Inventories & Reflections

I've thought for a few days about exposing some slightly inaccurate information that John Knapp posts around the web in some of his bios.

I go back and forth...Do I? Don't I? Why would I? Doesn't Knapp have enough small fires going on in his personal life without me making another? Hardly anyone reads my stuff anyway. But once I make it public, it will be on the web. People are welcome to comment if they'd like. How will I do emotionally after I make it public? Why should I silence myself? Who am I trying to protect by doing so?

Then I thought, Am I taking inventory or is this a type of expose'?

Probably a bit of both.

Some may get the perception that I'm hounding Knapp a bit too much in some of my posts. In my opinion I've been generous by publicly revealing only tidbits of an iceberg.

One can read John's bios around the web on the Center for Healing Spiritual and Cultic Abuse, CHSCA (archived link)), Linked-in, Blogger, and quite a few other places.

The following is from my knowledge of getting to know Knapp over a couple years as his client (during which the latter part of that time our relationship was one of therapist-client-'colleague'-friend) and from online research which I thoroughly investigated after Knapp harmfully and abruptly cut off communication with me in August, 2010. The following information is current as of today's date; ie: as time goes on, Knapp may edit the information linked below.

"Worked with" or "counseled" over 2000 former members?

• John Knapp, LMSW, states in various bios that he has "worked with" or "counseled" over 2000 former cult members in the last 16 years. That is probably true, but he did not do so as a licensed mental health counselor. He did not receive his New York state LMSW license (which from my understanding must practice by law under the supervision of an LCSW) until December, 2005. So, for 11(?) of those 16 years, his counseling was that of a lay person and an ex-cult devotee.

"Founder" or co-founder?

• On various bios, John states he founded TMFree blog and the newly formed Center for Healing Spiritual and Cultic Abuse (archived link). According to one history I read regarding TMFree, it appears that John is actually more of a co-founder. And according to a private conversation I recently had with Doug Mesner who is one the CHSCA staff, John is a "co-founder" of the CHSCA. Perhaps I'm being too picky. After all, it's only semantics.

"Non-profit" or for profit?

• Knapp Family Counseling was the name of Knapp's therapy business when I hired his services from July, 2008, through June, 2010. As of March, 2011, Knapp states that he "closed" his Knapp Family Counseling (KFC) business. Yet his Knapp Family Counseling FB page states that KFC is "now the CHSCS" and that KFC is "non-profit." To my knowledge, that practice was never a non-profit. Again, just semantics?

Worked at the CHSCA for "one year" as of April, 2011?

• Huh? In a private email and conversation with me in May, 2010, John brought up the idea of a non-profit. At that time he told me that he had not shared the idea with anyone else. In August, 2010, he stated he was going to start over in putting together an organization. In December, he posted that he (with others) was working at incorporating a non-profit - at that time calling it the Center for Spiritual and Cultic Abuse. The Center for Healing Spiritual and Cultic Abuse went live online (opened?) in March, 2011. But as of April, 2011, John states on his LinkedIn profile that he has worked as executive director for the CHSCA for one year? Interesting math. Perhaps it's just semantics? Or perhaps it is a typo and John meant one month?

The Margaret Singer Foundation

• John founded the Margaret Singer Foundation in 1996. Due to conflicts, the organization folded some three months later. I'm not ridiculing its non-success; simply stating a fact. There was apparently some behind-the-scenes controversy surrounding the Foundation. I could not find that information in my online searches but learned about (at least part) of the behind-the-scenes controversy from someone personally present at the time. It was after John cut contact with me in August, 2010, that I began to learn details about the Singer Foundation; thus I've never heard John's full side of the story. John stated in June, 2008, that he regrets never making amends with Dr. Singer before her death in 2003.
  (10/03/11: Click here to read a second-hand report from 1996 about Knapp and The Singer Foundation.)

"Gratitude" for the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)?

• At various places around the web, John states his gratitude for and endorsement of the ICSA. Yet, in private, he has spoken disparagingly of the ICSA. I've read or heard him use adjectives like "abysmal failure," "in-fighting" (not that that's necessarily a bad thing), "has all sorts of problems," and that people of the ICSA ilk "have a paranoid mindset." Perhaps John was simply venting some of the times he stated things like I just listed. Again, just semantics?
• In some of our personal discussions, I had gotten the impression from John that the ICSA was not necessarily what it appears/promotes; ie: a relatively non-biased (as much as an org can be) helpful resource regarding how undue influence works. Since my and John's split, I have learned (thus far) that the ICSA is upfront and is what it appears to be - a resource (relatively unbiased) regarding undue influence.

This final bit of information I will not put in bold or bullet form as I do have some compassion toward the man: as of February 25, 2011, Knapp's marital status changed...so I imagine he will get around to updating any bios to reflect that change.

As I've stated elsewhere, we all are part of this imperfect species of humanity. I'm sure I state stuff inaccurately too. I have performed in the role of the hypocrite and perhaps still do sometimes...though I do endeavor to catch those times and to own up or at least consider it when someone points it out to me. It's not the sins or errors or mistakes or quirks or whatever one wants to call them that bother me; it's the hypocrisy of appearing differently from what one is and/or promotes.

John Knapp, LMSW, is a licensed mental health professional and has a responsibility to abide by a code of ethics promoting integrity; people look to him for trust. He is also a vocal activist in supposedly exposing hypocrisy, fraud, inhumane and harmful treatment of others, and organizations and people that (at least) appear unethical and deceptive and non-transparent.

Mirrors reflecting back to back are an interesting view - the images appear to trail into infinity.

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