Religious Trauma Syndrome: An Historical Overview May 11, 2021, Conference on Religious Trauma By Marlene Winell If you want to respond to this article, you can email me at journeyfree.org@gmail.com Today I’d like to tell you a little about myself and the history of my work on religious trauma and Read more…
Chances are you are here because of a concern about religious harm, recovering from an authoritarian religion, or suffering from religious trauma. You may have heard of Religious Trauma Syndrome (“RTS”), which is comparable to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD but specifically induced by Toxic Religious Experiences. RTS is a result of 1) toxic teachings and practices within the religion and 2) the trauma of leaving the religion. You can read more about it here.
Recovering from religious harm is multi-faceted and a relatively new field of study. There is a range of harm done by religion, (despite the positive contributions of healthy religion) and various levels of suffering and coping, depending on individual differences. While some people are able to walk away and most report feelings of relief and liberation, many people are deeply damaged and can carry scars for decades. Now we have a name for this damaged condition and we need to take it seriously. (more…)
General Comments I had a fantastic experience and am so thankful to finally identify what the hell I’ve been struggling with for 35 years. I felt loved, cared for, and listened to. I had a very positive, helpful, and healing experience. Very helpful and transformative program. Really excellent and wonderful Read more…
I met Jesus in Golden Gate Park many years ago and he helped change my life. He sent me in a new direction – away from Christianity. I was reminded of it on Sunday, October 25, because it was the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, celebrated with enthusiasm at Golden Gate Read more…
The Christmas season is often busy and complicated with families and schedules and special events. There are standard criticisms of materialism and holiday angst. Yet at the center of it all there is a powerful image that speaks to all of us – the Child. It’s fascinating to me that Read more…
Recently I had a very short, but encouraging little dream right before waking up. I had been feeling burdened by all the problems in the world. In my dream I got the message that “the butterflies are working to lift our spirits.” I woke up surprised and delighted. Later I Read more…
I’m sure we all remember being told to not forget that “Jesus is the reason for the season,” so if you are recently deconverted from Christianity, this may be a confusing time for you. But I think it’s a good time to do some healing and growth by taking personal Read more…