Kristina Berger
PsyD, LMFT, LPCC
As a dual-licensed psychotherapist with a doctorate in counseling psychology, I specialize in supporting individuals healing from religious trauma, cult recovery, & neurodiverse care.
Whether you are still involved in a controlling group, in the process of leaving, or trying to make sense of your past, I offer a compassionate, trauma-informed space.
My work also extends to survivors of domestic violence, the troubled-teen industry, and those estranged from loved ones due to spiritual, political, or ideological groups. My practice is affirming of LGBTQIA+ identities and honors the complexity of each person’s lived experience.
Over years of working with survivors, I began to notice a powerful intersection: many of those affected by high-control systems are neurodivergent.
This insight led me to develop a secondary specialty in working with adult neurodiverse individuals, couples, and families—especially those where one or more members identify as autistic, ADHD, or AuDHD. A strong advocate for the neurodiversity model, I doesn’t ask clients to “fix” themselves, but instead pose a different question:
What if your way of thinking, feeling, and being is not a deficit—but a difference worth honoring?
In a world that often pressures us to conform, I offer a different path:
One rooted in inquiry, authenticity, and the quiet courage of reclaiming your voice.
My Credentials
Doctorate in Counseling Psychology and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute
Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Marriage and Family Counseling from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Dual licensed in California:
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC #17217)
Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #144595).
Licensed in Utah as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor (#14254073-6004)
Licensed in Idaho as a Mental or Behavioral Telehealth Counselor (# 4571061)
You’ll also find my name listed as a trusted provider through organizations like the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA), and I’m an active member of CAMFT, CCPA, and SBCPA.
Published Articles
Similarities between Chemical or Psychological Addiction and Cult Membership:
Treatment for Cult Exit
This thesis asks the question: How can an understanding of active addiction processes provide a better understanding of membership in a cult system?
Psychological Recovery From Religious Cult Defenses:
A Feminist and Interpretive Hermeneutic Perspective
This dissertation describes how patriarchal religious cults utilize borderline-level defenses, as conceptualized in object relations theory, to control and subjugate women.
The Golden Shadow
with Kristina Berger
Insights, Autumn 2025
In this interview, I describe how my experience growing up in a cult shaped my work helping survivors understand how unconscious dynamics like shame and projection operate in high-control systems.