09/04/2023
Grooming is a form of brainwashing, also known as coercive persuasion or thought reform that involves manipulating an individual's beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors through various psychological tactics in order to control and invalidate the other persons self-worth. Grooming is also a form of abuse which can involve verbal, psychological, emotional, and even spiritual control.
Here's a general overview of common techniques that are associated with grooming:
1. **Isolation:** Removing the individual from their normal social support networks and placing them in an environment where they have limited contact with the outside world. This isolation can make them more susceptible to influence.
2. **Control of Information:** Limiting the information the individual is exposed to, and providing them with a skewed or biased perspective that aligns with the manipulator's agenda.
3. **Repetition:** Repeatedly exposing the individual to certain ideas, beliefs, or messages in order to wear down their resistance and make the ideas seem more acceptable.
4. **Deprivation and Fatigue:** Depriving the individual of sleep, food, or other basic needs can impair their cognitive functioning and make them more vulnerable to influence.
5. **Emotional Manipulation:** Exploiting the individual's emotions, fears, and desires to manipulate their thinking and behavior. This can involve creating emotional dependency on the manipulator.
6. **Rewriting History:** Distorting the individual's memory and understanding of past events, often to create a sense of guilt, shame, or doubt about their own beliefs and values. Rewriting stories is also used to create sides and shame the victim by maximizing their sins and faults, and minimizing the abuser’s faults and shortcomings.
7. **Threats and Punishments:** Using threats, punishments, or rewards to control the individual's behavior and reinforce the desired beliefs.
8. **Group Pressure:** Placing the individual in a group setting where they are surrounded by people who share the desired beliefs. This can create a sense of peer pressure and conformity.
9. **Authority Figures:** Using charismatic and authoritative figures to gain the individual's trust and obedience along with making someone feel guilty if they do not comply with the abuser’s rules, regulations and standards.
10. **Isolation from Counter-Influences:** Preventing the individual from interacting with people who hold different beliefs or challenging ideas. This reinforces the narrow perspective being promoted.
On the contrary, a healthy relationship involves a loving and respectful treatment of individuals to maintain their freedom to think, believe, and make choices without manipulation or coercion. It also involves supporting the end of visual to maximize their potential in life.
There is help available !
Dr. Mark F Jones, LMFT 
Office@libertyalliancegroup.com 
libertyalliancegroup.com 
210-495-2797 office
Liberty Alliance Group is made up of specialized, licensed, certified and trained professionals that provide counseling, training, personal development and professional services. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Dr. Mark F. Jones is the Founder and President of South Texas Liberty Alliance Gr
