------------------------------------------------------------------- F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Incorporated) a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library 601 16th St. #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80401 USA BBS 303 530-1942 FAX 303 530-2950 Office 303 473-0111 This document is part of an electronic lending library and preservational electronic archive. F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Book Reviews Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse. Edited by M.D. Langone. W. W. Norton, New York, 1993, 410 pages, hard cover. Michael Langone, Executive Director of the American Family Foundation (AFF) and editor of this journal, has done a skillful job of organizing and editing contributions from 22 experts on cults. Recovery from Cults is packed with current wisdom about helping cult victims. The book includes informative sections on understanding mind control, experiences of leaving cults, guidelines for facilitating recovery, and special issues such as child abuse and teen Satanism. I recommend it especially to researchers, mental health specialists, and clergy. Ex-cult members and their families will find particularly helpful the chapters on mind control, exit counseling, rehabilitation, psychotherapy, and guidelines for the postcult period. Recovery from Cults, which originated from AFF study groups, is an important and heartening milestone in the development of the anticult movement from its infancy to maturity. Over the past 20 years this movement has gone beyond the rather simplistic theory of "brainwash- ing" in explaining cult recruitment and entrapment. As represented here by the contributions of Singer, Langone, and Zimbardo and Andersen, cult behaviors can be better understood in terms of current theory and research in social psychology, clinical psychology, and psychiatry. Thus destructive groups misuse social persuasion and are often led by sociopaths. Riveting, if grim, personal accounts and case examples of how individuals are systematically cut off from outside influences, denigrated for expressions of independent thinking, and reduced to psychological dependency are coupled with detailed guidelines for helping professionals working with ex-cult members at various stages of recovery and in a wide range of settings. In contrast to the days when ex-cult members were dismissed as late adolescent rebels or diagnosed as pathological by mental health specialists, now there is a multidisciplinary core of professionals with expertise in helping former members. Sharing their clinical experiences in the book are a diverse team of experts, representatives of professional psychology (Singer, Langone, Martin), social work (Lorna and William Goldberg, Markowitz), psychiatry (Halperin), nursing (Galanti, Kelley) education (Eisenberg), and counseling (Dowhower, Tobias, Tucker). In short, as the cult member leaves the group, information, rehabilitation, support, psychotherapy, and hospitalization are available as needed. John Clark, the eminent psychiatrist to whom this book is dedicated, is no longer almost alone in providing mental health services. And, in sharp contrast to the days when lawyers tended to avoid cult-related litigation, a group of lawyers with experience in cult cases is represented here by Herbert Rosedale. With the sunshine of negative publicity, the loss of key lawsuits, the conviction of cult leaders for criminal acts from murder to sexual abuse to fraud, and the outrages of Waco and Jonestown, cults too have changed. For instance, as described by Galanti, the Unification Church no longer always hides its identity when recruiting in this country. As noted by the Goldbergs, cult victims today tend to be older and from diverse groups. Satanism (Tucker), ritual child abuse (Kelley), political cults (Lalich), and New Age groups (Garvey) have attracted attention while Bible-based (Trahan) and Eastern meditation (Ryan) groups continue to exert mind control. The approach to helping former members has also changed. As described in chapters by former members and exit counselors, each group has a distinct language and modus operandi to control its victims; and helpers need to know the specifics about each group. For the most part, illegal kidnapping and confrontational deprogramming have been replaced by voluntary exit counseling. David Clark, Kevin Garvey, and Carol and Noel Giambalvo stress the voluntary and ethical character of their work with cult members. Ex-members are still an essential part of the helping team. Otherwise traditional mental health interventions may be insufficient. Some exit counselors now have professional qualifications in mental health. The thorough index and comprehensive references for each chapter will be helpful to scholars and those who want to do further reading or study. Although case histories and personal reports give flesh to the terrible damage associated with cult experiences, the tone of each chapter tends to be serious, and assertions of opinion are documented with relevant research and theory. For the most part, fair-mindedness and objectivity prevail over the temptation to sensationalize or to express outrage. For example, in the chapters he authored, Langone is evenhanded but critical in countering the arguments of cult apologists and procultists. I have just a few criticisms. As mentioned by Giambalvo and colleagues, consultation is a better term than exit counseling to describe the interaction with a specialist when the member is still in the group and has not requested help. I am uncomfortable when such consultants, associated with the anticult movement and retained by concerned parents, present themselves as impartial counselors. Once the cult member has left the group and has sought assistance about personal issues, then the process becomes counseling. A second flaw: As is almost unavoidable in edited books, the chapters vary somewhat in quality and occasionally duplicate one another. If I have a major discontent with Recovery from Cults, it is with what is not included here. I encourage Langone and his team to publish another volume. Among appealing topics: successful prevention programs; case histories of ex-cult members years after the experience; cults in court- wins and losses and their consequences; how to respond to the violent and suicidal group; illustrations (from tape recordings) of the distinctive processes of exit consultation; rehabilitation and psychotherapy; how to choose an effective helper; how highly visible destructive groups manipulate celebrities, academics, big business, the church, and the military; and ethical principles for helpers. In sum, this fascinating text at once replaces popular myths about cults (and the types of people who become members) with hard facts, and provides invaluable guidelines for clergy, therapists, support group leaders, and others looking for ways to facilitate recovery from the effects of involvement with totalist cults. Congratulations to Langone and his coauthors on a major contribution which belongs on the bookshelves of CSJ readers and all those interested in cults. Arthur A. Dole, Ph.D., ABBP Emeritus Professor of Education University of Pennsylvania Touchstones: Reconnecting After a Cult Experience. Carroll Stoner and Cynthia Kisser. Cult Awareness Network, Chicago, 1992, 66 pages, paperback. Touchstones is a much-needed and long-awaited resource with a fine balance of structured information on the difficulties and stages of postcult recovery, with direct citations from those who have gone through the process. The book breaks down the reconnection to life outside the cult into five easy-to-read chapters, along with an introduction explaining the hows and whys of the writing of this book. Each chapter starts with an appropriate quote from a former cult member, with other quotes are sprinkled liberally throughout to support the text. What is refreshing about this book is that the writers never pretend that there is one way. They cover a wide range of options, offering a variety of examples of how former cult members have managed to find their passage from the trauma of totalistic involvement to a greater awareness and self-direction. In their procession from "Getting Out: Starting the Process of Reconnec- tion" to "Integrating the Experience and Moving On," the authors take two very important elements into consideration. One element, which can be vital to a successful departure from a cult, is the postcult environment. Family members and other significant persons can be truly useful in this process by actively pursuing self-education and expressing real concern for the individual's best interests. The other element is the importance of analyzing the good and the bad of the cult experience, which is necessary for a more successful integration of a former member's cult experiences. Here there is no shying away from the fact that both positive and negative qualities exist in the cult experience; once sufficiently away from the cult, both need integration into the person's new life and outlook. Chapter 4 exposes how normal human nature and relationships are twisted and/or negated in a totalistic environment. One area not covered, however, regards the person who has grown up in a cult without the possibility of reconnection to a precult past that never was. Something akin to this publication is much needed for this ever-increasing population who does not have the "touchstones of normalcy." As one former cult member exclaimed in the Introduction, "This book won't give you the answers to all your questions, but it will help you to question the answers you've given yourself about how you want to live your life now that you're away from the cult." Paul Engel, C.S.W. New York Recovery from Abusive Groups. Wendy Ford. American Family Foundation, Bonita Springs, FL, 1993, 106 pages, paperback. Author Wendy Ford has straightforwardly and thoughtfully presented her understanding of recovery issues from a personal perspective of having participated in an abusive group and from a well-studied psychological and sociological perspective. Her articulation is concise, yet encompasses a range of emotions and perceptions regarding the seemingly never- ending adjustment process to postcult life. Throughout the pages of the book, the author's honesty and insight concerning difficult and complex issues are apparent, together with the evidence of her personal travels along the road of recovery and renewal. This is a handbook for every former member and their families who choose to be informed about mind control and therefore aid in combatting the growing problem of psychological abuse by destructive cults. This open and challenging review of the recovery process helps the reader begin to address some very complex and emotionally loaded issues. It is a road map for those of us who need to reintegrate our lives after the trauma of separation from such an intense experience and the realization of having been subjected to such an extensive level of deceit. Ms. Ford clearly allows for the perspective of the individual survivor as well as the family. Her approach to the recovery process gives attention to the systems one is connected to: the family and our culture. She boldly addresses the challenges ex-cult members face in evaluating the cultic experience and learning about the world around them. Her tools for reality checking and for developing critical thinking skills help deal with several residual effects experienced by those who had a mind-control experience. The author also addresses the varying emotions former members will confront and learn about in a whole new way as free human beings. In this book the former member is given permission to heal and recover from what is properly referred to as a trauma. The recovery process from high-demand abusive groups is multifaceted and contains the seed for renewal, if former members are patient and compassionate with themselves. Each page has hope peaking through; this book speaks to former members' need to know that there is life after what they once thought was the "truth." In addition, Ms. Ford addresses the needs and struggles of the victim's family and loved ones. In the process of recovering from trauma, the former member is challenged to review every life connection. Much attention is focused on family of origin and the strengths and weaknesses that impacted the cult member's coping strategies and initial vulnerability to the cult. Having the family members' support and willingness to discuss family issues can be helpful in assisting the entire family to regain an equilibrium. This handbook also offers practical suggestions in facilitating both personal and familial healing. As stated on page 1, recovery takes time, discipline, and courage. The road to renewal and reintegration takes many forms, but persistence is the main ingredient. Recovery from Abusive Groups speaks directly to those hurting and confused, and gives assurance, direction, and insight regarding a wide spectrum of life issues that former members are challenged to confront. This book is refreshing and inspiring, and expresses the strength and wisdom of one who has survived and thrived. By including thorough and thought-provoking study questions and a bibliography that has personally inspired and assisted her throughout her journey, Ms. Ford has remained true to her constant reminder to "Do your homework!" My recommendation comes with the true bias of a friend who has been fortunate to know Wendy since a year after I left the same group she was in. She had been out three years when we were introduced and one of the most valuable lessons we have learned together is this: Recovery and renewal from an abusive group cannot happen in isolation. Her book brings the reader into the footsteps of her life, as she considers and discusses the many aspects of recovering from the abuse and trauma of a destructive cult group. The reader is able to sigh, cry, and smile at the straightforwardness and courage of the author's presentation. Former members and families are fortunate to have such a workable and informative handbook which addresses this complex issue of cults and recovery from the residual effects of mind control. Each day I become more and more convinced that our misfortune can truly be turned around and reconfigured to work in our favor. I invite you to discover this from Wendy Ford's courageous book. Lee Anne Pellegrini, M.S.W. Intern Boston University Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, 1993, page 219 ================================================================= If this is a copyrighted work, you are acknowledging by receipt of this document from FACTNet that on the basis of reasonable investigation, you have not been to obtain a copy elsewhere at a fair price, and that you are and will abide by the following copyright warning. WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS: The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photo copies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified by law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." 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F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------- CARD CATALOG ENTRY DOS FILENAME OF TEXT FILE: E:\PCB\AFF\FILES\CSJ10B\BKRV102.TXT DOS FILENAME OF IMAGE FILES: ADMINISTRATIVE CODE: SECURITY CODE: DISTRIBUTION CODE: DESCRIPTION FOR BBS FILE LISTING: SORT TO: CONTRIBUTOR: American Family Foundation (AFF) LOCATION OF ORIGINAL: American Family Foundation (AFF) NOTES: Back issues and selected reprints of the Cultic Studies Journal are available from the American Family Foundation, P.O. Box 2265, Bonita Springs, FL 33959-2265. For additional verification see the contributor of the document. UPDATED ON: UPDATED BY: =================================================================