The non-profit facility is located in Albany and also treats victims of abusive relationships and sexual assault survivors. Wellspring hopes to restore clients to the normal lives they led before involvement in cults or abusive relationships, said Ron Burks, a counselor at Wellspring.
"No de-programming is done," Burks said. "People come to Wellspring voluntarily. We don't get the person out of the group. We help people who have left cults - to help them get free from the effects of the group or abusive relationship."
There are striking similarities among victims of cult brainwashing, abusive relationships and many instances of date rape.
"Brainwashing is accomplished by controlling communication," Burks said. "If they can control the way we talk about experiences, they control the way we think about them. That's why it's so insidious."
Cults are characterized by deceptive, perverted teachings of the Bible, Talmud or other sacred books.
"One thing that distinguishes how cults and abusers do what they do is a belief that the end justifies the means. Recruits are indoctrinated to believe things they wouldn't believe otherwise without informed consent," Burks said.
Contrary to popular opinion, not all cults are religious in nature. Some are environmental groups or traveling businesses that use deceptive recruiting techniques.
Cults particularly target college campuses because many freshmen are vulnerable because of emotional immaturity and are on their own for the first time. Others join cults to fill a void in their lives and a need to belong.
Low self-esteem or insecurity are not necessarily involved in joining pseudo-religious groups, with the exception of satanic cults.
However, psychiatric disorders such as depression, dissociation, anxiety and cognitive impairment (difficulty concentrating) can result from cult involvement, according to the Wellspring Messenger, a newsletter at the center.
"The most significant aspect of the program occurs when victims realize that their reactions were normal to a sick environment," said Larry Pile, who serves as a community liaison and research specialist at Wellspring. "The unexpected behavior from the way they were treated is often a defense to maintain sanity."
Most of the people treated over the past ten years have maintained recovery and have not returned to the cults. Burks recommends engaging a support group or chat group on the Internet once treatment is finished.
Cult involvement can be avoided by checking with outside sources to see if good or bad reports are made on unfamiliar groups, said Steve Martin, who serves as a cult prevention and education instructor.
"Thorough knowledge of scripture and knowing how to interpret verses in proper context also helps," Burks said. "Most challenging is getting people to see the need for education about the cult problem and making them realize that anyone is vulnerable."