top of page
Learn About Cults & Cult Recovery
How To “Deprogram” A Cult Member
The goal of cult deprogramming, or modern-day cult intervention, is to help find a consensual way to counteract coercive patterns of thought
Ashlen Hilliard
Mar 316 min read
Growing Up In A Cult (+4 Challenges to Recovery)
Learn about growing up in a cult, plus unique challenges that these former members face in adulthood and beyond.
Ryan Hilliard
Aug 30, 20238 min read
Why Do People Leave Cults?
It might seem obvious why people leave cults - but the reasons may still surprise you.
Ryan Hilliard
Jul 25, 20237 min read
Why Do People Stay In Cults? Here Are 9 Reasons
This article discusses 9 reasons why people stay in cults - despite the warning signs, mistreatment, or cognitive dissonance.
Ryan Hilliard
Jul 1, 202313 min read
Signs And Symbols of Cultism
Humans have a long history with symbols. Ever since someone decided to draw on the wall of a cave, we've been attributing and exploring...
Ryan Hilliard
Jun 28, 20238 min read
How To Unbrainwash Yourself (Combatting Cult Mind Control)
If you suspect that your mind is not your own, what do you do? It's a jarring question - one that many never have to face. But if you do...
Ryan Hilliard
Jun 13, 20238 min read
Anti-LGBTQ Rhetoric - The Hypocrisy of Queer Cult Panic
Prior to reading, please be aware of the following content warnings: mention of grooming, pedophilia, themes relating to religious...
Ashlen Hilliard
Jun 9, 20239 min read
Understanding A Cult Leader
Learn about the characteristics, tactics, and history of cult leaders.
Ashlen Hilliard
May 24, 20236 min read
How To Spot A Cult
If you stop at a busy street corner and do some people watching, do you think you could pick out any cult members that walk by? Maybe...
Ryan Hilliard
May 17, 20235 min read
Are Cults Illegal?
Religious cults are legal in the United States, but this may not be true worldwide. Like many cult-related topics, it's complicated.
Ryan Hilliard
May 9, 20235 min read
Statistics On Cults
What do we really know about these groups? Unfortunately, not much. Before we dive into the numbers we do ( kind of ) know, let's get you...
Ryan Hilliard
Apr 24, 20235 min read
Why Do People Join Cults?
People join cults for a number of reasons - and many aren't what you think! This post covers 10 reasons and shares our thoughts
Ryan Hilliard
Apr 10, 20238 min read
5 Steps to Help Your Cult-Involved Loved One
A 5-step guide to help someone leave a cult. If your loved one is cult-involved, read this before you do anything!
Ashlen Hilliard
Feb 22, 20235 min read
How To Leave A Cult
A compassionate guide designed to help cult members understand their situation and know how to leave a cult.
Ryan Hilliard
Feb 3, 202314 min read
Let’s Talk About Accessibility and Cult Recovery.
Special Thanks to Todd Heckathorne for their assistance in researching, editing, and contributing to this post. In an interview that came...
Ashlen Hilliard
Jan 11, 20235 min read
Cult Deprogramming
Cult deprogramming has a troubled history and modern twists. Learn about the history of the practice in this post.
Ashlen Hilliard
Jan 2, 20236 min read
The Importance of Psychoeducation for Survivors of a Coercive Environment
Over the past few years working in the cult recovery field, I've worked with survivors at varying stages of their recovery journey. Some...
Ashlen Hilliard
Dec 20, 20224 min read
Services from People Leave Cults
People Leave Cults offers a variety of services to help both cult survivors and the families/friends of cult-involved people.
We invite you to explore whichever offering fits your needs at the links below.
bottom of page