In this episode, we are going to be talking about cults. Cults have made headlines around the world for many years and continue to fascinate us in documentaries and popular podcasts. Most recently you will likely recall the organization known as NXIVM a cult organization that gained attention for its Hollywood famous members. Allison Mack from the show Smallville—was a member of NXIVM led by Keith Ranieri which allured members by asserting themselves as a professional development program and then subsequently blackmailed and branded its members and used them as sex slaves. The stories behind these cults’ origins of leaders and their demise are fascinating and so disturbing. We as therapists need to know some of the red flags behind these cults so that we can better serve our clients if we find that they are being manipulated into an organization that potentially can turn abusive. We will also dive into how to help those who are in cults find their way out and how to support family members whose loves ones are trapped in. To help us on this topic I have the author of the book CULTS Inside OUT Rick Alan Ross.