Steven Hassan

===Education and writing===
In 1985, Hassan completed a Master’s degree in [[counseling psychology]] at [[Cambridge College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cambridgecollege.edu/alumni-friends/stories/steven-hassan|title=Steven Hassan|access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref> Hassan studied [[hypnosis]] and is a member of the [[American Society of Clinical Hypnosis]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Member Referral Search |work=ASCH.net |publisher=[[American Society of Clinical Hypnosis]] |access-date=February 5, 2016 |url= http://www.asch.net/Public/MemberReferralSearch.aspx}}</ref> and the International Society of Hypnosis.<ref name="hypnosis">{{Cite web |title=The International Society of Hypnosis |work=WN.com |publisher=[[World News Network]] |access-date=February 5, 2016 |url=http://wn.com/the_international_society_of_hypnosis}}</ref> In ''Combatting Cult Mind Control'' he described his own recruitment as the result of the unethical use of powerful psychological influence techniques by members of the Church.<ref>{{cite book |title=Combatting Cult Mind Control |first=Steven |last=Hassan |date=1998 |publisher=Park Street Press |chapter=Ch. 1 |isbn=0-89281-243-5}}{{primary source inline|date=September 2023}}</ref>

Hassan studied the "thought reform" theories of [[Robert Jay Lifton]], and concluded that the Moon organization used all eight characteristics of thought reform described by Lifton. He also studied the work of [[Richard Bandler]] and [[John Grinder]] (founders of [[neuro-linguistic programming]]), [[Milton H. Erickson]], [[Virginia Satir]], and [[Gregory Bateson]], and wrote that their work was the basis for his own theories on mind control, counseling, and intervention.<ref>{{cite book |title=Combatting Cult Mind Control |first=Steven |last=Hassan |date=1998 |publisher=Park Street Press |chapter=Ch. 2 |isbn=0-89281-243-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves |chapter=Ch. 2 |first=Steven |last=Hassan |publisher=FOM Press |date=2000 |isbn=9780967068800}}</ref>

Hassan spent several years developing and promoting a model to evaluate what he calls "cult" and "cult-like" groups. In his third book, ''Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults, and Beliefs'' (2012), Hassan presents Lifton's and [[Margaret Singer]]'s models of evaluation alongside his own model represented by the acronym "BITE": control of Behavior, Information, Thought and Emotion.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hassan |first1=S. A. |last2=Shah |first2=M. J. |title=The anatomy of undue influence used by terrorist cults and traffickers to induce helplessness and trauma, so creating false identities |work=Ethics, Medicine and Public Health |date=January 1, 2019 |volume=8 |pages=97–107 |doi=10.1016/j.jemep.2019.03.002 |doi-access=}}</ref>

In 2019, Hassan published ''The Cult of Trump'': ''A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control''. The book represents a broadening of his focus from [[new religious movement]]s into political culture.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fisher |first=Marc |title=Review: The Republican Party is in thrall to Trump. Does that make him a cult leader? |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/the-republican-party-is-in-thrall-to-trump-does-that-make-him-a-cult-leader/2019/10/03/63855136-d592-11e9-9343-40db57cf6abd_story.html |access-date=March 11, 2021 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The author compares Trump's behaviour to that of [[Jim Jones]], [[L. Ron Hubbard]], and Sun Myung Moon, and expresses the hope that the book will lessen political division.<ref name="globe" />

Hassan received his doctorate from [[Fielding Graduate University]]<ref name="PsyTodayAbout" /> and published a dissertation in January 2021. His dissertation was titled "The BITE Model of Authoritarian Control: Undue Influence, Thought Reform, Brainwashing, Mind Control, Trafficking and the Law". Hassan describes his model as an effort to measure degrees of exploitative control or [[undue influence]] and as an attempt to evaluate behavior, information, thought and emotional controls.<ref>{{cite thesis |id={{ProQuest|2476570146}} |last=Hassan |first=Steven Alan |date=2020 |title=The BITE Model of Authoritarian Control: Undue Influence, Thought Reform, Brainwashing, Mind Control, Trafficking and the Law}}</ref>