A Short Writing Course for Those Who Have Lost a Loved One to Cultic Involvement or Religious/Spiritual Abuse 

Three Tuesdays 5:30 -7:30 pm EST
October 18th and 25th and November 1st 

“Now I see that - at the time - it was harder for you, mom - to watch me go through that.” 

These are the words of someone who finally got out of an abusive, controlling spiritual group, and was able to acknowledge the agony his mother endured when he pushed away all family ties and dove deeply into teachings that he believed would ‘save’ him. For years, his mother, father, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and countless friends, teachers and concerned community members, witnessed him dismiss everything that had previously been important to him. They were confused by his sudden personality change and eventually lost touch with him. 

Have you experienced the complicated loss of someone you love being drawn into a cultic environment? Do you currently have a loved one involved in a controlling group, conspiracy or abusive church? Are there moments, words and images that linger or even haunt you around this person? Has it been difficult for you to find a safe space to express the pain, anger, helplessness and confusion of this situation? 

Writing to Reckon - for Loved Ones is designed to create a safe, confidential space to explore, through the written word, the complex emotions and experiences when someone you love loses themself to a controlling group. Novice and experienced writers alike will appreciate a carefully held container for words that might otherwise be difficult to express. 

Facilitator Gerette Buglion began her work in Cult Recovery and Education three years after she emerged from an 18 year foray in a controlling self-help group she calls an everyday cult. An Everyday Cult is also the title of her memoir, published by Rootstock Publishing in May 2021. She has been offering Writing to Reckon classes and workshops since May of 2021 but this is the first time the class has been offered specifically for family members and loved ones. This class rises out of the work she does supporting families to reckon with the anguish they go through and it’s her greatest hope that the class will offer some ease and companionship for this difficult journey. 

Maximum Group Size is 8 people. 

Cost: $120 for the course. 

Participants are expected to attend all three classes.