Patrick Ryan and Joseph Kelly are passionate public servants. They are experts in bringing people back to freedom in the face of the psychological deceptions used by cults. Their singular mission grew out of their lived experiences. To this end, they started a separate consulting practice that makes their playbook available for an initial assessment fee of $2,500 and an hourly consulting rate of $250. They’re not only an advisory board. They go through their entire family life to understand what fed into their cult vulnerability.
Ryan and Kelly live and work together out of a light-filled, open home they share with their dog and pet parakeet. Their tight personal bond inspires their creative collaboration. Together, they employ a multi-faceted strategy to help their clients overcome the emotional and psychological traumas associated with leaving a cult. During their visits, the duo performs hands-on assessments ranging from single days to a full workweek. The time varies based on the difficulty of the case.
Kelly’s personal journey into the world of cults started after her exit from TM. She suffered abusive esoteric rituals in the sect, including 40 to 60 enemas a day. This shocking ordeal highlights just how far some organizations will stop at nothing to silence and intimidate their own members. Ryan, who was formerly in TM himself, knows the coercive tricks that can trap people better than anybody. To this day he remembers how they were always being watched and convincing them that they had the power to do weird amazing things, like levitate.
Their unique methodology starts with living life as their clients. Similar to marionettists, for decades they’ve pulled strings to expose the intricacies of cult involvement. Ryan and Kelly highlight the need for patience in their line of work. Their objective is to explore the “gatekeepers” to a cult—the key components that keep the members confined.
At times, their intervention has been nothing short of the theatrical. They have assisted individuals in high-stakes situations, including one instance where a client was held at gunpoint by cult members. Yet through working directly with government agencies they have had to fantastic, formative experiences. They are leery of releasing evidence of these collaborations.
A huge piece of their work is sorting through family relations. In reality, these dynamics frequently render individuals susceptible to cult influences. Ryan articulates this sentiment succinctly: “You have to find 50 things that you could agree with the person on.” This collaborative approach builds relationship and trust, necessary ingredients in guiding clients away from the dangerous quicksand that is an abusive cult.
Dr. Janja Lalich, a professor emerita of sociology and an expert in cultic studies, has collaborated with Ryan and Kelly on various cases. Her intelligence and experience bring an academic edge to their artistic, activist practice. She acknowledges the intricate emotions involved in cult involvement, noting, “The only way [some questions] can be answered, in my mind, is by a feeling. And that feeling is so easily manipulated.”
Despite their extensive experience, Ryan and Kelly urge clients to refrain from engaging with the media during their recovery process. This vital safeguard allows survivors to prioritize their healing free from outside pressures or distractions.
Ryan and Sarah discuss the larger impact of being in a cult, noting that while we’re focused on this group, ten million people aren’t in a cult. This claim highlights their faith in the grit and independence of those potentially doomed souls. He further emphasizes the importance of empathy in their work: “If you look at this piece of art and say, ‘That’s really ugly,’ then we’re going to start off … not on the right page, right?”
Their primary goal is to assist people in exiting cults. Simultaneously trying to create a greater appreciation for what initially attracted those folks to come in the first place. Ryan explains, “The person who gives you that experience will own you.” Together, this view of ownership and manipulation drives their mission to empower clients. Together, they empower people to take back their independence and freedom.