Get help
Whether you’re currently in a coercive relationship or group, recently out, or worried about someone you love, this page is a starting point — not the only step, and not one you have to take alone.
Crisis & hotline support
These lines are staffed 24/7 by trained advocates and are free and confidential. Outside the U.S.? Find A Helpline covers 175+ countries — see below.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233Support, safety planning, and referrals for anyone experiencing coercive control, in a relationship or a group. Text START to 88788, or chat online.
Visit thehotline.org →National Human Trafficking Hotline
1-888-373-7888For situations involving forced labor, exploitation, or trafficking — dynamics that can overlap with cult involvement. Text 233733 (BeFree).
Visit humantraffickinghotline.org →Find A Helpline
A vetted directory of crisis and support helplines in 175+ countries. If you’re outside the U.S., this is the fastest way to find a verified local line.
Visit findahelpline.com →If it’s not you, but someone you care about
Watching a family member or friend go through this is its own kind of hard. A few things the research this site draws on consistently points to:
Lead with curiosity, not confrontation
Direct attacks on the group or relationship tend to be heard as attacks on the person, and often push them closer to it rather than away. Ask questions; avoid ultimatums.
Stay reachable, even if contact feels one-sided
Low-conflict, non-judgmental contact — even brief and infrequent — keeps a door open that may matter more later than it seems to right now.
Take care of your own support too
Supporting a loved one through this is exhausting, and you don’t have to carry it alone. Many organizations that work on cult recovery support the families and friends around a member, not only the person involved — reaching out for your own support is a reasonable step, not a selfish one.
Read the pattern, not just the moment
This site’s weekly content and myths & facts page walk through how these dynamics actually build over time — useful context for understanding what you’re seeing.
Cult-specific recovery resources
Organizations focused specifically on cult involvement, coercive control, and recovery — not only crisis response — spanning the U.S., UK, Australia, and Canada.
The Freedom Train Project
ICAM’s parent organization, providing year-round education and victim services for survivors of cults and coercive control.
Visit The Freedom Train Project →International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)
A nonprofit network of survivors, families, and researchers offering referrals, educational resources, and an annual conference on cultic groups and recovery.
Visit ICSA →The Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion
Founded by Dr. Janja Lalich — author of Bounded Choice and a researcher cited throughout this campaign — offering learning resources, workshops, and discussion groups for survivors, families, and professionals.
Visit the Lalich Center →Freedom of Mind Resource Center
Founded by former cult member and licensed counselor Steven Hassan, offering coaching and consulting specifically for undue influence and cult involvement, worldwide.
Visit freedomofmind.com →The Family Survival Trust
A UK charity focused on coercive control, cultic behavior, and psychological manipulation, running monthly support groups for survivors and affected family members.
Visit The Family Survival Trust →Olive Leaf Network
A survivor-led organization supporting people leaving high-demand religious groups and spiritually abusive communities, with peer support for leavers and their families.
Visit Olive Leaf Network →Info-Secte / Info-Cult
Founded in 1980, Canada’s only dedicated resource center on cults — offering information, referrals, and support groups for former members and worried families.
Visit Info-Secte →This site’s weekly content
Psychological manipulation, isolation, financial exploitation, and family separation — the four-week arc behind this campaign.
Start with the campaign →Know an organization that should be listed here? Contact us with their information and we’ll take a look.
Believed, not judged
Everything on this site is written on the premise that survivors are telling the truth about what happened to them.
See the myths & factsWant to help others
Contribute content, advocate for policy change, or volunteer with ICAM year-round.
See how to get involved