Take Back Your Life is a must-read for everyone who wants to understand the powerful appeal that cults have for so many ordinary people, using so many disguises, with so many subtle tactics. This book's wisdom is vital for us all.
-Philip G. Zimbardo, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Stanford University
Take Back Your Life is a book I have continuously and highly recommended to my clients since it was first published. As a therapist who has worked for over thirty years with those who have endured manipulation, coercion and emotional abuse, this book is a wealth of information and highlights specific scenarios that are both incredibly powerful and profoundly relatable to this population. Dr. Janja Lalich is a gifted writer who writes with wisdom, experience and compassion.
-Rachel Bernstein, LMFT, MSEd, Host of IndoctriNation Podcast
For many years there has been no book I have recommended more to the many cult survivors I have spoken with than the original version of Take Back Your Life. I am thrilled that Dr. Lalich has given us a newly updated version of this brilliant, indispensable volume. Until now there has been no single book more comprehensive, more insightful and more helpful for those recovering from cult trauma than this-and now it is even better than before. Given the dramatic rise in cults and cult-like groups I've seen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this new edition could not be more needed, more timely and more welcome.
-Daniel Shaw, Psychoanalyst and Author of Traumatic Narcissism: Relational Systems of Subjugation
This book has been the most important resource in my healing journey. It puts language to how abuses of power can corrupt any group and how to recover once you are able to extract yourself. It's the first thing I recommend to fellow cult or abuse survivors.
-Sarah Edmondson, Author of Scarred: The Cult That Bound My Life, Podcaster, A Little Bit Culty
Take Back Your Life is an invaluable resource and steadfast companion for those embarking on the healing journey after experiencing cultic abuse. It expertly details the dynamics inherent in controlling environments, thereby supporting the reader in gaining perspective while inspiring them to do as the title recommends: reclaim the life that got tangled in coercive manipulation. The focus on the healing process makes it an indispensable guidebook, providing survivors with the tools to rebuild their lives on their own terms. Through the practical wisdom of personal experience and decades in the field, Lalich provides an unparalleled, no-nonsense guide for survivors. Take Back Your Life is a must read for those whose lives have been harmed by cultic, religious, or institutional abuse.
-Gerette Buglion, Author, Cult Recovery Educator and Consultant, Co-Founder of #igotout.org
