Appointments

Prior to Cut Counselling agreeing to take on any case you will need to make available certain material for our perusal and consideration. For example:

A general introductory summary of the situation will be required. The summary should outline the background of the case, some details about the individual/s involved as well as any knowledge of the group concerned. You will also be required to complete a form that you will be given.

Once this has been received the matter will be reviewed by a qualified staff member of Cult Counselling Australia in order to determine where the case falls within our guidelines for assistances. At this stage there is no fee applicable.

If at this time we consider that the case does meet our criteria you will be contacted and offered a thirty minute phone discussion. The discussion enables the counsellor to gain a better understanding of situation and to further determine the appropriateness of the case for Cult Counselling Australia.

We cannot proceed beyond this point without a face to face conference with the concerned family or their appointed representative. While Cult Counselling Australia recognises this may be a difficult and potentially costly step, it is a necessary part of any attempt to assist the subject of concern.

The parameters and the agenda of the conference are forwarded to the family well in advance, as is a schedule of costs. It is of the utmost importance that the family is able to utilize this opportunity to the fullest. Details of the issues generally covered in the conference can be found in Cults Too Good To Be True by Raphael Aron.

The choice of venue depends on various factors including issues of confidentiality as well as the number of people involved. It may be economical for a Cult Counselling Australia counsellor to travel to meet the entire family rather than have them all travel to our offices which are located in Melbourne, Australia. In some cases the family may choose to be represented by one member of the family or by a third party. At times this may not be practical.

If the family is seeking an intervention in order to extricate someone from a cult, they should consider the time factor involved in this process. Generally, the family requires between three and six months from initial contact until a plan can be implemented. Sometimes, for various reason it can take longer depending on individual circumstances, ease of locality and situations.

Before we can commit to an intervention there are a number of issues that must be undergone in the first instance.

• The location of the person in the cult must be accessible
• The family must be fully committed to what may be a long and difficult process
• They must familiarise themselves with knowledge about the cult, mind control and the process of thought reform
• Accept that the intervention is only the first step and substantial follow-up will be required
• Accept and fully understand that the success rate for this work is limited; there are no guarantees that they will fully achieve their desired outcome immediately.
• Are fully able to finance the intervention and follow-up process.

Unless the answers to all these question are yes we recommend that you do not proceed with an intervention.

It should be noted that the issues involved in all matters are dealt with on two completely separate levels. Therapeutic issues are handled by Cult Counselling Australia counselling staff and financial issues are handled by the administration of Cult Counselling Australia. It is important to note that Cult Counselling staff are all salaried and make no personal gain whatsoever from cult-related work.

Fees

Although Cult Counselling Australia is a non for profit organisation there are fees charged for services. These fees are considered an important part of the contract between the counsellor and the client. They are included in our budget and form an essential component of the financial structure. Employers of Cult Counselling Australia are salaried and therefore have no personal gains or incentives from fees charged. Cult Counselling does not received any funding from Government.

All professional appoints, assessments and orientation meeting are costed on an hourly basis. Further fees are chargeable for reading of documents, books manuscripts, legal document and all other material pertaining to the case as is the writing and composing of reports and any research needed. All fees will be discussed with you prior to us undertaking any case.

All research remains the property of Cult Counselling Australia and we are not obliged to divulge either the contents or sources of any information obtained.

Fees are payable on the day of the appointment except in the case of interstate or overseas cases where fees are payable in advance.

Interstate and overseas appointments

Cult Counselling Australia arranges all travel for our staff. All airline tickets are booked at the most economical available at the time. Overnight appointments incur accommodation and other related expenses. Counsellors are not permitted to accept accommodation in private homes. Out of pocket expenses for travel to and from airports, car hire, meals etc are payable.