Dr Janja Lalich is the Founder and Director of the Cult Research and Information Center and Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Chico. She is also co-founder of Take Back Your Life Recovery, LLC, which offers Zoom courses for survivors of cults, religious and spiritual abuse, narcissistic families and relationships, and the Troubled Teen Industry. She is world-renowned for her expertise in cults, coercion, indoctrination and extremism.

A former Fulbright scholar, Dr Lalich has conducted extensive research into cult dynamics and has written six books on the subject. These include her authoritative titles, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships and Escaping Utopia: Growing Up in a Cult, Getting Out and Starting Over, based on interviews with 68 individuals born or raised in a cult. Her books, articles and chapters also explore the role of the charismatic leader, political cults, ideology and social control, psychotherapy and self-help cults, gender and sexuality.

Dr Lalich has been a consultant to the educational, mental health, intelligence, business and legal sectors. She has appeared in multiple documentaries, TV and radio shows, including Meet the Press, NPR’s Morning Edition, To the Best of Our Knowledge and the BBC’s Thinking Allowed, and many podcasts.

Dr Lalich is a member of the American Sociological Association and the Association for the Sociology of Religion.