Psychological Issues of Former Members of Restrictive Religious Groups by Jim Moyers, MA, MFT While this article was originally written for psychotherapists working with ex-fundamentalists, it should be helpful for anyone who has been involved with a restrictive religious group. Restrictive religious groups, characterized by rigid beliefs, authoritarian structure, rejection of mainstream culture, and isolation from outside influences that might lead to questions about the group's teachings, come in many forms, from fringe cults to well established churches. While the experience of individuals involved with so-called cults that clearly deviate from orthodox religious practice has been extensively discussed in both popular and professional literature, there has been relatively little recognition of the fact that similar issues are often associated with conservative forms of mainstream religion. While much of what follows is based on the experience of former members of Christian fundamentalist groups, there are parallels with restrictive groups from all traditions.