International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation Volume 9 2026 136
evening for fun.
Having undergone their own therapy enables
therapists to access and utilize countertransference
reactions to better understand clients during treatment.
Countertransference “entail[s] a jointly created reaction
in the clinician that stems in part from contributions
of the clinician’s past and in part from feeling induced
by the patient’s behavior” (Gabbard, 1995, p. 21). For
example, therapists might begin to feel intimidated by
a former cult member who speaks contemptuously.
Exploring contemptuous behavior could reveal the
former cult member’s identification with the leader.
Body-Based Trauma Interventions to Somatic
Difficulties
Therapists using this modality appreciate how
physiological states impact mental processes. They
understand that mental processes affect visceral
organs and that the brain’s autonomic nervous
system communicates bidirectionally with bodily
organs (Porges, 2009). After a childhood impacted by
dissociation, David was troubled by his inability to
access his emotions and deepen his insights into his
behavior. He discovered the Johns Hopkins psilocybin
study for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Consequently, he started a combination of psychedelics
and psychotherapy, which he believes allowed him to
access and deepen his emotions and become more
open, allowing him insight into his defenses. In
such circumstances, the therapist can later serve as a
moderating force to help the client work through these
insights.
Therapists understand that they need to think about
trauma as indicating vertical splits and subtle Me and
Not-Me (dissociated) states (Chefetz &Bromberg,
2004) and look underneath our clients’ words for their
feeling state expressed, which might be connected
to earlier life experiences. Therapists using somatic-
informed approaches perceive the body as another
container of unconscious experiences and beliefs from
the past. They strengthen self-regulation through
dyadic co-regulation. They are attuned to their own
and clients’ bodily reactions, helping clients notice
their hypervigilance and hypovigilance responses
(Lamagna &Gleise, 2007). For example, a therapist
might observe a client’s shoulders getting tight and
then become attuned to the client’s anxiety expressed
in the tapping of a foot. The therapist next moves from
body awareness to using words to reflect on feelings
associated with somatic behavior (Ogden, 2012).
Grounding strategies support former cult members
during moments of dissociation or when they become
emotionally overwhelmed. This allows them to remain
present in their bodies and regain a sense of agency
(Chefetz, 2019). Physical activities such as swimming,
singing, dancing, and yoga can help calm the body
from the bottom up. For example, Anika, a yoga
teacher, began changing her yoga practice. Instead of
the dissociation-inducing yoga she experienced in the
cult, she focused on increasing her somatic awareness
and added deep breathing to regulate her anxiety.
David started playing the piano at six years old. In
the cult, he used his musical ability to impress others.
After the cult, David began feeling less self-protective,
enabling him to focus on others’ needs and build
trusting relationships. He then developed a music
mentoring program, teaching students from seventh to
twelfth grade.
Safe, supportive relationships and therapeutic
interventions can foster neuroplasticity by helping
clients develop healthier emotional responses and
thought patterns (Siegel, 1999). After the cult,
supportive relationships, support groups, and therapy
can positively change beliefs and behavior and even
rewire the brain (Doidge, 2007).
Conclusion
As they collaborated on this paper and came to
understand how the cult interfered with child-rearing,
Anika and David gained an empathic connection,
occasionally filled with shared humor. They resonated
emotionally as they uncovered cult dynamics that
interfered with their early relationship. The therapist/
author was tremendously pleased to participate and
observe how Anika and David each began to cognitively
understand and somatically feel the other with a new
sense of clarity. She anticipates a future filled with
understanding and love for each other and those in
their lives.
evening for fun.
Having undergone their own therapy enables
therapists to access and utilize countertransference
reactions to better understand clients during treatment.
Countertransference “entail[s] a jointly created reaction
in the clinician that stems in part from contributions
of the clinician’s past and in part from feeling induced
by the patient’s behavior” (Gabbard, 1995, p. 21). For
example, therapists might begin to feel intimidated by
a former cult member who speaks contemptuously.
Exploring contemptuous behavior could reveal the
former cult member’s identification with the leader.
Body-Based Trauma Interventions to Somatic
Difficulties
Therapists using this modality appreciate how
physiological states impact mental processes. They
understand that mental processes affect visceral
organs and that the brain’s autonomic nervous
system communicates bidirectionally with bodily
organs (Porges, 2009). After a childhood impacted by
dissociation, David was troubled by his inability to
access his emotions and deepen his insights into his
behavior. He discovered the Johns Hopkins psilocybin
study for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Consequently, he started a combination of psychedelics
and psychotherapy, which he believes allowed him to
access and deepen his emotions and become more
open, allowing him insight into his defenses. In
such circumstances, the therapist can later serve as a
moderating force to help the client work through these
insights.
Therapists understand that they need to think about
trauma as indicating vertical splits and subtle Me and
Not-Me (dissociated) states (Chefetz &Bromberg,
2004) and look underneath our clients’ words for their
feeling state expressed, which might be connected
to earlier life experiences. Therapists using somatic-
informed approaches perceive the body as another
container of unconscious experiences and beliefs from
the past. They strengthen self-regulation through
dyadic co-regulation. They are attuned to their own
and clients’ bodily reactions, helping clients notice
their hypervigilance and hypovigilance responses
(Lamagna &Gleise, 2007). For example, a therapist
might observe a client’s shoulders getting tight and
then become attuned to the client’s anxiety expressed
in the tapping of a foot. The therapist next moves from
body awareness to using words to reflect on feelings
associated with somatic behavior (Ogden, 2012).
Grounding strategies support former cult members
during moments of dissociation or when they become
emotionally overwhelmed. This allows them to remain
present in their bodies and regain a sense of agency
(Chefetz, 2019). Physical activities such as swimming,
singing, dancing, and yoga can help calm the body
from the bottom up. For example, Anika, a yoga
teacher, began changing her yoga practice. Instead of
the dissociation-inducing yoga she experienced in the
cult, she focused on increasing her somatic awareness
and added deep breathing to regulate her anxiety.
David started playing the piano at six years old. In
the cult, he used his musical ability to impress others.
After the cult, David began feeling less self-protective,
enabling him to focus on others’ needs and build
trusting relationships. He then developed a music
mentoring program, teaching students from seventh to
twelfth grade.
Safe, supportive relationships and therapeutic
interventions can foster neuroplasticity by helping
clients develop healthier emotional responses and
thought patterns (Siegel, 1999). After the cult,
supportive relationships, support groups, and therapy
can positively change beliefs and behavior and even
rewire the brain (Doidge, 2007).
Conclusion
As they collaborated on this paper and came to
understand how the cult interfered with child-rearing,
Anika and David gained an empathic connection,
occasionally filled with shared humor. They resonated
emotionally as they uncovered cult dynamics that
interfered with their early relationship. The therapist/
author was tremendously pleased to participate and
observe how Anika and David each began to cognitively
understand and somatically feel the other with a new
sense of clarity. She anticipates a future filled with
understanding and love for each other and those in
their lives.
