Lorna Goldberg

Lorna Goldberg is a social worker, certified psychoanalyst, psychotherapist and researcher of cults.

Lorna works full time in a private practice as a therapist. Her focus is on children, adolescents and adults who have had exposure to cultic groups. This includes individuals who entered cults in late adolescence or early adulthood, children and adults who have grown up in cultic groups as well as family members of individuals who are currently still in cults.

Goldberg was the Co-Director of the Child and Adolescent Program of The New Jersey Institute, a two-year postgraduate training program for mental health professionals, from 1991 to 1999. She served as Director until June 2004. She also served on the faculty in the five-year post-graduate training program for psychoanalytic certification.

Presently, Lorna serves as Dean of Faculty at the Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies, Inc. There, she teaches and supervises mental health professionals in child and adult psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

With her husband Bill Goldberg, Lorna has co-led a support group for ex-cult members for over 25 years.

In 1999, Bill and Lorna Golberg received the Leo J. Ryan Award, from the Leo J. Ryan Education Foundation.

Together, they wrote the article: "Group work with former cultists", which was published in Social Work (journal). This article has been cited by other academicians in scholarly journals, including: Louis Jolyon West, , Doni P. Whitsett, Michael Langone, and John Gordon Clark,, Irene Gasde, and Richard A. Block, Ph.D., a report prepared for Boston University’s Danielsen Institute, Kevin A. Harris.

Education

  • Certified psychoanalyst, New Jersey Institute for Training in Psychoanalysis, 1984
  • Licensed clinical social worker, New York, New Jersey
  • M.S.W., 1970, New York University
  • B.A., 1968, New York University

Professional associations

  • Member, Board of Directors, International Cultic Studies Association, (from 2003 - )
  • Member, Academy of Certified Social Workers

Awards, honors

  • "Hall of Fame Award", (OLD) Cult Awareness Network
  • Leo J. Ryan Award, 1999

Publications

Books

Articles

With Bill Goldberg

Presentations

  • Children and Cults, AFF Annual Conference, May 29 - May 31, 1998, Philadelphia, PA
  • "Welcome and Introduction of conference theme", Psychological Manipulation: The Abuse of Women Conference Chair; Symposium - Treatment and Cults: What Works with Whom; Spouses in Cults; Families with Multi-Year Involvement, AFF Annual Conference: Psychological Manipulation: The Abuse of Women, May 1997, Philadelphia, PA

See also

  • List of cult and new religious movement researchers
  • Arthur A. Dole, Ph.D.