reFOCUS: Recovering Former Cultists' Support Network
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Local Support LocationsI think of all the words in the world that I've ever heard, the two most lovely and encouraging are, "Me, too." Support Groups:reFOCUS does not have "official" support groups, nor do we endorse any of the following. The following are support groups that are currently meeting. The list at the end consists of support groups that are open not only to former members of cults, but to families of cult members. Colorado: Fort Collins: Facilitator: Hal Mansfield. Contact: (970) 490-2032 California:
Sacramento Area: Renewed Directions, P.O. Box 227, Loomis, CA 95650. Facilitator: John Morehead (916) 631-7896 San Francisco Area: (Mill Valley) Facilitator: Colleen Russell, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, (415) 383-7721, email crussellmft@earthlink.net Florida: Hope Ministries (has a Christian perspective) Facilitator: Carol Levak. (954) 434-8240 Massachusetts: Boston Area Support Group. Contact 781-444-0815 Nebraska Omaha: Focused on people who have had Bible-based cultic experiences, and who want to remain Christian (whatever that means to them). Contact David Clute New Hampshire/Vermont Facilitator: Brad Hibbard, please contact via e-mail before calling: Rhavin54@hotmail.com New Jersey/New York: Meets monthly in Englewood, NJ. Facilitators: Bill & Lorna Goldberg. (201) 894-8515. Email: blgoldberg@aol.com Meets bi-monthly at Seton Hall University. Facilitator: Tom Morris. (973) 763-2735 Dallas, Texas: for former members of cults, high-demand groups, or spiritually abusive groups. The support group provides a safe place to discuss personal experience as a former member, a nonjudgmental group of peers, and basic educational information about cultic groups. The group meets on the 4th Saturday of the month in Dallas, Texas from 3-5 pm. Call 214-607-1065 or e-mail at info@dallascult.com for more information. Also see here. Washington Seattle area. Facilitator: John Goldhammer (206) 306-0322 Sweden: SESAM - call 0709-90-16-23 for more information and see their web site at http://home.swipnet.se/FRI Support Groups for former members of Jehovah's Witnesses:California: San Francisco Bay Area Ex-Jehovah's Witness Support Group, P.O. Box 6472, San Rafael, CA 94903. Facilitators: Wendy Taylor and Wayne Rogers. Contact: 408-354-2707 or email Wendy at wendy@wjtaylor.com Fremont, CA - For more information, call 510-790-8960 New York: The Lighthouse. Facilitator: Barbara Castillo. Contact (718) 393-0056 Texas: Spring, Texas: Cult Prevention and Recovery Assistance Network, Shawn A. Svacha, Director. 281 655-7235 There is a more comprehensive listing of support groups for former Jehovah's Witnesses on Randy Watter's Free Minds web site Support Groups open to former members AND families of cult-involved individuals:Tennessee: Tennessee Valley: (Christian perspective) Coordinators: Randy & Susan Rogers (423) 339-1664. Email: Rafael Martinez. Melbourne, Australia: A support group for former cult members and family members of those who are involved in cults offered by CARM (Cult Awareness Research Ministry. Meetings are once a month on the first Tuesday of every month at 8:00 p.m. Contact Troy Waller at 03-9699-1536Visit their web site for information about next scheduled meeting and location. Helping Resources:Colorado: Rocky Mountain Resource Center, 629 S. Howes, Ft. Collins, CO 80521 (970) 490-2032 Rosanne Henry, M.A., L.P.C. Rosanne is a licensed professional counselor in private practice in the Denver area. She specializes in the Recovery from Cults and Other Abusive Relationships. She served as vice president and then, co-director of the former Cult Awareness Network Denver affiliate from 1991 to 1996. She now serves on ICSA�s Board of Directors. Rosanne has also facilitated ICSA'S Recovery Workshops in Estes Park for the last ten years. She is a former member of an Eastern based cult called Kashi Ranch. Visit her web site! New York/New Jersey: Cult Information Service, P.O. Box 867, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (201) 833-1212 There is a comprehensive list of helping resources on ICSA's web site. Recovery Resource Center Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center is a non-profit corporation (501 (c) (3) whose purpose is to provide a program of counseling and instruction to individuals who have suffered psychological and spiritual distress resulting from their involvement in destructive cult-like organizations or relationships. Founded informally in 1986 with part-time staff and incorporated in 1988, Wellspring offers extended residential counseling with professional instructors. The program of counseling is geared toward the restoration of clients to emotional, spiritual, and social wholeness. Although they accept clients from a wide variety of religious and cultic backgrounds (the only exceptions at the present time are Satanic cults), Wellspring is, to our knowledge, the only center in the country where a program is offered that is specifically designed for those who have been damaged psychologically and spiritually by Bible-based cultic organizations. The goal of Wellspring's program is, very simply, to assist former cult victims return to normal life again, free of the deleterious effects of their cultic experience. These effects include false guilt, depression, anxiety, fear, confusion, and anger; thus we help our clients return to "emotional" stability. We also assist them in returning to "social" stability by helping them reintegrate themselves with family, friends, and career - relationships and life-goals which are often interrupted by the cult. In addition, they help those who so desire to establish, or re-establish a wholesome biblical relationship with God and the church -- in other words, a return to "spiritual" stability. For additional information, contact Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center at: PO Box 67 |
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