
authoritarian domination of cult members.
Former Sullivanian therapists admit that therapeutic confidentiality is broken down in the group.
Therapy sessions are a means for the leaders to extract information and exert control. The
therapists themselves report the substance of therapy sessions to their own supervisors, the
Sullivanian leaders.
Most Sullivanians, married or unmarried, live with other Sullivanians in sex- segregated
apartments. Peer pressure, encouraged and directed by Sullivanian therapists, reinforces
conformity to Sullivanian mores and dictates of the leaders.
Not surprisingly, Sullivanian child-raising practices manifest Sullivanian ideology. As described by
former Sullivanians, the therapist's consent is needed to bear or raise a child. Sometimes it is
decided, prior to birth or even conception, that the biological parent and the nurturing parent will
be different people. From infancy the cult applies stringent measures to interfere with the
development of loving bonds between mother and baby. Full-time babysitters or ―committees‖ of
cult members, under the authoritarian direction of the cult leader, are assigned to each child and
act as guards and gossips to ward off any show of maternal affection. Others who are excessively
demonstrative toward their children may have their babies taken from them for foster-parenting
or adoption by other group members.
As the child grows up, a continuous round of adults other than the parent or full-time babysitter
supervises the child for some brief period of time each day so that parents may be literally forced
to ―date‖ their own children.
Parents must discuss every aspect of their children's lives with their therapists, and the children
themselves are frequently in therapy from an early age. Thus, every aspect of the children's lives
-what they shall do, who their friends shall be, where they shall go to school, how they shall
spend vacations -comes directly under the purview and control of the therapist/leaders.
Litigation Strategies and Tactics
In one of the custody proceedings which are the basis for this report, our firm represented a
mother who had been forbidden contact with her infant daughter by the Sullivanian leadership.
The mother took the child and left the Sullivanian community, at which point the father/husband
petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus. In the other two proceedings, handled by other counsel not
of our firm, fathers who are former Sullivanians sought custody of their children from their ex-
wives who continue to live in the Sullivanian community. Based upon our experience and
observations, we can suggest certain general guidelines for attorneys to consider in similar
situations.
Emphasize the Destructive and Dangerous Influence of the Cult on the Child.
Make the court aware at the outset that the adversary is the cult and that the cult is dangerous.
In the case handled by my firm, this issue emerged immediately when we refused to disclose the
are non-monogamous, non-coresidential and frequently formed and resolved at the dictates of
the leadership.
The heart of the various profit and not-for-profit entities under which the Sullivanians operate is a
―psychotherapeutic institute‖ to which the leaders and both licensed and lay therapists belong. AU
members are required to be in perpetual therapy with these therapists. According to former
Sullivanians, the therapists control members‖ lives through manipulation of the transference
phenomenon. Transference is the process by which the patient transfers onto the therapist many
of the primary reactions, feelings, and thoughts that were once associated with other highly
significant persons in the patient's life. Responsibly handled transference can be therapeutic, but
it offers the therapist an opportunity to exercise great control over the patient Unscrupulously
handled transference can become a medium to foster cult allegiance and a means to the
authoritarian domination of cult members.
Former Sullivanian therapists admit that therapeutic confidentiality is broken down in the group.
Therapy sessions are a means for the leaders to extract information and exert control. The
therapists themselves report the substance of therapy sessions to their own supervisors, the
Sullivanian leaders.
Most Sullivanians, married or unmarried, live with other Sullivanians in sex- segregated
apartments. Peer pressure, encouraged and directed by Sullivanian therapists, reinforces
conformity to Sullivanian mores and dictates of the leaders.
Not surprisingly, Sullivanian child-raising practices manifest Sullivanian ideology. As described by
former Sullivanians, the therapist's consent is needed to bear or raise a child. Sometimes it is
decided, prior to birth or even conception, that the biological parent and the nurturing parent will
be different people. From infancy the cult applies stringent measures to interfere with the
development of loving bonds between mother and baby. Full-time babysitters or ―committees‖ of
cult members, under the authoritarian direction of the cult leader, are assigned to each child and
act as guards and gossips to ward off any show of maternal affection. Others who are excessively
demonstrative toward their children may have their babies taken from them for foster-parenting
or adoption by other group members.
As the child grows up, a continuous round of adults other than the parent or full-time babysitter
supervises the child for some brief period of time each day so that parents may be literally forced
to ―date‖ their own children.
Parents must discuss every aspect of their children's lives with their therapists, and the children
themselves are frequently in therapy from an early age. Thus, every aspect of the children's lives
-what they shall do, who their friends shall be, where they shall go to school, how they shall
spend vacations -comes directly under the purview and control of the therapist/leaders.
Litigation Strategies and Tactics
In one of the custody proceedings which are the basis for this report, our firm represented a
mother who had been forbidden contact with her infant daughter by the Sullivanian leadership.
The mother took the child and left the Sullivanian community, at which point the father/husband
petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus. In the other two proceedings, handled by other counsel not
of our firm, fathers who are former Sullivanians sought custody of their children from their ex-
wives who continue to live in the Sullivanian community. Based upon our experience and
observations, we can suggest certain general guidelines for attorneys to consider in similar
situations.
Emphasize the Destructive and Dangerous Influence of the Cult on the Child.
Make the court aware at the outset that the adversary is the cult and that the cult is dangerous.
In the case handled by my firm, this issue emerged immediately when we refused to disclose the
