Christophe Nowakowski, MD, is a psychiatrist in private practice working in
clinical medico-legal evaluations and testimony in front of the courts. One
category of clients that he works with extensively is people who have been
psychologically affected by cults, particularly the second generation. This
work is part of a more general interest in the stress spectrum disorders,
including posttraumatic stress disorder, the dissociative disorders, and the
effect of traumatic experiences early in life. Dr. Nowakowski works in
Montreal and collaborates with Info-Cult.  His direct clinical work with
this clientele, as well as the necessity of explaining what is happening or
has happened to them in court, put him in a situation to explore and explain
the various theoretical models used to understand the process of undue
influence and the clinical consequences of this process. In this context he
has pondered the central phenomenon of beliefs in the life of those who are
influenced by cults, as well as on methods to help the client re-examine
them from a different perspective in psychotherapy.