An oldie but goodie. Mentions a lot of lesser known LGATs particular to Utah at the time, many of which had ties to the more infamous ones like est and/or Lifespring.
-------------- • -------------- • --------------
Deseret NewsSELF HELP OR LOST HOPE? By Joel Campbell, Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, Jan. 14, 1990 12:00 a.m. MSTLynne Aprilliano was alone in her Capitol Hill apartment when she experienced uncontrollable panic. She said she felt compelled to end it all.
In desperation, Aprilliano, a University of Utah student, called someone at The Training, where she had recently completed an intensive four-day self-improvement course. Aprilliano explained her crisis.During the conversation the person on the other end said: "You can take care of this yourself." She called again twice seeking help from an assistant trainer. The trainer said she didn't want to talk to Aprilliano anymore.
Aprilliano then hung up the phone and, remembering the words of The Training's founder John Webb, she burnt the course materials. She lit the match, she said, to protect the "integrity of The Training at all costs" so it would not be implicated in her death. She is still recovering from the suicide attempt.
As a result, Aprilliano filed a 3rd District Court complaint charging the Training with negligence, breach of contract, outrageous conduct.
But Stacey Stocking, Centerville, who attended the same session as Aprilliano, said The Training changed his life. He says he realized that he had long neglected his dream of becoming a screen writer. He quit his job, works at home, believes he is a better father and understands people better.
Stocking and Aprilliano are among thousands of Utahns who have been attracted to a variety of expensive so-called "human potential" or "transformational training" seminars that promise to deliver a new, more fulfilled way of being. Nationally, training seminars have developed in the 1980s into a lucrative business, which some observers estimate is a $4 billion growth industry. In Utah, there are at least a half a dozen programs.
Prices for the seminars range from $150 for a beginning course to $1,200 for an eight-day retreat. A common fee is $325 for a beginning four-day course.
Next week, a group of more than 300 Utahns will participate in a New Horizons training aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean.
The most prevalent Utah for-profit training sessions - such as Impact, The Training, New Horizons and The Next Step - hold intensive evenings and
weekend sessions. The seminars utilize games and may draw on Gestalt psychology, small-group encounters, sensitivity training, eastern religious thought, psychodrama, breathing therapy or rebirthing techniques.
The courses include everything from hugging to John Denver songs. At some courses, people dress up and sessions are held in elaborately decorated training rooms. Trainers say the sessions are designed to help students unload psychological baggage to find their true child or diamond within.
Opinions about the results of the programs vary. Some satisfied graduates say their training was a gift from God. Other participants, and some local therapists, complain of mind-bending quackery that is linked to suicide, marital discord and psychological disorders.
One woman, who asked to be identified only as "Cindy," is bitter about her experience at Impact's Quest course in November 1988 with 83 others.
"They are playing with people's heads," she said. "They have no degrees, no training or education in dealing with people's emotions."
A Salt Lake marriage and family therapist, who also spoke on the condition her name not be printed, said four of her patients were treated for severe depression and other disorders after they attended courses, including The Training and Lifespring.
"I think there should be a whole investigation of all these different groups. Probably to do what they are doing they need to be trained and licensed as therapists and psychologists," the therapist said.
She said that the seminars can set off an emotional time bomb when long-buried memories of experiences, such as child sexual abuse, are uncovered.
Still, such seminars often attract an upscale clientele. One training leader, Hans Berger of Impact, says as many as 75 percent of program participants are professionals. University of Utah President Chase Peterson and his wife, Grethe, are two Salt Lake residents who have graduated from a self-awareness seminar.
"We serve everyone from the Roto-Rooter man to psychiatrists, to attorneys and judges and corporate leaders of Fortune 500 companies," said William Bireley, founder of New Horizons.
Many groups have roots in the human potential movement of 1970s, although most of the groups eschew such connections. The movement produced Werner Erhard's est or Erhard Seminars Trainings and John Hanley's Life-spring.
Although no longer in business in Utah, the legacy of Lifespring still influences the transformational training business here. Along with thousands of graduates, Berger of Impact, Webb of The Training and Joanne Granger of The Next Step, all have links to the company based in San Rafael, Calif. Lifespring officials, in business here from 1984 to 1987, say they left Utah because of competition from the copycat groups.
Along with The Training, Life-spring is also being sued. Maryellen Wurdelman of West Jordan, a former Lifespring trainee and employee claimed in a lawsuit filed in a San Francisco court that because of the training, she suffered epileptic fits, anxiety attacks, chronic depression, periods of unexplained crying and made one suicide attempt.
Charles Ingrasci, director of Lifespring corporate affairs, said the charges are unfounded. Webb, of The Training, refused to speak about his program. However, Robert Wallace, Webb's attorney, said that Webb denies that he or his organization played any part in Aprilliano's attempted suicide.
Along with the Wurdelman and Aprilliano charges that these courses triggered suicide attempts, Acevedo confirmed that one New York woman committed suicide after attending one of his courses eight years ago. However, he denies the suicide resulted from his training.
Most of the companies rely on word-of-mouth advertising and recruiting of friends and family. Some participants complain about being pelted with high-pressure sales tactics
"It is an extremely lucrative business," said David Henry, operator of Bountiful-based CrossRoads training that charges $150 for all three levels of its training.
"In most of the courses, all the first level is is a marketing device to get you into the second level," Henry said.
Bireley said his company grossed $325,000 in 1989. Berger said company profits are confidential. But he said "substantially" more than 1,000 people a year attend any of the three seminars. Multiplying the number of participants by a basic $325 charge means the company at least earns $325,000 each year.
During three years of operation in Utah, Lifespring earned $1.9 million, said Dorothy Solomon, a former leadership trainer for Life-spring and Park City author. She is currently writing a book about the "dark underside" of transformational trainings.
Some religious groups are warning members about such self-awareness groups. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently told members to avoid some seminars. Problem groups may meet late into the night or early morning, encourage confession and foster unnecessary physical contact. Their methods may result in added stress, marital discord and even divorce, according to a church statement .
Probe Ministries International, a Christian research organization based in Richardson, Texas, said that national human potential courses undermine Christian beliefs and engage in brainwashing, said Russ Wise, the group's media outreach coordinator.
Still, Bill Beadle, of the Salt Lake Better Business Bureau, said there were no recent complaints about any local training groups.
Some seminars bind participants with a confidentiality agreement. Training officials defend the cloak of secrecy. They say talking about the seminars would ruin their effect, just like spoiling a movie's suspense by revealing the punch line.
At The Training, participants are asked to follow other ground rules during the seminars, which prohibit watches, non-prescription drugs and talking without permission. And students are required to sit in an open body position - with their hands planted on their knees.
Other rules at The Training include: "No physical violence unless instructed by the trainer. No new sexual partners for this group for 30 days and no sexual release until Saturday night."
Cindy said she felt uncomfortable with rules at Impact. In one instance, where participants were required to be matched with someone "they would least likely trust," one student wasn't allowed to attend until the missing partner was located.
While critics call such programs dangerous, Berger, of Impact, said his mission is one of love.
"When it is all said and done, there is one reason why we are here in existence, and that is simply 'I want to be loved' and 'I want to love.' I don't care if we take that into the area of our professions, in our relationships or with family and friends," Berger said.
He recalled feeling this kind of love when, as a teenager, he was embraced by West German border guards after escaping with his family across the East German border.
Two local psychologists say some of the training techniques have been linked to extreme mental unrest in their patients. At least two patients were hospitalized after finishing courses. However, training operators claim that 90 percent of their participants have positive and life-changing experiences. At Impact, 98 percent are satisfied, Berger said.
A clinical social worker in Provo links the divorce of two of her patients to their participation in the courses.
Cindy said, "It felt it was superficial. It is a scam."
Volunteer graduates told her she was not trustworthy during the session.
She said that effects on some of the participants were frightening. She recalls how during one game, the lights were turned out and people were asked to beat on chairs, an exercise supposedly symbolic of different individuals who caused barriers, anger and pain in Cindy's life.
One man broke three chairs that night and became extremely emotionally distraught, she said.
In The Training's "Breakthrough," Aprilliano said she found a "stretch" exercise demeaning. She was told to dress up and act like Liza Minnelli in front of a group of students, and men shaved their legs and danced like ballerinas.
Mat Olsen, 18, Orem, said he experienced positive results from his participation in the first two levels of Impact. The seminar made him feel uncomfortable and defensive at times, but it was necessary for him to confront his drug and alcohol problem. Olsen said he hasn't abused drugs or alcohol since he started Impact.
Granger, who operates The Next Step, said her programs emphasize "unconditional love, integrity and honesty."
Granger said, "We go back into touch the divine of whom we really are. We are created the same. We are created divinely . . . and begin to embrace the whole of who we are, the essence and the core."
Bireley of New Horizons says that his programs help people break out of limiting concepts, theories and beliefs of how they view life.
Allen E. Bergin, Brigham Young University professor of psychology and leading expert in psychotherapy research, said while most people could chalk up such trainings to recreation, some individuals may be at risk. He believes the programs are ersatz or a substitute for real growth and offer false hope to those who may really need help.
"If people want to waste their money on it then that is their business. Where they are attempting to deal with deeply-rooted psychological conflict, I think they are dangerous. I don't see evidence that they screen or carefully control for that . . . (Some of the procedures) are clearly ersatz variations on professional techniques like going back to childhood," Bergin said.
Randy Hardman, Director of the Depression Center at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and trainer at the Human Development Institute in Aurora, Colo., offers another professional opinion. He said he is concerned that powerful training procedures sometimes aren't used properly.
"That is the concern I have after talking to a few people who have been through some other programs is that it tends to be quite controlling and the confrontation goes beyond what is helpful and becomes almost brutal emotionally," Hardman said. "However, most of the people that I talk to that have been through other trainings express a positive experience."
Michael Lambert, a member of the state psychological licensing board, said the courses can get around psychological licensing laws because claim they're providing education, not therapy. Bergin believes the training seminars, in fact, attempt therapy.
Solomon, who was an employee and volunteer with Lifespring for four years, also believes the course can be a powerful tool - something she likens to nuclear energy. It is helpful when controlled, but devastating if misused.
"I don't think people should be pressured into a personal growth training anymore more than they should be pressured into buying a house that is too big or car they can't afford," Solomon said.
They manipulate at so many "levels of being" it makes for explosive chemistry, she said.
She also believes some training can be damaging to family relationships. Many individuals replace family ties with those at the training center and could become attached to charismatic leaders.
"I think they (the courses) should develop groups that fall naturally. In order to do that they would have to forego the major goal of profit making." she said.
*****
Transformational trainings groupsCrossRoads TrainingFounder and operator: Davis Henry, a former New Horizons graudate.
Date started: 1989
Address: 29 E. North Canyon Road, Bountiful. Training sessions are at the Airport Inn.
Courses: Reflections, $150; Higher Ground, $150; and Wings $150.
Impact Training CorporationFounder and operator: Hans Berger, a former Lifespring participant, holds a master's degree in business administration.
Date started: Incorporated June 1986.
Address: 415 W. Bearcat Drive, Salt Lake City. Also teaches courses in Idaho, California and Arizona.
Courses: Quest, $325; Summit, $650; and Lift-Off, $125. The courses are 20 percent lecture, 20 percent sharing and 60 percent game training.
New HorizonsFounder and Operator: William R. Bireley, a licensed therapist and former impact trainer and graduate of several human potential programs.
Date started: 1987.
Address: 8160 Highland Drive, Suite 2001. Training takes place at a downtown hotel. He also conducts seminars in Logan, Cedar City, St. George, Vernal, Provo, Ogden, California and Nevada.
Courses: New Visions, $325; Journey, $625; and Choice, $265. Also offer three months of follow-through minitraining, four-day "intimacy" retreats and training. Family retreat and ropes training held in the Uinta Mountains.
The Next StepFounder and operators: Joanne Granger and Charlie Bloom, a licensed social worker.
Date started: June 1989.
Address: 2853 Valley View Ave. Classes meet in a Sugar House bank.
Courses: "Waking Up," $275 or $325, if not preregistered. Also has "Man to Man," a women's course and "Above and Beyond" ropes course.
Thresholds -Personal Resource Consultants-Founder and operator: Gary Acevedo, a certified social worker.
Date started: 1980.
Address: 3090 E. 3300 South, Suite 4, Salt Lake City, Utah. Operatores programs in Utah and New Mexico.
Courses: The Awakening, $1,200 for adults and $800 for children, an eight-day retreat which takes place in a remote mountain cabin and involves children. Acevedo also operates a four-day workshop, "The Relationships Course" and minicourses entitled "Jesus" and "The Heart of the Human Spirit."
The TrainingFounder and operator: John S. Webb, a former police officer who holds a bachelor's degree in psychology.
Date started: about 1986.
Address: Training occurs at 3487 W. 2100 South. Business address is listed at 4014 S. Highland Drive, Suite 534. Also teaches courses nationally, including one scheduled this month in Ohio.
Courses: Possibilities, $300; Breakthrough, $650; and Graduate Development Program, $300.
Other courses with Utah connections:
Inner Light Center of Utah,
Spectra Achievement,
The Good Life,
Alpha Awareness and
The Course in Miracles.
