Conference – Montreal, 2012: Abstract of Pre-conference event: Overview and preparation for the conference: former members

Carol Giambalvo, Joseph Kelly

Overview and preparation for the conference: former members

The opening session of the conference for former members is an opportunity for former members to meet and be able to identify with other former members, orienting them for the conference and informing them of the special sessions “for former members only,” preparing them for possible triggers that may occur, and discussing the importance of critical thinking to recovery and attendance at the conference. We briefly discuss triggers, and the possibility of triggers occurring when we are learning about and discussing cultic experience. Triggers are not something to be afraid of. They actually can be helpful, pointing out areas of our vulnerability—this is a safe place for them to occur. A special session on triggers is offered as the first session during the conference.

After introducing the presenters, we inform the attendees about what can be expected when the conference begins. The following information is presented:

ICSA conferences are open to all.

There may be speakers and sessions where information is presented that you disagree with or are in direct opposition to; please use your critical-thinking skills. Also remember that ICSA has provided a safe place where you can disagree and you can be heard.
We have a team of people you can talk to—feel free to pull them aside and tell them you need to talk. They are identified as “Assistance Team” on their name tag.

Attendees are asked to share their names, the groups they were in, how long they were out of the group, and their expectations for the conference. Anyone who does not wish to introduce themselves can just “pass.”
An overview of the recovery process is presented, with an open invitation for comment or questions.
The following conference sessions are open to former members only:

· Coping with Triggers
· After the Cult: Who Am I?
· Session for Those Born/Raised in Groups (Second-Generation Adults)
· Critical Thinking
· Boundaries
· Wrap Up

All other conference sessions are open to former members except where noted on the schedule.


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More Information

ICSA is proud to welcome STARTING OUT IN MAINSTREAM AMERICA

By Livia Bardin, an online resource for people who have left cults, their families and friends, and professionals working to help them.

Online at http://startingout.icsa.name/.

Starting Out is a compendium of information ranging from practical needs like how to get a photo ID or a copy of a high school diploma, to cultural catch-up, like types of popular music or quotations from classic movies, to concepts like relationships with others. There are detailed sections on basics like health, education, careers, and money management, as well as consumer tips on subjects from housing to selecting a doctor or counselor.

Sections on "Parenting After the Cult" and "Teenagers on Their Own," focus on the needs of younger people who have left cults. Though oriented to those living in the U.S., Starting Out contains much that will be useful to people in all countries.

Author Livia Bardin, M.S.W., is a social worker who has specialized in
research on cults and the experiences of cult victims. Her book,
Coping with Cult Involvement, focuses on families with loved ones in
cults. Her research on the experiences of children in cults has been
published in in the Cultic Studies Review and the Journal of Public
Child Welfare.

Available online only, Starting Out is accessible to anyone and sections are downloadable free of charge. Users are prohibited from selling or charging for information downloaded from the site.

We invite you to browse http://startingout.icsa.name/ and let us know what you think. Just click on the "Feedback" link to tell us about it!