Joseph F. Kelly, a graduate of Temple University (focus in religion), has been a cult intervention specialist (thought reform consultant/exit counselor,mediator) since 1989. He spent 14 years in two different eastern meditation groups (TM, International Society of Divine Love). He is a co-author of “Ethical Standards for Thought Reform Consultants,” published in ICSA’s Cultic Studies Journal, contributed a chapter to Captive Hearts, Captive Minds. He was (2010-2014) the News Desk Editor of ICSA Today.
Mr. Kelly has also facilitated ICSA workshops for ex-members and families (1996-2018) and has lectured extensively on cult-related topics:
Some of the topics:
Mr. Kelly has also facilitated ICSA workshops for ex-members and families (1996-2018) and has lectured extensively on cult-related topics:
Some of the topics:
- Inner Experience and Conversion
- After the Cult "Coping with Trance States; Hypnosis and Trance"
- Coping with Triggers
- Mental-Health Issues in Cult-Related Interventions
- Leaving and Recovering from Cultic Groups and Relationships
- Communicating with Cult Members
- Restoring Family Connections
- Helping Families Address a Loved One’s Group Involvement
- Among the issues discussed are:
- The ethics of an intervention
- Assessing a family situation
- Determining whether an intervention is appropriate
- Family preparation
- The phases and dynamics of an intervention
- Alternatives to interventions
- Issues confronted after an intervention
- Workshop for Loved Ones: "How to Help a Loved One Affected by a Cult"
- What Can Families Do? Family members concerned about a loved one‘s cult involvement or its aftereffects need to learn how to assess their situations more effectively and how to evaluate strategic options.
- A Mediation Approach to Exit Counseling
- From Deprogramming to Thought Reform Consultation
- Can Cultic Groups Change? The Case of ISKCON
- Evolution and Variation Within a Movement: The Case of ISKCON
- Jehovah’s Witnesses, Former Members and Families
- "Cultic Group Intervention: Exploring internal experiences in Yoga, Qigong and Transcendental Meditation"
- Inside Out — One Group, One Fugitive Swami: Three Different Experiences
- 1999, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
- 2004, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)
- 2005, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, (Spain)
- 2007, University Club, Brussels, (Belgium)
- 2008, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- 2009, Geneva, Switzerland
- 2010, Istituto Madonna del Carmine “Il Carmelo”, Via Doganale 1 Ciampino, Roma, (Italy)
- 2011, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, (Spain)
- 2012, Montreal, Canada
- 2013, London School of Economics
- 2014 University of Southern California
- 2015, Stockholm, Sweden
- 2015, Beijing Union University, Beijing, China
- 2017, Bordeaux France
