When the Family Becomes the Cult: Cult Dynamics in Black Family Systems
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Cult Awareness Month has concluded but the Cult Awareness Series continues.....
What happens when your first experience with cultic or high-control dynamics isn't a church or organization—but your own family?
For some Black survivors, these patterns began at home with authoritarian, narcissistic, abusive, or highly controlling caregivers who demanded obedience, discouraged questioning, controlled identity and choices, or used religion and spirituality to justify harmful behavior.
During this support group, we'll explore cult dynamics that can occur within Black family systems, including:
- Authoritarian and controlling caregivers
- Religious and spiritual indoctrination
- Narcissistic and abusive family dynamics
- Fear, shame, punishment, and obedience
- Family secrecy and protecting the family's image
- Suppression of individuality and autonomy
- Spiritual abuse and parental authority
- The impact these experiences can have in adulthood
This isn't about blaming survivors. It's about understanding how our earliest experiences can shape what we learn about love, authority, loyalty, belonging, obedience, and safety.
Join us for a compassionate, survivor-centered conversation about experiences that are often overlooked within discussions of cults and Black religious trauma.
*This support group is exclusively for Black survivors of religious trauma, spiritual abuse, cults, and high-control religious or spiritual environments.
With Care,
Nikki G.
Black Religious Trauma Recovery Network