Leave the Cult Handbook

The Leave the Cult Handbook offers first aid to anyone reeling from leaving a cult or church. It also helps family members and friends of former cult members who want to learn how to be supportive, as well as anyone who works with this population or who wants an inside look at how cultic groups operate. Up to 17 million people worldwide belong to cults. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people leave these groups, and most find the experience devastating. Anyone who breaks ties with a cult doesn’t give up just membership in the group, but also forfeits the world view they held while a member, a community of friends, a life mission, and even a daily routine. To make matters worse, when former cult members look for help, they usually find it’s in short supply. Few therapists have specific training to work with this population, and most people on the outside simply don’t understand how easy it is to get into a cult, or how difficult it is to get out.Written with an insider’s eye, The Leave the Cult Handbook draws from author Dr. Hiyaguha Cohen’s firsthand experience of spending 23 years in a cult. After going through the difficult process of leaving her own group, she conducted research exploring how to help others in the same boat. The book includes the results of her research, guiding readers to reflect on their own experiences so that the material becomes useful and personalized. Readers will find plenty of practical advice and links to helpful resources in an accompanying workbook. The book contains chapters exploring the characteristics of cults and cult leaders, as well as a chapter specifically aimed at helping readers determine if their group was a cult. There are also chapters on making peace with the cult experience and on next steps in recovery. Here are a few reader comments: “Having made her own way through the healing process and counseled others through the same journey, the author is able to concisely lay out a process for restoring one's faith in life and oneself such that wellness can be regained in the most expedient manner possible. I found it very helpful.” “This is a wonderful handbook, and I only wish it had been available when I left a cult and struggled through much what the author describes on my own. I hope others find this when they need it, and that they use this guide as they listen to their own inner wisdom to build and rebuild their lives outside of a cult.” Dr. Cohen also wrote The Trek Factor: Life Lessons from Star Trek (with Richard Raben), Boldly Live, and The No-Pain Resume Workbook (a humorous guide to finding a job), as well as hundreds of articles on health and lifestyle. She maintains a private coaching practice specializing in helping people to negotiate difficult transitions with ease. She lives in Kauai with her husband and two standard poodles.