A professional training course for mental health providers has sparked outrage after presenters described President Donald Trump as a “cult leader” and claimed his supporters are part of a “national-scale cult.”
The online seminar, held Aug. 7 and titled “The Impact of Donald Trump on America—A Cultic Studies Perspective,” was marketed to licensed therapists and other practitioners.
Organizers encouraged attendees to confront clients who support Trump, even suggesting that therapy sessions should include political activism.
The course immediately drew criticism from professionals who say it veered into dangerous territory.
Ethical guidelines for counselors specifically warn against pathologizing individuals on the basis of their political or religious beliefs.
By labeling millions of Americans as “cult members,” critics argue, the program crossed that line.
The training was led by Dr. Jamie Marich, a trauma specialist who uses “we/they” pronouns, along with sociologist Janja Lalich, a self-described cult expert.
Heather LS Scarsboro, CEO of Healing Selves Therapeutics, who uses “we/they” pronouns, also participated in the training and promoted incorporating overt political messaging into therapy, according to The Post Millennial.
During the session, instructors equated Trump voters with authoritarian movements and insisted the MAGA base promotes “an image of bringing the country back to a white majority and white power.”
Lalich went so far as to say, “Most days I sit around and cry,” when describing her reaction to why some trauma victims support Trump.
The discussion borrowed heavily from the 2017 book “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,” in which 37 psychiatrists and mental health professionals offered highly partisan critiques of the president.
Critics note the book was controversial precisely because its contributors blurred the line between medicine and politics.
Instructors compared Trump to dictators, including Mao Zedong and Kim Jong Un, citing his use of defamation lawsuits as proof of supposed “controlling behavior.”
They further accused his supporters of misogyny and “toxic capitalism,” linking the MAGA movement to the Christian Right and opposition to abortion.
Participants were even directed to watch left-wing documentaries such as “Reversing Roe” to reinforce those claims.
Scarsboro presented cases of patients with Dissociative Identity Disorder who reportedly favored Trump, framing their political alignment as a clinical symptom rather than a matter of personal choice.
Perhaps most controversial, the course suggested that therapists should openly display political symbols—such as pride flags or activist slogans—and use “motivational interviewing” to nudge pro-Trump clients away from their beliefs.
At the same time, the training admitted contradictions in certain therapy methods, including EMDR, when applied in politically charged contexts.
The program offered three continuing education credits for therapists.
However, the National Board of Certified Counselors has policies that forbid programs from portraying those with differing political or religious views as inherently dysfunctional.
Critics warn the course may have breached those standards.
Though instructors acknowledged that “political cults” can exist on both the left and right, their training overwhelmingly targeted Trump and his supporters.
For many observers, that imbalance confirmed that the course was less about mental health and more about political indoctrination.
The controversy has reignited debate about the role of politics in clinical practice and whether therapy should ever be used as a vehicle for activism.
The post Mental Health Therapists Taught to See Trump Supporters as ‘Cult Members’ in Controversial Training: Report appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Gloriel Howard
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