Cults, Culture, and Coercion with Dr. Steven Hassan
A Community for Freedom of Mind
“Hassan brings decades of thought and experience to his invaluable work in helping people emerge from “thought reform” and mind control and to reassert the precious human attribute of freedom of the mind.”
- Robert Jay Lifton, M.D.
Hi, I’m Dr. Steven Hassan, cult expert, mental health professional and author. For nearly 50 years, I’ve helped thousands of individuals and families escape and recover from destructive groups and relationships.
Welcome to Cults, Culture, and Coercion, where I explore the world of high-control groups and connect with survivors, concerned family, therapists, and anybody interested in deeply understanding and healing from cults and destructive relationships.
“Steven Hassan is a compelling spokesman on the topic of cult mind control… he educates and challenges us to think about the groups using mind control techniques in our culture, and how to help those affected reclaim their lives.”
- Mary K. McCarthy, M.D, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
Cults, Culture, and Coercion Is For You If...
You’re a survivor rebuilding your identity.
You’re trying to understand what happened to you and reclaim your authentic self. This newsletter will help you recognize the tactics that were used against you, heal from the trauma, and rebuild your life with clarity.
You’re trying to help a loved one who’s changed.
Your adult child joined a group that has isolated them from family. Your spouse has fallen into conspiracy thinking, which is destroying your marriage. The variations are endless, but the core mechanisms of control are the same. This newsletter offers practical communication strategies and intervention tools based on decades of experience helping families like yours.
You’re a mental health professional seeking specialized knowledge.
You have clients affected by cults, coercive control, or radicalization… but your training didn’t cover this. You need evidence-based frameworks and practical tools. This newsletter bridges that gap with clinical insights with interviews from experts as well as my decades of experience working with this population.
You want to understand how undue influence works in society and government.
You see cult dynamics playing out in politics, relationships, workplaces, and social movements. This newsletter will sharpen your ability to identify authoritarian control tactics wherever they appear.
What You’ll Receive With Your Subscription
I welcome you to join me for weekly dives into important topics.
You’ll receive…
Weekly interviews with survivors, researchers, and mental health professionals
Investigations into cult activities in collaboration with global reporters
Commentary regarding political ongoings and authoritarianism
Practical intervention toolkits for communicating with loved ones in high-control groups, including specific scripts.
Case studies of how specific groups operate, what tactics they use, and how families have successfully helped loved ones leave
Recovery resources such as exercises, frameworks, and guidance for survivors rebuilding their identities and healing from cult trauma
Access to the full archive of years of posts covering every aspect of cult recovery and intervention
(Free/Paid)
Your Subscription Matters
This newsletter is one of my primary ways of reaching people who need help but can’t access professional consultation.
Every week, I hear from families in distress, those who didn’t know they were in a cult until years later, and therapists who finally have language for what their clients are experiencing.
Your paid subscription makes this work possible as it allows me to:
Continue offering free resources to survivors who can’t afford support
Develop new educational materials and toolkits
Train the next generation of mental health professionals to recognize and treat cult-related trauma
To those who choose to offer their support with a paid subscription, thank you.
