The annual ICSA International Conference brings together researchers, health professionals, service providers, and survivors and their families from around the world to engage in open dialogue on the most pressing themes around cultic studies. The 2026 conference explores the theme: Expanding the scope of coercive control: Understanding abusive dynamics and their impacts across interpersonal, institutional, and cultic contexts. Log in to access the conference’s on-demand presentations and join live sessions at their scheduled times.
Published date
15.07.2026
In this presentation, Catherine de Boer illustrates how Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST) can help understand the dynamics of High-Demand Groups (HDGs) and provide a roadmap for therapeutic intervention by exploring the balance between autonomy and belonging, and the concept of “differentiation of self”.