Steven Hassan explains SIA method to rescue loved ones from unhealthy situations (2003)

The Strategic Interactive Approach (SIA) is the focus of my second book, published in 2000 entitled Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves. People often feel so helpless, hurt and frustrated when a loved one has gotten involved with a controlling person or group. This is a approach based on love and using effective communication strategies to respectfully empower people to help themselves.

The talk was over an hour and the lighting was poor, however, it has been on my freedomofmind.com web site for several years and people have told me how helpful it has been for them to watch it.

Since leaving the Moonies in 1976, I was involved with deprogramming for about a year before deciding it was not a way to really help people that was respectful. Courts decided not to allow ex-parte conservatorships for adult cult members, so it became illegal to be involved with anything involuntary. So because of this, we evolved what was called "exit-counseling" but although it was legal and voluntary, it was hard to apply to most destructive cult situations. So the Strategic Interaction Approach evolved in which I worked with family and friends and developed a team to use ethical influence within a respectful, nuanced approach which is totally customized to fit any situation.

In July 2012, Steve released Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs in paperback on amazon.com and in 3 e-book formats. Please read the book as it is much more updated that this talk.