Understanding Cults:
A Foundational Course for Clinicians
“As a medical doctor with decades of experience, I wish to say that I very much enjoyed the content and I think it is incredibly well done.
The course is highly comprehensive, and I do believe that anyone who takes all the modules will come out with a very good understanding of this topic.
If everyone took this course and absorbed the messages, the world would be a much safer and more loving place for all.
”Those interested in understanding cults and other harmful undue influence situations.
People in recovery
Concerned family and friends
Parents
Middle school, high school, college, and university communities (students, parents, educators, staff, student life, and counseling)
Community and advocacy organizations
Researchers & students writing papers and dissertations
Mental health and medical professionals (a separate CE course is in development)
Health and wellness professionals and coaches
Legal professionals
Financial advisors, Law enforcement and military Legislators, Government and non-governmental organizations, Media, Other people who want to help
Participants will discover the components of healthy social influence.
Participants will identify the elements of unhealthy social influence.
Participants will recognize The Influence Continuum
Participants will learn the BITE Model of Authoritarian Control.
Participants will provide examples of symptoms of Undue Influence
Participants will match symptoms of Undue Influence to a DSM 5 diagnosis
Participants will apply differential diagnostic skills to symptoms of Undue
Influence and its corresponding DSM 5 diagnosis.
Participants will list situational vulnerabilities that facilitate cult involvement.
Participants will describe individual vulnerabilities for and susceptibilities to cult involvement.
Participants will explain macro trends of the 21 st Century that contribute to cult involvement.
Participants classify cult recruitment strategies.
Participants will understand how cult recruiters classify individuals into 4 types of people and develop tailored recruitment tactics for each.
Participants will define Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) and how it pertains to cult involvement.
Participants will define a cult.
Participants will describe as well as diagram the structure of a cult.
Participants will list and categorize types of cults.
Participants will identify and describe traits, characteristics, and behavior of cult leaders.
Participants will analyze The Influence Continuum.
Participants will compare and contrast Due Influence and Undue Influence.
Participants will distinguish between Brainwashing and Mind Control.
Participants will examine the processes of Undue Influence.
Participants will identify several synonyms for Mind Control.
Participants will comprehend Leon Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance Theory and apply it to Mind Control.
Participants will delineate 8 criteria of Robert J. Lifton’s Thought Reform Model.
Participants will outline Margaret Singer’s 6 Conditions for Thought Reform.
Participants will analyze Steve Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control.
Participants will analyze the psychology of cults.
Participants will analyze how cults control individuals’ subjective experience.
Participants will explain how cults employ selective recruitment.
Participants will explain identity changes that cult members experience.
Participants will describe Kurt Lewin’s 3-stage model of gaining control of the mind.
Participants will define the Dual Identity Model of cult members’ personality.
Participants will list elements of Scheflin’s Model of Social Influence.
Participants will list key figures in social psychology and social influence.
Participants will name contributors to client-centered psychotherapy.
Participants will identify clinical considerations (including cautions) as well as qualities of effective clinicians.
Participants will describe symptoms of cult involvement.
Participants will identify goals of healing.
Participants will acquire clinical tools and techniques for intervention.
Participants will articulate Steve Hassan’s Strategic Interactive Approach (SIA) to
intervention.
We seek to ensure equitable treatment of every person and to make every attempt to resolve grievances in a fair manner. Please submit a written grievance to center@freedomofmind.com. Grievances would receive, to the best of our ability, corrective action in order to prevent further problems.
We will allow refunds up to 48 hours after purchase of this course minus a $10 processing fee, provided only 2 modules have been completed.
There is no known commercial interest or conflict of interest for this workshop.
Please contact center@freedomofmind.com if special accommodation is required.