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2001) Rather than describing the plot of one of these varied tales, a description of some of
the traits of a vampire will be included. In the novel by Stoker (1897), Dracula is much
stronger than ordinary men, can live forever, turn into a bat or wolf, drinks blood of humans
by biting the neck, can make others into vampires, casts no shadow and has no reflection in
a mirror. He also cannot enter a building without being invited, loses his supernatural
powers in daylight, can be repelled by holy objects or garlic and can be killed by a stake
through the heart or being decapitated.
The vampire can only enter a building to suck your blood – your life force- at your
invitation. This requires the vampire to use charm and deception so that you will choose to
become vulnerable. To achieve entry, the vampire preys on our own desires. For a
community member who lost his or her dynamism and vitality, the authority figure of an
USC, or the community itself, may fit the image of a vampire that sucked their lifeblood. If
the image fits, the questions this leaves are of how the vampire induced the client to invite
the vampire into his or her life, and what was it that the client desired that the vampire
appeared to offer to gain entry? If it was need for community, where is the need now and
what options are available for fulfilling it? If the door was opened so that the client might be
taken care of, how is he or she being cared for now, and what options are now available for
receiving care? The needs themselves aren‘t positive or negative, but the choices in fulfilling
them may be constructive or self-defeating.
Once bitten by the USC, the member becomes one of the ―undead,‖ lacking vitality, lacking
personal creative force and becoming a hollow image of his or her self. This hollow image
may strive for immortality by reaching for spiritual heights or conforming to a preconceived
and idealized notion of the pure and sacred. The vitality of character and personality is
squeezed out by the idealized conceptualization of a ―good‖ person vitality and creativity
are squeezed out by the lack of tolerance of the messiness of real people. In an USC,
individuals and communities may have genuine and affirmative ideals, but when the ideals
are valued more highly than the individuals, it is a turn towards death. In the myth of
Buddha‘s life, it is said that he went through a period of ―mortification‖ before he found the
―middle way.‖ During this period of asceticism, Buddha decried food and starved his body to
reject desire, and achieve spiritual gain. When weak and dying, he rejected this approach as
ineffective and missing the point he concluded that his spiritual self was not different from
his humanity. Although rejected by his compatriots, Buddha continued to practice sincerely,
but without the ascetic rejection of aspects of his humanity. It could be said that Buddha
had a Dracula period that was mitigated by his choice of moderation in belief and action.
Clients may wish to consider what goals brought them into the USC initially and whether
there were ways that the goals became idealized and rigid. Are there ways that positive
aspects of the original goals may be maintained without inhumane demands? Are there
ways or times they now hold feelings of idealization and moderation? Do feelings of vitality
(full of life-blood) or desolation (emptiness) associate with either idealization or
moderation? What would moderation mean in their (or our) lives now?
Dracula may be an odd image in which to seek associations with USCs. While USCs include
components of high spiritual aspirations, Dracula recoils when confronted with holy objects.
And in various versions of the story, Dracula loses his power or his existence when exposed
to light, while spiritual groups may be actively seeking for light. The image of Dracula may
be a useful lens with which to seek the shadow, the hidden ugly and draining qualities
within USCs and perhaps any community.
An Integrated Group Therapy for Ex-members of USCs
The application of group therapy for ex-members of USCs hold particular benefits and risks.
Group therapy would be a natural transitional step in mediating the loss of community for
one leaving an USC. The normalization that occurs through mutual disclosure of similar

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 18, 2001, Page 89
experiences may serve to moderate ex-members experiences of loss of self-esteem, guilt
and shame because of their involvement. A group format also ideally provides a safe and
open environment for processing ex-members residual concerns or feelings about their
participation in groups and the role of authority. These same issues also suggest a need for
caution in working with at least a subset of ex-members of USCs. The group facilitator must
not allow the group to replay unhealthy patterns of the original communities. There may be
clients who tend to surrender their own authority to the group facilitator, the goals of the
group, or the group itself. Clients may tend to become dependent upon the therapy group,
and similarly surrender their own authority. It is the responsibility of the facilitator to avoid
these pitfalls in the design and execution of the group. The use of steps outlined by Yalom
(1995) for establishing therapy groups may be used as a basic tool for initiating the group.
A brief discussion of aspects of the process unique to this population and approach will be
presented below.
Screening
The approach as designed would be appropriate for groups of ex-members of USCs who
have a level of function similar to others in the group. It has also been developed for a
population with moderate trauma, not for those who became involved as children, or those
in crisis. To confirm a workable group composition, pre-screening of prospective members in
person or by phone would be important. Screening should include questions about age at
first involvement with one or more USCs, the number of USCs in which the client was a
member, the duration of involvement in each, the intensity of involvement (residential
situation, number of meetings per week, amount of time separate from the community,
work and money integrated with the community, friends separate from the community),
and the amount of time that has passed since the end of involvement. Other general
questions may include family, work history and psychological histories. The psychological
history may include information about previous counseling, any diagnoses received,
medications prescribed, hospitalization and suicidality. A disclosure statement about the
group and written questionnaire may also be given to prospective clients for review prior to
the first meeting.
The information received may then be used to select individuals for the group and to make
recommendations to appropriate referrals for others.
Initiating the Group
All group members will have received information prior to the first meeting that describes
what they may expect at the meetings. The information may also include any basic ground
rules for group operation, such as the maintenance of confidentiality of anything discussed
within the group.
During the first meeting, clients will be given a chance to tell their story as to why they
have come, and about the USCs with which they have been associated. As group members
are comfortable they can share what issues they have dealt with since leaving the USCs. It
would be beneficial if the facilitator also discloses background information as to his or her
involvement in USCs and the nature of his or her interest in the topic. It would not be
suitable for the facilitator to use the group‘s time to process personal material as always,
the facilitator should seek outside consultation for personal material. But the group may be
less inclined to over-invest in the authority of the facilitator if he or she contributes
appropriately in an open manner from the beginning.
The facilitator may also explain the expected process of the group, including a verbal
introduction to the use of handouts and stories, that a limited number of those documents
are available, and that the use of the handouts and stories will be tapered off as the group
proceeds. After the handouts and stories are spent, the group will either continue without