Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 18, 2001, Page 81
believed that it was indeed a water sprite that he admired. Both pined away, unable to give
up or find satisfaction in the relationship. By whatever degree the teacher in an USC accepts
the projections of his- or her students, he or she is making Narcissus‘s error he or she is
appreciating the image of his or herself reflected back in the attitudes of the students. While
projecting on to the teacher, members of the community lose their own voice and must
repeat what is said by the teacher as did Echo. Ex-members of USCs and the rest of us
must accept the challenge of finding and using our own voices.
Common Psychological Difficulties of Ex-members of USCs
The intent in this topic is not to "pathologize" the clients, but to provide perspective.
Common issues that arise for ex-members of USCs are low self esteem, difficulty with trust,
isolation, dependency, grief, depression, anxiety, guilt, confusion regarding ethics, morals
and social norms (Singer, 1996, p. 295-299). Singer also includes a chart of possible
emotional, cognitive, social, philosophical and practical ways in which cult involvement may
affect one‘s life. Clients may find it helpful to identify for themselves those areas in which
they have been affected.
Practitioners may access additional resources to address other issues that arise with specific
individuals and groups. In addition to print sources, the Internet has abundant sites with
community-specific information and autobiographical accounts. Clients may find it beneficial
to receive a selective list of resources which they can explore on their own to learn more
about ideas important to them, but are not included in the pre-prepared handouts. With the
plethora of online information currently available about cults, it is recommended to include
at least a couple of websites to start clients on their way (reFOCUS, 1998 American Family
Foundation, 2001).
Folk Stories Relevant to USC Experience
Just as the number of potential topics for handouts is endless, so the available stories and
themes that may be appropriate for a particular group or individual are infinite. A sample is
included below to illustrate how stories may be used to address common themes. A brief
summary is provided for each story, along with suggestions as to how the events of the
story may be relevant to the healing of ex-members of USCs. Clients may also be reminded
that characters in the story often can be viewed from both positive and negative
perspectives, depending upon the emphasis and circumstances of the question being asked.
This ambiguity serves as a healthy balance to the narrow assessment of the sacred and
profane present in many USCs and natural within our culture. By being open to the
ambiguity, it is hoped that all in the group will experience the full richness of the stories.
The stories included have been selected presuming a group of predominantly western
clients. Similar stories would work for other cultures as well, with variation in emphasis. At
the end of a therapy group session, one story may be distributed for review by the clients
prior to the next session. A full recounting of the story or quoted rendition should be used to
give clients the comprehensive picture of the events. By using complete stories, individual
members will have the greatest opportunity to discover unique perspectives and establish
personal meaning and connection to the tale. In the group format, all will have an
opportunity to learn about the meaning of seemingly insignificant images that turned out to
be important to others.
Along with each story distributed to the group, a brief discussion may be attached to initiate
reflection on the association of the story to the themes of interest. For the first stories, the
written discussion may also remind the clients to look for ways the story is alive and holds
meaning for them now. If the ideas in the discussion do not strike a client, are there other
meanings or emphases evoked? Clients may also be informed that some religious stories
are used. The discussion of these stories is not intended to delve theologically but
believed that it was indeed a water sprite that he admired. Both pined away, unable to give
up or find satisfaction in the relationship. By whatever degree the teacher in an USC accepts
the projections of his- or her students, he or she is making Narcissus‘s error he or she is
appreciating the image of his or herself reflected back in the attitudes of the students. While
projecting on to the teacher, members of the community lose their own voice and must
repeat what is said by the teacher as did Echo. Ex-members of USCs and the rest of us
must accept the challenge of finding and using our own voices.
Common Psychological Difficulties of Ex-members of USCs
The intent in this topic is not to "pathologize" the clients, but to provide perspective.
Common issues that arise for ex-members of USCs are low self esteem, difficulty with trust,
isolation, dependency, grief, depression, anxiety, guilt, confusion regarding ethics, morals
and social norms (Singer, 1996, p. 295-299). Singer also includes a chart of possible
emotional, cognitive, social, philosophical and practical ways in which cult involvement may
affect one‘s life. Clients may find it helpful to identify for themselves those areas in which
they have been affected.
Practitioners may access additional resources to address other issues that arise with specific
individuals and groups. In addition to print sources, the Internet has abundant sites with
community-specific information and autobiographical accounts. Clients may find it beneficial
to receive a selective list of resources which they can explore on their own to learn more
about ideas important to them, but are not included in the pre-prepared handouts. With the
plethora of online information currently available about cults, it is recommended to include
at least a couple of websites to start clients on their way (reFOCUS, 1998 American Family
Foundation, 2001).
Folk Stories Relevant to USC Experience
Just as the number of potential topics for handouts is endless, so the available stories and
themes that may be appropriate for a particular group or individual are infinite. A sample is
included below to illustrate how stories may be used to address common themes. A brief
summary is provided for each story, along with suggestions as to how the events of the
story may be relevant to the healing of ex-members of USCs. Clients may also be reminded
that characters in the story often can be viewed from both positive and negative
perspectives, depending upon the emphasis and circumstances of the question being asked.
This ambiguity serves as a healthy balance to the narrow assessment of the sacred and
profane present in many USCs and natural within our culture. By being open to the
ambiguity, it is hoped that all in the group will experience the full richness of the stories.
The stories included have been selected presuming a group of predominantly western
clients. Similar stories would work for other cultures as well, with variation in emphasis. At
the end of a therapy group session, one story may be distributed for review by the clients
prior to the next session. A full recounting of the story or quoted rendition should be used to
give clients the comprehensive picture of the events. By using complete stories, individual
members will have the greatest opportunity to discover unique perspectives and establish
personal meaning and connection to the tale. In the group format, all will have an
opportunity to learn about the meaning of seemingly insignificant images that turned out to
be important to others.
Along with each story distributed to the group, a brief discussion may be attached to initiate
reflection on the association of the story to the themes of interest. For the first stories, the
written discussion may also remind the clients to look for ways the story is alive and holds
meaning for them now. If the ideas in the discussion do not strike a client, are there other
meanings or emphases evoked? Clients may also be informed that some religious stories
are used. The discussion of these stories is not intended to delve theologically but
