LIST OF LEGITIMATE CULT EXPERTS
The following is a list of legitimate cult experts and their phone numbers. The media are welcome to contact these people. If a name is on the FACTNet list it means that individual is not biased by or supported by any religious organization, new age group or cult. More experts will be added to this list as we gather them.
Robert J. Lifton
Cult Expert, Author Professor, Director, Center on Violence and Human
Survival
location: New York, NY
telephone: (212) 237-8433
Robert J. Lifton is Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology
at City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and
the Graduate School and University Center and the Mount Sinai Medical
Center. He is also the Director of the Center on Violence and Human
Survival at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Dr. Lifton held the
Foundations' Fund Research Professorship of Psychiatry at Yale University
for more than two decades. He is the author of Thought Reform and the
Psychology of Totalism: A Study of "Brainwashing" in China,
considered the basic text on the subject of thought reform and coercive
persuasion. Because his time is limited, Dr. Lifton may not be able to
accept all requests.
Hana and Jerry Whitfield are exit counselors and thought reform consultants specializing in Scientology and Dianetics. They have done extensive research and education on the subjects of thought reform, mind control, manipulation, trance, hypnosis, and civil and human rights abuses. They adhere to the "Ethical Standards for Thought Reform Consultants" as published in Cultic Studies Journal (American Family Foundation, vol. 13, no. 1, 1996) and as found on this web page: http://members.aol.com/carol2180/ethical.htm. Jerry was a member of Scientology for 10 years; Hana was a member for 20 years. Accounts of Hana’s Scientology experience are covered in the following books: Captive Hearts, Captive Minds by Madeline Tobias and Janja Lalich; L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman? By Bent Corydon; and Barefaced Messiah by Russell Miller.
Michael Langone, Ph.D.
Cult Expert, Author, Executive Director of International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA), Editor of Cultic Studies Journal.
web site: <http://www.csj.org>
location:: Bonita Springs, FL
telephone: (941) 514-3081
Executive Director of the American Family Foundation and editor of Cultic
Studies Journal, Dr. Langone is the author of Recovery from Cults:
Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse, and Cults:
What Parents Should Know.
Wellspring (614-698-6277 in Albany, OH) -- a residential treatment facility for persons traumataized through abusive relationships and cultic organizations, the only such facility in the world. Contacts: Dr. Paul Martin, psychologist and executive director of Wellspring; Ron Burks, associate clinical director; and Larry Pile, cult researcher. Visit Wellspring's web page at http://wellspringretreat.org.
Steve Hassan
Cult Expert, Cult Counselor, Media Consultant, Author, Former Member
web site: <http://www.freedomofmind.com>
E-Mail: center@freedomofmind.com
location: P.O. Box 45223
Somerville, MA 02145-0002
telephone: (617) 628-9918
Steve Hassan is author of Combatting Cult Mind Control, the number one best-selling guide to recovery from destructive cults. He recently wrote Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves, which is considered to be the "state of the art" guide to understanding how to undo mind control programming. Hassan holds a master's degree in counseling psychology from Cambridge College and has been involved in educating the public about destructive cults in America for over twenty-five years. A former cult member and licensed mental health counselor, thousands of people have sought out Hassan for advice, counseling, and support. He runs the Freedom of Mind Resource Center, a counseling and publishing organization.
Watchman Fellowship (205-871-2858 in Birmingham, AL) -- a Christian ministry that works with both the religious and secular community in the areas of cult education, prevention and intervention as well as research, analysis and counseling of former cult members and families of cult members. Contact: Craig Branch, regional director and vice president of the Watchman Fellowship. Visit their web site at www.watchman.org.
David Clark
location: Swarthmore, PA
telephone: (610) 544-5830
David Clark is a former member of a Bible-based/occult group in southern
California, is a court-certified cult expert, and has been an exit
counselor for more than twenty years.
Priscilla Coates
Cult Expert
location: Glendale, CA
telephone: (818) 244-3794
Priscilla Coates is a former executive director of the Cult Awareness
Network. She is well-informed on a wide range of cultic groups, is
familiar with Scientology, and recently has been researching Heaven's
Gate.
Janja Lalich
Community Resources on Influence & Control (CRIC)
Cult Recovery & Information Center
Cult Expert, Author, Education Director, Former Member,
Support Group Coordinator
Department of Sociology
California State University, Chico
Chico, CA 95929-0445
Tel: 520-898-5545
Fax: 530-898-4571
email: jlalich@csuchico.edu
Janja Lalich has an Masters of Arts degree in Human Development,
and serves as a resource to families and former members;
professionals such as laywers, educators, psychologists
and social workers; and to the media. She most recently
appeared on "Meet the Press," and has lectured
at universities and other forums across the country. A
former member of a political cult, she is Education Director
of Community Resources on Influence and Control (CRIC)
in Alameda and co-coordinator of a support group for ex-cult
members. She is also co-author with Margaret
Singer of
Cults in Our Midst and Crazy Therapies,
and with Madeleine Tobias of Captive Hearts, Captive
Minds: Freedom and Recovery from Cults and Abusive Relationships.
See:
<http://www.csj.org/infoserv_profile/lalich_janja.htm>
<http://www.csj.org/rg/rgbooks/rgbk_womenunderinfl.htm>
<http://www.rickross.com/reference/heavensgate/gate25.html>
<http://www.anandainfo.com/untitled1.html>
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D0787902667/104-7484833-1575943>
<http://www.hunterhouse.com/authorshow.asp?bid=85>
<http://www.cultobserver.com/guestcolumn/coguest135.htm>
<http://www.omnimag.com/archives/chats/ls050197.html>
Info Cult (514-274-2333 in Montreal) -- an information and resource center which provides counseling, consulting, referrals and preventative education on the subject of cults. Info Cult studies trends in the phenomenon of cults as a whole and also provides information on a wide range of specific groups, including many European cults. Contact: Michael Kropveld. Visit the Infocult web page at http://www.math.mcgill.ca/triples/infocult/ic-new.html.
Joe Szimhart
email: jszimhart@dejazzd.com
web site: <http://home.dejazzd.com/jszimhart>
telephone: (610) 385-9454
Joe Szimhart is a cult information specialist and thought reform
consultant whose work includes education, research, and non-coercive
intervention regarding controversial, high-demand groups, psychotherapies,
and relationships that use thought reform techniques. He has personally
helped many hundreds of people impacted by a wide spectrum of cult
activity. Since 1983 he has appeared on dozens of TV and radio programs
worldwide and has been consulted by the media regularly, including 20/20,
A Current Affair, and others.
Daniel Shaw, C.S.W.
Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, New York City and
Nyack, New York
MANHATTAN
850 Seventh Avenue, Suite 906
New York, New York 10019
Tel. and Fax.: (212) 581-6658
E-mail: shawdan@aol.com
NYACK
152 Main Street, Nyack, New York 10960
Tel: (845) 548-2561
E-mail: shawdan@aol.com
web site: http://hometown.aol.com/shawdan/page1.htm
Works with former members of cults and cultic groups, and friends and families of cult members. His work in this area is connected to theories of malignant or pathological narcissism, and he has a special interest in working with those who have exited or who are exiting from destructive relationships with abusive teachers, partners, and significant others. To read his essay, "Traumatic Abuse in Cults," PRESS HERE .
He is an allied professional member of the Division of Psychoanalysis (39) of the American Psychological Association; nationally certified as a psychoanalyst by the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP); a clinical supervisor at and certified in adult psychoanalysis and psychotherapy by The National Institute for the Psychotherapies (NIP) in New York City; a member of the Education Committee of the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (IARPP).
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