How do cult leaders react when exposed?

Derek Gale the psychotherapy cult leader who operates out of the Gale Centre in Loughton, Essex, England was recently struck off the register by the Health Professions Council and now the UK Council of Psychotherapists, unfortunately here in the UK this does not stop him practising as either a counsellor or even as a psychotherapist and as far as we are aware he has continued to see his "clients" and may even now be on a holiday with them.

We would greatly appreciate any opinions and experiences anyone out there may have as to how do cult leaders like Gale react when the pressure is on? When they have been publically exposed, ridiculed and sanctioned. What happens to the "clients" who are still in his thrall? What might his reaction towards them be? He has stated many times that "we may have to take this work abroad" and has already instilled that notion in his core of "clients" and we know that he does own property abroad and recently spent time in Argentina (no extradition treaty with the UK!). He has also stated in a supposedly fictional "novel" that was the centre of some of the disciplinary actions against him that he would leave for Mexico if caught by the regulatory authorities.

Of even greater concern is the fact that he has ingratiated himself into the Wills of his clients and where he is not actually a beneficiary of the will he is executor of it and there are instructions that "the group" (ie Gale himself) should decide how the benefit should be spent. Imagine this legal "stranger" is the beneficiary of the wills of many people young enough to be his children!! Think about the implications of that, with the exception of your own children or a relative, who younger than yourself would consider putting you in their will? Opinions on Gale's possible motives for this greatly appreciated.

Thanks - any input greatly appreciated.

He won't be able to practice as a Psychotherapist in the near future. The term will be nationally registered, and Gale would find it impossible to gain registration.

This is exactly why (as a psychotherapist myself) I'm pro-registration.

To be honest though, he can probably call himself whatever he wants, as he'll still be able to find a handful of confused people who are able to be exploited.

Thanks to all of you who sent ideas, comments and observations about what someone like Gale might do once he was exposed and ridiculed.

Most of you seem to have been correct in that those around Gale from whom he was drawing support rather than unduly influencing have distanced themselves from him. Those that supported him at the HPC hearings and gave glowing testimonials of his professional proficency have now come to the realisation that association with Gale is damaging their own professional status, particularly with regards to their campaigns to fight statatuory regulation of psychotherapy in the UK. The blatant anger of some former Gale supporters is either an oscar winning impression of people who were duped or a very real and deeply felt guilt that they too may have contributed to the physical, sexual and psychological abuse over many years of many of Gale's clients. Do they too now fear the knock on the door?

Those of Gale's clients who feel empowered by the HPC process and have started raising questions and kicking up still feel trapped by the binds Gale put around them with their "statements of support" and even giving evidence under oath. Of course Gale has informed them in no uncertain terms that if they too were to now leave his therapy and make complaints they would be charged with perjury. This of course is bollocks but it is a very powerful persuader to stay where they are and keep paying up. Are they really still waiting for the promised utopia of being able to lead their lives as Gale leads his or are they so confused they do not even realise that they are just waiting for an opportunity to escape his clutches?

Gale's life at the moment is in turmoil. His personal relationships have all collapsed. He has found himself with nowhere to turn and even his most entrenched acolytes are desperately looking for a way out of his crashing spiral. Gale's outbursts and violent anger are driving the trapped deeper into his traps. Almost as much as Gale himself his clients fear the upcoming civil court actions because of the pressures that he will again exert on them. One real family very close to the heart of Gale's psychotherapy cult family have become so afraid of Gale that they are now lying about their financial position to him in the vague hope that he will not expect even more payments from them for his "defence fund". His efforts to reassert control through his regular "psychodrama" workshop recently failed so badly that he himself is now deeply questioning his own self belief.

Abandonment is the route that Gale has chosen.

Of course Gale himself is very clear in his unpublished novel about an exposed sexually abusive therapist what he would do upon realisation that the game was up.

"About his clients, he suddenly discovered that he didn’t care about them very much at all. They hadn’t cared about him in his hour of need so doubtless they would be able to cope without him in the future.
Many of his clients expressed no such callousness and were hoping that it would not be too long before they could resume therapy with him, but they were to be disapointed and those who still thought kindly of him never got an opportunity to express it or to have their kindness repaid."

Because his clients are now challenging him and questioning him he is blaming them for not caring about him. Thus way he will justify to himself abandoning them when he heads off to Brazil in the new year.

Of course he has promised that he will return messiah like in three years time and that promise should hold them in his thrall for about 12 months but after that the breakdowns and collapse will really set in. Let's prey that they can find their way to the proper help they deserve.

Goodbye Derek - but please don't make the mistake of thinking we won't be watching and awaiting your next raspberry to us :-)

Are there any more updates as to Gale's movements? And those of his remaining clients? Is he still heading to Brazil?

One way in which cult leaders react when exposed is to act the victim. Gale is a past master at this and has been acting this role since the complaint first surfaced. And in the light of recent tragedies, he has the perfect excuse to garner his clients' sympathy.

What chance is there for his remaining clients of ever being free from him now?