Religious Trauma Syndrome

RTS is a to the point, self-help guide on recovering from religion. Unlike any other book of its kind, RTS was written to rattle your conscience, and awaken your logic. Being written by someone who was born deep into religion gives it a personal connection and a realistic view on what someone goes through after leaving their faith. Most people, who were blessed with never having to be held back by belief would never understand the inner struggle one goes through in finding meaning in this world after being deceived their entire life. Too long have you been brainwashed and beguiled by those that would rob you of living life while taking you on a never ending exodus to some false promised land. This is why this book was written short, to the point, and was designed to not waste your time. So, if you have gone through this terrible transition, and need help through your time of trauma, then this is the book for you.

Have you been harmed by toxic religion? Learn how to recover and reclaim your life. Psychologist Marlene Winell is uniquely qualified to address the subject of this book. In addition to her personal experience with leaving fundamentalist religion, she has worked with clients recovering from religion for 28 years. She is known for coining the term Religious Trauma Syndrome. Leaving the Fold is a self-help book that examines the effects of authoritarian religion (fundamentalist Christianity in particular) on individuals who leave the faith. The concrete steps for healing are useful for anyone in recovery from toxic religion. In this book you'll discover: - what you can expect about stages of religious recovery - information about the key issues of recovery - relevant family dynamics - the power of manipulations - motivations for belonging and for leaving religion - specific steps for healing and reclaiming life - further steps for rebuilding life in the present Leaving the Fold is the only self-help psychology book on the subject of religious recovery. The accessible, compassionate writing is ideal for the reader who needs clear information and concrete help. Buy Leaving the Fold and begin your healing journey today

Simultaneously published in St. Louis, Missouri by Chalice Press, 2015.

The Glass Castle meets Educated When Alice Greczyn’s parents felt called by God to exchange worldly employment for heavenly provision, they followed their faith into homelessness with five children and a cat in tow. Homeschooled and avowed never to kiss a man until her wedding day, Alice had plans to escape the instability by becoming a missionary nurse—plans that were put on hold with the opening of an unexpected door: the opportunity to be an actress in Hollywood. What followed was a test of faith unlike any she had prepared for, an arranged betrothal she never saw coming, and a psychological shattering that forced her to learn how to survive without the only framework for life she had ever known. This unique coming-of-age story takes place within a Christian subculture that teaches children to be martyrs and women to be silent. Revelatory, vulnerable, and offering catharsis for your own journey through faith and doubt, Wayward is a deeply intelligent memoir of soul-searching—and finding the courage to live in your own truth.

Rooted in her experiences growing up in an Evangelical Christian family, Jamie Lee Finch's "You Are Your Own" offers an overview of Evangelicalism and the painful confusion and anxiety experienced under its demands. Finch explores the mechanisms of trauma and how fundamentalist denominations match the patterns connected with PTSD. She elaborates on the doubt, guilt, fear, and grief that haunt those leaving the Evangelical faith and offers an approach to help them recover healthy self-worth and resilience.A socio-historical autobiographical analysis of Evangelical Christianity's religious trauma, "You Are Your Own" emerges from Finch's reconnaissance on her own life-her journals, her stories, her trauma-and offers advocacy for everyone harmed by fundamentalist faith.Jamie Lee Finch is a sexuality and embodiment coach, intuitive healer, self-conversation facilitator, sex witch, and poet. You can learn about Jamie's work at JamieLeeFinch.com

Trauma therapist Teresa B. Pasquale offers healing exercises, true-life examples, and life-giving discussion for anyone suffering from the very real pain of church hurt. Pasquale, a trauma survivor herself, understands the immeasurable value of our wounds once we've acknowledged them and recovered in community. That's why the wounds are "sacred," and the hope this book offers is a powerful message to anyone suffering from this widespread problem. This book explores the nature of emotional wounds, trauma, and spiritual hurt that come from negative religious experience. Some of the features are: Stories from a wide range of persons hurt by negative religious experience Healing and contemplative practices to help readers explore their own spiritual story and practical ways to move towards personal healing A journey through the experience of trauma in religious settings and how it is both relatable to other forms of trauma and distinctive -- outlining both facets An exploration of the author's own personal and professional understanding of hurt, trauma, PTSD, and the power of resiliency and healing

The Trauma of Doctrine is a theological investigation into the effects of abuse trauma upon the experience of Christian faith, the psychological mechanics of these effects, their resonances with Christian Scripture, and neglected research-informed strategies for cultivating post-traumatic resilience. Paul Maxwell examines the effect that the Calvinist belief can have upon the traumatized Christian who negatively internalizes its superlative doctrines of divine control and human moral corruption, and charts a way toward meaningful spiritual recovery.

"Wallis takes on all the shades of gray. He dissects the experience of this religion with laser precision" - Lisa, igotout.org "Wallis not only shines a light on the psychological turmoil caused by the organization's policies but does so with such intelligence, empathy, and personal understanding" - Allison Del Fium, What the Faith Podcast What is it like to suffer Religious Trauma Syndrome while still inside a High Demand Religious Organization? What causes Religious Trauma Syndrome and what are the risks that come with continuing participation? A Voice From Inside presents the rare voice of a critical insider of the Watch Tower Society, offering an account of the experience, how people are struggling, and what can be done to survive and move forward. Writing under a pseudonym, Geoffrey Wallis courageously explains what has led many to label the Jehovah's Witnesses as a Captive Organization and how the community's policies lead to the phenomenon of Physically-In-Mentally-Out (PIMO). With raw honesty, the author tells the gripping story of his journey through Religious Trauma Syndrome as an active Jehovah's Witness. He discusses the experience of stigmatized LGBTQ+ members, moral injury PTSD in the newly disillusioned, and what it's like to rise up the ranks of the organization's hierarchy. Along the way, he boldly speaks out about how to protect fellow members by calling for regulation to protect the religious freedoms of PIMOs and teaching others to reverse-engineer manipulative psychology with mindfulness practice. Written to help bring change to the Jehovah's Witness community as a whole, but also for anyone struggling with religious trauma, A Voice from Inside is both a witness to the experience of living in an HDRG as well as a clarion call for change and healing in a world that sorely needs it.