P
PointlessShrew
Guest
A couple of weeks ago, a member of this board sent me a message asking this question. And the person that I am IMing with right now asked me if I’d be willing to post this for everyone, so, okay. Might as well…I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen this subject covered here:
Hello, Ravyn.
Well, you do need a considerable amount of schooling–but you need to be careful where you go, and who you apprentice with, regardless of your former/present affiliation.
In my case, I was an active Mormon for six years (on the books for twelve), but I grew up in Mormondom and was well-versed in Mormon theology and history years before I “came into the Truth.” I was a graduate of the Institute of Religion [LDS Sect’s four year “college” for religious training] and had some very profound experiences with the dimensions of cult-abuse before I left (you can see part of my story on the top post that’s on my blog right now: angrynunnohabit.blogspot.com/ )
In my late twenties, I returned to the Catholic Church after spending more six years investigating/attending several protestant sects–including three other cults: Vineyard Fellowship, Calvary Chapel and Assemblies of God). It was then that my best friend began meddling with the Watchtower Society, and a little over a decade ago I began reading and collecting (in addition to my LDS library) every piece of historic Watchtower literature I could beg, borrow or steal; that’s how the American Cults Library got its start…
At any rate, it was my knowledge of the Watchtower that first had people calling on me for information and help–especially priests and parents. It didn’t take long to see that, despite my knowledge, I was way in over my head.
Around 1999, Mary Kochan got me involved with the International Cultic Studies Association–and that’s probably the best place to start.
I apprenticed a bit under Mary Alice Chrnlogger (awesome!) and a local counsellor, Eva Benedict (now has cancer…I wonder why…pray for her+), but I did have to have some certification to be able to “counsel” and be able to charge fees (which are minimal or, usually,* nothing* believe me–I do what I do because I hate cults, not for money).
Here’s the deal, Ravyn (btw, cool name! your mom a hippie?), I worked for fifteen years in healthcare and had already been a state-certified mental health advocate when I started this work; I had a solid background in psychology and counselling (believe me–you’ll need it!) on both sides of the fence and, when my friend Mavis became involved with the JWs, all my continuing ed. stuff for work was all still current. But now, I actually need to go back to school and update all of my own stuff and get some current training–and it’s always necessary.
Cult exit counselling is much more than just going in and getting someone out of a cult. I don’t do the Rick Ross style “deprogramming” garbage; it’s dangerous and leaves cult victims wide open to all sorts of further abuse, victimization, and even suicide or murder, if not done properly with professional aftercare always in place before you ever walk out that door and leave. I always tell people that if they are seriously wanting to do what I do:
Hello, Ravyn.
Well, you do need a considerable amount of schooling–but you need to be careful where you go, and who you apprentice with, regardless of your former/present affiliation.
In my case, I was an active Mormon for six years (on the books for twelve), but I grew up in Mormondom and was well-versed in Mormon theology and history years before I “came into the Truth.” I was a graduate of the Institute of Religion [LDS Sect’s four year “college” for religious training] and had some very profound experiences with the dimensions of cult-abuse before I left (you can see part of my story on the top post that’s on my blog right now: angrynunnohabit.blogspot.com/ )
In my late twenties, I returned to the Catholic Church after spending more six years investigating/attending several protestant sects–including three other cults: Vineyard Fellowship, Calvary Chapel and Assemblies of God). It was then that my best friend began meddling with the Watchtower Society, and a little over a decade ago I began reading and collecting (in addition to my LDS library) every piece of historic Watchtower literature I could beg, borrow or steal; that’s how the American Cults Library got its start…
At any rate, it was my knowledge of the Watchtower that first had people calling on me for information and help–especially priests and parents. It didn’t take long to see that, despite my knowledge, I was way in over my head.
Around 1999, Mary Kochan got me involved with the International Cultic Studies Association–and that’s probably the best place to start.
I apprenticed a bit under Mary Alice Chrnlogger (awesome!) and a local counsellor, Eva Benedict (now has cancer…I wonder why…pray for her+), but I did have to have some certification to be able to “counsel” and be able to charge fees (which are minimal or, usually,* nothing* believe me–I do what I do because I hate cults, not for money).
Here’s the deal, Ravyn (btw, cool name! your mom a hippie?), I worked for fifteen years in healthcare and had already been a state-certified mental health advocate when I started this work; I had a solid background in psychology and counselling (believe me–you’ll need it!) on both sides of the fence and, when my friend Mavis became involved with the JWs, all my continuing ed. stuff for work was all still current. But now, I actually need to go back to school and update all of my own stuff and get some current training–and it’s always necessary.
Cult exit counselling is much more than just going in and getting someone out of a cult. I don’t do the Rick Ross style “deprogramming” garbage; it’s dangerous and leaves cult victims wide open to all sorts of further abuse, victimization, and even suicide or murder, if not done properly with professional aftercare always in place before you ever walk out that door and leave. I always tell people that if they are seriously wanting to do what I do:
- Make damned certain your own faith is rock-solid and that you are active and participating regularly in your parish, it’s life and community–and that you are actively engaged with a good, orthodox spiritual director who can guide you regularly; there’s nothing worse than some wingnut who goes off on their own and decides that they’re going to start dragging people out of cults to save them when the ones who need saving are themselves.
- You really need to go to school and get, at the very least, a counseling or social work degree (even an associates with practicum experience, to start) from a good school. I don’t know where you live, but Catholic University of America have the best-grounded, most orthodox sociology/helper professions programs in the country, and even if you can’t attend there, they have several professors on their Board with ties to other good Catholic schools in the U.S.
- Get involved with the International Cultic Studies Association (icsahome.com/) and start taking classes and going to conferences. Start networking with members and learning what your in for for a couple of years before you jump in.