Gangs or Cults?
This text is a summary of the presentation delivered by Miguel Perlado at the Annual Conference of the Cultic Studies Association, in Edmonton (Canada), 2004. A comparative analysis between the dynamics of youth gangs and cultic groups is presented, contrasting their similarities and their differences from a clinician perspective.
Therapeutic Challenges in Supporting Former Members of Sects and Cults
Paper published in book: Therapeutische Herausforderungen in der Begleitung ehemaliger Sekten-/Kultmitglieder. (pp.417-432). Publisher: Dittmar, V., Mücke, T.
An Account of Psychotherapeutic Work with Ex-Cult/Cult Members using the Three-Step-Model
The category, “Religious or Spiritual Problem” can be found in the DSM-IV: V62.89 (Z71.8) under “Additional Conditions that May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention” with the following short description: “This category can be used when the focus of clinical attention is a religious or spiritual problem. Examples include distressing experiences that involve loss or questioning of faith, problems associated with conversion to a new faith, or questioning of spiritual values that may not necessarily be related to an organized church or religious institution”. Normally the “loss or the questioning of faith” correlate with the withdrawal from a religious community,
Of Giants and Dwarves
“Of Giants and Dwarves” (originally published in German as Von Riesen und Zwergen) is a psychological and psychotherapeutic paper authored by Dieter Rohmann, published in the journal Wege zum Menschen (Issue 2, 2002). The paper outlines a three-stage psychotherapeutic framework for working with active cult members and individuals who have recently left cults.
Beyond Deprogramming: A Modern Framework for Families in High-Demand Conflict
When a loved one joins an ideologically intense, high-demand group—often referred to as a cultic or fringe organization—the default reaction for most families is panic. Historically, interventions relied on heavy-handed tactics like coercive "deprogramming" in the 1970s or pressure-filled exit counseling. The ultimate goal was singular: force the individual to abandon the group at all costs. Instead of treating group departure as the sole measure of success, Millar and Caparesi argue that families and mental health professionals should focus on relational alignment, mutual influence, and communicative conflict resolution. The Shift: From Exit-Centric Demands to Relational AlignmentWhen ideological divides occur,