Oct 15, 2023·edited Oct 21, 2023Liked by Christine Greenwald
What a powerhouse, dynamite interview! So much resonated for me! Here are a few key topics I noted:
- Trauma - too much, too quick, too fast! (Yes! That's how it feels.) Take healing slowly to avoid creating new trauma.
- Traumatized people tend to be too much in our heads and minimize our trauma because we are taught not to trust the body or our feelings, which we were taught are "sinful." Therapy to reconnect with our body (somatic therapy) and feelings (EMDR) can help with this. (I've personally found inner child and IFR work as well as guided meditations helpful too.)
- Religious trauma creates an inability to cope with differences. We "other" those outside the group.
- When we leave, we feel insecure because we are used to being externally guided (by the rules, leadership, peers etc.). We have to learn to become inwardly directed. (sounds like individuation).
- We can develop inward direction by starting small in developing our opinions apart from the group and connecting with activities and people who used to be "other." (I started by allowing myself to listen to rock music again and meditate. I was drawn to psychology and therapy as well. I also read books that were definitely forbidden in church and I rediscovered political views I'd had before church. It all took about 15 years to ease myself out of church and deconstruct. Covid made walking away for good easy.)
- Connecting with those who used to be "other" and finding a new peer group that is not authoritarian can be challenging. We are easily drawn into similar groups to the one(s) we left. When we do finally break away from authority all together, finding a group or tribe that is as intimate as what we left is difficult. Online friendships can be a way to ease into new kinds of friendships and groups. (I've found a zoom therapy group and some fantastic online friends who are more wonderful, frankly, than my past in person friendships. Social factors that might normally keep likeminded people apart such as age and gender differences need not hinder online friendships at all. More recently I've been drawn to a few delightful in-person friends as well. Starting online made it easier to find new virtual and real life tribes.)
Thanks so much, Christine and Dr. Anderson, for covering so much helpful ground in a single hour-long interview! I look forward to visiting your organization online: The Religious Trauma Institute, https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/.
Thanks for the interview! I picked up a copy of the book at the Evolving Faith Conference over the weekend, and I’m excited to begin reading.
I was wondering if you had any advice/pointers/guidelines when looking for a therapist that specializes in religious trauma--are there specific certifications to keep an eye out for? phrases on websites that could indicate green or red flags? other things? I know whether an individual will click with a therapist is...well, individual, but I was curious if you had any rules-of-thumb when navigating the searching process.
What a powerhouse, dynamite interview! So much resonated for me! Here are a few key topics I noted:
- Trauma - too much, too quick, too fast! (Yes! That's how it feels.) Take healing slowly to avoid creating new trauma.
- Traumatized people tend to be too much in our heads and minimize our trauma because we are taught not to trust the body or our feelings, which we were taught are "sinful." Therapy to reconnect with our body (somatic therapy) and feelings (EMDR) can help with this. (I've personally found inner child and IFR work as well as guided meditations helpful too.)
- Religious trauma creates an inability to cope with differences. We "other" those outside the group.
- When we leave, we feel insecure because we are used to being externally guided (by the rules, leadership, peers etc.). We have to learn to become inwardly directed. (sounds like individuation).
- We can develop inward direction by starting small in developing our opinions apart from the group and connecting with activities and people who used to be "other." (I started by allowing myself to listen to rock music again and meditate. I was drawn to psychology and therapy as well. I also read books that were definitely forbidden in church and I rediscovered political views I'd had before church. It all took about 15 years to ease myself out of church and deconstruct. Covid made walking away for good easy.)
- Connecting with those who used to be "other" and finding a new peer group that is not authoritarian can be challenging. We are easily drawn into similar groups to the one(s) we left. When we do finally break away from authority all together, finding a group or tribe that is as intimate as what we left is difficult. Online friendships can be a way to ease into new kinds of friendships and groups. (I've found a zoom therapy group and some fantastic online friends who are more wonderful, frankly, than my past in person friendships. Social factors that might normally keep likeminded people apart such as age and gender differences need not hinder online friendships at all. More recently I've been drawn to a few delightful in-person friends as well. Starting online made it easier to find new virtual and real life tribes.)
Thanks so much, Christine and Dr. Anderson, for covering so much helpful ground in a single hour-long interview! I look forward to visiting your organization online: The Religious Trauma Institute, https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/.
Thanks for the interview! I picked up a copy of the book at the Evolving Faith Conference over the weekend, and I’m excited to begin reading.
I was wondering if you had any advice/pointers/guidelines when looking for a therapist that specializes in religious trauma--are there specific certifications to keep an eye out for? phrases on websites that could indicate green or red flags? other things? I know whether an individual will click with a therapist is...well, individual, but I was curious if you had any rules-of-thumb when navigating the searching process.