passing on some exer events...

From: AFF
Date: Saturday, March 29, 2003 14:08:00
To:
Subject: AFF Cult Conference


To :

I would appreciate your letting people know about our upcoming conferences in Southern California in June and Connecticut in October, as well as our weekend ex-member workshop in Estes Park, Colorado in July. I also hope that you will be able to attend at least one of the events.

AFF conferences are unique in that they bring together researchers, helping professionals, clergy, attorneys, exit counselors, and families and former group members. Our conferences have usually had 200 – 270 attendees. Hence, attendees, in addition to learning much about the cult phenomenon, have an opportunity to meet and converse with a wide variety of people who share their interests. We schedule long breaks and have evening socials at the end of each day in order to facilitate such conversations.

AFF conferences typically run three sessions simultaneously, except for a few plenary talks. This means that attendees have a wide variety of programs from which to choose. Whenever possible we try to videotape sessions, so if you are attracted to two sessions at the same time, you can usually purchase the video of one of them.

Usually one-third to one-half of participants have attended prior AFF conferences. Their repeat attendance is perhaps the best indicator of the conferences’ quality. Attendees reflect the international impact of the cult phenomenon. Typically, about 20% are from outside the United States.

In our next conference (Southern California, June 13-14, 2003):

Psychologist Dr. David Foy of Pepperdine University, an authority on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Vietnam veterans, will give a plenary talk on trauma research and cults.
A team of Southern California therapists (Rachel Bernstein, MS.Ed., M.F.T., Mary Jo Cysewski, M.A., M.F.T., Jonibeth Whitney, Ph.D., and Doni Whitsett, Ph.D., L.C.S.W.) with experience in this area will discuss clinical assessment and treatment issues.
Experienced exit counselors (David Clark and Pat Ryan and Joe Kelly) will discuss two illustrative cases on which they have worked.
Noted authorities Dr. Ronald Enroth, Dr. Jorge Erdely, and Rev. Dr. Harold Bussell will discuss aspects of spiritual abuse.
Attorney Lawrence Levy will discuss lawsuits won, lost, and turned away in order to shed light on the many complex factors former group members must consider before deciding to file a suit.
Dr. Janja Lalich, co-author of Cults in Our Midst and Assistant Professor of Sociology at California State University Chico, will moderate sessions involving eight papers on gender issues and cults and two papers on new theoretical approaches to cult involvement.
Dr. Stephen Kent of the University of Alberta will talk about the generational revolt of the adult children of the first generation members of the Children of God/The Family.
These are only a sample of the many interesting sessions that will be presented at this conference. For a complete list go to the California events page at AFF’s online bookstore (here is the url, in case the hyperlink does not work for you):

http://cultinfobooks.com/infoserv_events/2003/aff_conference_2003_06ca_events.htm#Conference%20Events

The top of the events page includes hyperlinks to other pages that provide information on the facility, presenters, fees, CE credits, and registration methods.

Hyperlinks to information on all three of AFF’s 2003 events (California June conference, Colorado July ex-member workshop, and Connecticut October conference) can be found on this page of AFF’s online bookstore (here is the url in case the hyperlink does not work for you):

http://cultinfobooks.com/infoserv_events/idx_affevents.htm

You will be pleased to learn that the costs at the Chapman University Conference Center are among the lowest of any AFF conference. Your registration fee includes three meals for each day that you sign up for. For those staying at the conference center, single rooms are $50/night and double rooms are $35/night/person. All rooms have private baths.

We hope to see you there. It will be a great conference!

Regards,



Michael D. Langone, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Editor, Cultic Studies Review



AFF (American Family Foundation)

P.O. Box 2265

Bonita Springs, FL 34133

Phone: 239-514-3081 (new area code)

fax: 732-352-6818

E-mail:



Web site: www.culticstudies.org (also, www.csj.org)

Subscribe to our Internet journal: www.culticstudiesreview.org

Online copies of our free newsletter, AFF News Briefs: http://cultinfobooks.com/pub_affnb/idx_affnb.htm

Bookstore: www.cultinfobooks.com - Subscribe to our Cultic Studies Review to keep abreast of developments in this field.

Conferences and Workshop



Southern California (June 13-14) http://www.cultinfobooks.com/infoserv_events/2003/aff_conference_2003_06ca_events.htm

Ex-member Workshop at Estes Park, Colorado (July 11-13) http://www.cultinfobooks.com/infoserv_events/2003/aff_workshop_2003_07co_events.htm

Hartford, Connecticut (October 17-18) http://www.cultinfobooks.com/infoserv_events/2003/aff_conference_2003_10ct_events.htm')