Sources
After draws on the published work of the following researchers and clinicians
Listing someone here is a citation of their published work, not a claim that they created, reviewed, endorse, or are affiliated with After.
We do not have an opinion on any specific group; we focus on recovery, education, understanding and healing.
Dr. Gillie Jenkinson
Post‑cult counselling; the four‑phase model of recovery.
Dr. Margaret Singer
Six conditions of thought reform.
Rachel Bernstein, MFT
Therapist, host of IndoctriNation, and communication strategies for families and former members.
Dr. Janja Lalich
Bounded choice; the four dimensions of the self‑sealing system.
Dr. Robert Jay Lifton
Eight criteria of thought reform.
Dr. Albert Biderman
Chart of Coercion — the mechanics of control.
Dr. Steven Hassan
BITE model of authoritarian control.
Flo Conway & Dr. Jim Siegelman
Snapping; the epistemological shock of sudden change.
Dr. Erin Falconer
Dissociation, cult control, and the neuroscience of coercive influence — integrating fragmented self-states and recovering the nervous system.
Dr. Linda & Dr. Rod Dubrow-Marshall
Cultic abuse, psychotherapy, and recovery.
Dr. Steve Eichel
Destructive cults and the psychology of undue influence.
Dr. Yuval Laor
Awe, fervor, and the emotional machinery of belief.
Dr. John Hunter
The SEEKING model — why people join and how they leave.
Pat Ryan & Joe Kelly
Cult Mediation 101; family intervention and dialogue.
Dr. Michael Langone
Recovery from Cults; the clinical foundation of ICSA.
Dr. Benjamin Zablocki
Exit costs and the sociology of charismatic groups.
Dr. Marc Galanter
Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion.
Dr. Louis Jolyon West
Early clinical work on coercive persuasion and DDD.
Dr. Kathleen Taylor
Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control.
Jon Atack
Opening Minds; techniques of undue influence.
Amanda Montell
Cultish; the language of fanaticism.
Diane Benscoter
How cults rewire the brain — 'viral memes.'
Dr. William & Dr. Lorna Goldberg
The long-running post-cult support group model.
Daniel Shaw
Traumatic narcissism and the relational system of cultic abuse.
Dr. Alexandra Stein
Terror, Love and Brainwashing; attachment in totalist groups.
Dr. Evan Stark
Coercive control — liberty and entrapment beyond physical violence.
Rick Alan Ross
Cult intervention, education, and recovery support.
Dr. Philip Zimbardo
Mind control, shyness, and the social psychology of influence.
Dr. Ronald Enroth
Sociology of new religions and cultic abuse.
Dr. James Richardson
Sociology of new religious movements and the law.
Dr. Stephen Kent
New religious movements, coercion, and totalistic groups.
Dr. Cathleen Mann
Clinical intervention and recovery from cultic groups.
Dr. Doni Whitsett
The Therapist's Guide to Cults; training clinicians to work with former members.
Dr. Colin Ross
Dissociation, trauma, and the trauma model.
Dr. Richard Kluft
Dissociative disorders and trauma treatment.
Dr. Elizabeth Howell
Dissociation, relational trauma, and parts work.
Anke Richter
Investigative journalism on cults and coercive groups.
Dr. Judith Herman
Trauma and Recovery; the three-phase model of complex-trauma treatment.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
The Body Keeps the Score; somatic and neurobiological trauma.
Dr. Stephen Porges
Polyvagal theory; the neurobiology of safety, threat, and social engagement.
Dr. Jennifer Freyd
Betrayal trauma theory and DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender).
Dr. Ramani Durvasula
Narcissistic abuse and recovery from relational coercion.
Pete Walker
Complex PTSD; the four Fs (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) and emotional flashbacks.
Dr. Lisa Aronson Fontes
Invisible Chains; coercive control in intimate relationships.
Organizations, directories, and referral resources have moved to the Directory.