Janja Lalich, Ph.D. is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups. Her work focuses on charismatic relationships, political and social movements, ideology and social control, and issues of gender and sexuality. She has served as a consultant to educational, mental health, legal, business, and media professionals, and has worked extensively with current and former members of high-control groups, as well as their families. She is the author of several influential books, including Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults and Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships (with Madeleine Tobias), both widely regarded as foundational texts in the field. Her most recent book, Escaping Utopia: Growing Up in a Cult, Getting Out, and Starting Over (with Karla McLaren), explores the unique experiences of second-generation cult survivors.