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MY STORY

A fight against a 'hidden menace.'

For three years I worked for and attended the meetings of a Bible-based charismatic cult.  Many felt that the leader displayed characteristics associated with a Narcissistic personality and the group used unethical methods of control and manipulation to keep people entrapped and financially exploit them.  The group did me a serious amount of psychological damage and left me unemployed and isolated.

 

Following this experience, I felt I couldn't pick up with a new life, ignore what had happened and 'move on,' something which was regularly advised.  I needed to do something to raise awareness of coercive control and help people recover from its devastation and committed to make this a focus in my life.

 

Following my counselling training, I trained as a teacher, specialising in teaching counselling and mental health awareness, and then completed a masters degree in the psychology of coercive controlling behaviour at the University of Salford. 

'To think again,' is my private practice counselling service and the fruit of those decisions.

 

Richard Turner

FdSc, MSc, MBACP, MSET

25-03-2019

Media articles and appearances

 Sheffield Tribune article (August 2023)

'Controlled, manipulated, coerced and even threatened’: A Sheffield church faces its dark past

BBC World Service; Heart and Soul (November 2022)

'Me, My Autism and Cults'

The Post news article (September 2022)

'When a Church Takes Control of Your Life'

BBC Radio 5 Live podcast (June 2022)

'Different' series with Nicky Campbell'

The University of Salford: School of Health and Society news (March 2022)

'University of Salford Graduate Appointed as a Consultant for a New ITV Project'

Discovery Plus documentary (March 2022)

'Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed'

'Yahoo news (also featured in 'The Metro' and other news distributers, October 2021)

'Man who broke free from “hipster Christian cult” becomes one of UK’s only ‘exit counsellors’ working with families of victims and fellow survivors'

'Wobbling about and rocking out!' interview (July 2021)

'Audio: Richard James Turner on using Minecraft in counselling, Autism, Cults and more'

Discussion with ex-scientologist Jon Atack (Feb 2021)

'Cult Recruitment and the Autism Spectrum'

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP): 'Therapy Today' Magazine (May 2020)

'Turning point'

Talk beliefs interview (April 2020)

'The Pentecostal Pyramid Scheme'

Talk beliefs interview (Feb 2020)

'Modern church, modern slavery'

The University of Salford: Business school news (Jan 2020)

'Cult survivor aims to help others with new business'

National Autistic Society: Your Autism (Winter 2019)

'My cult experience and autism diagnosis'

National Autistic Society: The Spectrum (October 2019)

'Autism and my experience in a cult'

Linked in article (October 2019)

'Autism and cults'

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