Understanding Cults: A Foundational Course for Clinicians by Freedom of Mind Resource Center
Description:
This 9.2 hour course will help mental health professionals understand cults, brainwashing, thought reform, mind control, and undue influence. It will teach them how people can be programmed into a destructive authoritarian cult and inform them on undue influence and destructive cults. Additionally, they will learn how to recognize patients in need, several approaches that work, and guidelines when working with those affected by destructive cults. This is a course by Dr. Steven Hassan is a licensed mental health professional and former cult member. He has over 45 years of experience helping people recover from destructive cults including relationships, groups, and online influence.
This is an introductory program for all mental health professionals.
Learning Objectives:
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 that facilitate cult involvement.
Participants will describe individual vulnerabilities for and susceptibilities to cult involvement.
Participants will explain macro trends of the 21st 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.
About the Presenter:
Steven Hassan, PhD is a licensed mental health counselor who has been educating the public about mind control, brainwashing, and destructive cults since 1976. He’s the author of Combating Cult Mind Control: The Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults; Freedom of Mind; The Cult of Trump, and he is the founder of the Freedom of Mind Resource Center.
Location:
Online Course
Credits:
9 CE credits
Cancellation Policy:
We will allow refunds up to 48 hours after purchase of this course minus a $10 processing fee, provided only 1 module has been completed. Cancellations after 7 days are non-refundable.
Grievances Policy:
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.
ADA Assistance:
Please contact center@freedomofmind.com if special accommodation is required.
Conflict of Interest:
There is no known commercial interest or conflict of interest for this program.
The CE Company is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The CE Company maintains responsibility for this program and its content