Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1991, Page 36
the facility, he was unable to confront the program director‟s constant demands on him for
additional time, even though he had graduated from the program some years previously
and ostensibly was now a staff member. Any objections voiced to this exploitation were
routinely interpreted as manifesting his desire to return to drug use. In a very real sense,
this vignette illustrates the manner in which cults exploit individuals through their
adherence to a sacred dogma, load the language with reductionistic and simplistic phrases,
and require members to shape their identities and lives in accordance with the group‟s
demands. The group thus attempts to take on the role of ultimate dispenser of members‟
existence by making it impossible for them to live outside the group.
Psychotherapy Cults
The isolation of the residential treatment center with its population of severely damaged
individuals may lead staff and residents alike to seek dramatic solutions to therapeutic
problems through undue reliance upon a charismatic leader. This may foster a cultic
evolution. Temerlin and Temerlin (1982) noted that outpatient psychotherapy may also be
exploited to produce a cultic context. In such cases, therapists fail to maintain professional
boundaries between their patients and themselves. Thus, patients will be converted into
lovers, business partners, artistic patrons, and even therapists in training. Mental health
professionals usually appreciate that patients‟ idealization of the therapist represents a
positive transference phenomenon. Unfortunately, some mental health professionals fail to
recognize that transference may be very intense and instead they proceed to act out their
countertransference by encouraging patient submission and obedience to the therapist. The
idealizing transference is thus transformed into a cultic relationship. The end product is a
“therapeutic” cult in which interpretations are used exclusively to reinforce a closed system
of dependence on the therapist who controls his or her patients‟ personal lives with
dictatorial authority.
The Center for Feeling Therapy of southern California which flourished from 1971-81 is an
illustrative example. In this group, the “psychotherapists” selected their patients‟ sexual
partners, controlled how often they would have sex, regulated diets, and demanded that
pregnant patients have abortions. Indeed, during the group‟s 10 years of existence, no
children were born within the 350-member community. Dissolution of marriages and
severing of family ties were common. The group saw itself as an elite of psychologically
superior beings devoted to having feelings and expressing their feelings freely. The central
thesis of the Center was that in an “insane” world, mental health could come about only by
living within a “therapeutic” community where the individual could overcome sexual
“problems” such as monogamous marriage (Hochman, 1984).
The following example demonstrates the destructive activity of the Center for Feeling
Therapy:
Kathy K. initially went to the Center for a three-week intensive program for
marital problems. Her husband followed her to California when after three weeks
she failed to return either to her home or job. When he arrived in California he
was not allowed to live with her. Despite the Center‟s claims that its treatment
approaches enhanced intimacy and saved relationships, Kathy and her husband
were forced to live separately and to take other partners. Kathy‟s reluctance to
have extramarital affairs was labeled as a “clinging dependency” on her
husband. Eventually, she became severely depressed. On her return to New York
she was suicidal and sought treatment at the Cult Hotline and Clinic because she
hoped that it might help her to reestablish contact with her family.
Kathy K.‟s experience is, of course, not unique. Synanon presents another example of the
transformation of a “therapeutic community” into a cultic organization (Ofshe, 1980).
Synanon was started in the 1950s as a therapeutic community for the rehabilitation of
the facility, he was unable to confront the program director‟s constant demands on him for
additional time, even though he had graduated from the program some years previously
and ostensibly was now a staff member. Any objections voiced to this exploitation were
routinely interpreted as manifesting his desire to return to drug use. In a very real sense,
this vignette illustrates the manner in which cults exploit individuals through their
adherence to a sacred dogma, load the language with reductionistic and simplistic phrases,
and require members to shape their identities and lives in accordance with the group‟s
demands. The group thus attempts to take on the role of ultimate dispenser of members‟
existence by making it impossible for them to live outside the group.
Psychotherapy Cults
The isolation of the residential treatment center with its population of severely damaged
individuals may lead staff and residents alike to seek dramatic solutions to therapeutic
problems through undue reliance upon a charismatic leader. This may foster a cultic
evolution. Temerlin and Temerlin (1982) noted that outpatient psychotherapy may also be
exploited to produce a cultic context. In such cases, therapists fail to maintain professional
boundaries between their patients and themselves. Thus, patients will be converted into
lovers, business partners, artistic patrons, and even therapists in training. Mental health
professionals usually appreciate that patients‟ idealization of the therapist represents a
positive transference phenomenon. Unfortunately, some mental health professionals fail to
recognize that transference may be very intense and instead they proceed to act out their
countertransference by encouraging patient submission and obedience to the therapist. The
idealizing transference is thus transformed into a cultic relationship. The end product is a
“therapeutic” cult in which interpretations are used exclusively to reinforce a closed system
of dependence on the therapist who controls his or her patients‟ personal lives with
dictatorial authority.
The Center for Feeling Therapy of southern California which flourished from 1971-81 is an
illustrative example. In this group, the “psychotherapists” selected their patients‟ sexual
partners, controlled how often they would have sex, regulated diets, and demanded that
pregnant patients have abortions. Indeed, during the group‟s 10 years of existence, no
children were born within the 350-member community. Dissolution of marriages and
severing of family ties were common. The group saw itself as an elite of psychologically
superior beings devoted to having feelings and expressing their feelings freely. The central
thesis of the Center was that in an “insane” world, mental health could come about only by
living within a “therapeutic” community where the individual could overcome sexual
“problems” such as monogamous marriage (Hochman, 1984).
The following example demonstrates the destructive activity of the Center for Feeling
Therapy:
Kathy K. initially went to the Center for a three-week intensive program for
marital problems. Her husband followed her to California when after three weeks
she failed to return either to her home or job. When he arrived in California he
was not allowed to live with her. Despite the Center‟s claims that its treatment
approaches enhanced intimacy and saved relationships, Kathy and her husband
were forced to live separately and to take other partners. Kathy‟s reluctance to
have extramarital affairs was labeled as a “clinging dependency” on her
husband. Eventually, she became severely depressed. On her return to New York
she was suicidal and sought treatment at the Cult Hotline and Clinic because she
hoped that it might help her to reestablish contact with her family.
Kathy K.‟s experience is, of course, not unique. Synanon presents another example of the
transformation of a “therapeutic community” into a cultic organization (Ofshe, 1980).
Synanon was started in the 1950s as a therapeutic community for the rehabilitation of
