ICSA Annual Conference: Visioning the Invisible: The Traumatized Bodies of Racialized Cult Members and Survivors.

This talk is an opening, a crack to let light into considerations of racialized survivor experience with hopes to expand this conversation, and invitations to research the lives, challenges, healing journeys, and to visibilize the living bodies of cult survivors of color.

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ICSA Annual Conference: Pathways to Healing: The Importance of Psycho-education in the Process of Recovery and Healing After Leaving a Cult

Individuals who leave cults frequently exhibit symptoms of mental illness, in particular: depression, anxiety and schizotypal disorders. While these symptoms can affect all former cult members, they are particularly problematic among young people who have left cults, and especially those born into one. Although there are a number of interventions that can help these people live full, productive lives with robust mental health, many do not take advantage of them for a variety of reasons, largely related to their cult indoctrination. Often cults stigmatize counseling and psychotherapy, causing many former cult members to fear seeking professional mental health treatment. For those that do seek help, it can be difficult to find appropriate counseling because not all therapists understand the significance of the cult experience. To address these problems, an extensive survey was conducted of the relevant, current research available on the subject. Although there is a vast amount of research available concerning mental illness and mental health, there is a relatively scant amount addressing the unique needs of former cult members. Nevertheless, what is available is quite encouraging in regard to positive outcomes for emotional and psychological healing. A key point among the findings is the recognition that “core dysfunctional beliefs and consequent negative thoughts” are central in the development of mental illness (Kinderman, 2005). When false and damaging beliefs are replaced with accurate, healthy beliefs and coping strategies, individuals begin to recover and thrive. Psycho-education, particularly in connection with traditional treatments for mental illness, can help empower individuals suffering with mental health issues by providing them with tools for coping and alleviating those symptoms. Significant challenges remain and need to be addressed in order to make this information more widely disseminated and available to those that need it most: former group members, their families, helping professionals, and researchers.

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ICSA Annual Conference: Peace, Violence and New Religions

A few NRMs do commit horrific acts of violence – as have representatives of almost all the older, traditional religions. Many NRMs express a yearning for peace and have tried, in a wide variety of ways, to achieve it. Few, however, have shown signs of being successful at achieving peace for society, though some could be as successful (as are some of the older, traditional religions) in offering their members an inner peace.

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ICSA Annual Conference: Down the Rabbit Hole: How do the family and friends of QAnon believers seek and provide support in the Facebook Families of Q Cult support group?

For many who have found their way into this extreme right-wing cult, the price has been broken relationships, financial ruin, and legal troubles. Some have committed violent acts—including murder—driven by their unwavering devotion to QAnon, a web of interrelated and ever-evolving conspiracy theories that include belief in a global sex trafficking ring run by high-level U.S. politicians and the existence of lizard people masquerading among us as human beings.

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