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Release & Reclaim recovery group membership open

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A virtual support group for recovering from repressive religion

                                                               
Breaking away from harmful religion can be difficult but it doesn’t have to be lonely. You can get support from others who understand fundamentalist indoctrination and who are also working to recover and rebuild their lives.   This group is confidential like any therapy group and is professionally led in a similar way to one of my live groups. We have a Google group website as a base and we talk to each other on conference calls. 
 
The goal of this group is to help members release old, toxic beliefs and reclaim their lives. Recovery from RTS, or Religious Trauma Syndrome, can have a number of aspects, and participants here are at a variety of stages. Backgrounds are also varied, including Christian fundamentalism, Pentecostalism, Islamic faith, Catholicism, Mormonism, and many others. Among the areas of healing and growth are:
 
• Understanding clearly what you have been through, especially areas of abuse.
• Working through feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, grief, and confusion.
• Reclaiming your right to think for yourself, and learning to trust yourself.
• Discovering self-love and self-care.
• Accepting responsibility for direction in life instead of seeking “God’s will.”
• “Coming out” to others and dealing with family and friends still “in the fold.”
• Overcoming irrational fears and ideas that persist from indoctrination.
• Addressing relationship and sexuality issues; finding new friends and community.
• Rebuilding your identity, your own values & beliefs, and a more personal “spirituality.”
• Appreciating your capability and exploring your creativity.
• Accepting this world as your home and humanity as your family.
• Learning to enjoy life here and now; appreciating pleasure.
• Considering implications for parenting.
 
As a virtual group, we do not have the same kind of contact as we would in person, but we try to make it as personal as possible, and we keep on learning how to make the group even more effective. This is not just a discussion group or a place to rant about religion. We are devoted to healing and growth. I am actively involved and I bring to the group about thirty years of experience as a group therapist. In both the written and verbal conversations, I facilitate so that the group is a safe place to be open and honest. I also support the process of learning to be helpful and staying focused on recovery. Over time, everyone benefits from the close relationships that develop.  
 
As a group member you have access to:
   - Profiles of other members, with their stories of religion and recovery to inform and inspire you
   - Online discussions.  Conversations pertaining to all the topic areas above occur at one time or another on our website and through email. You can join or start a thread any time.
   - Current information about our upcoming events, such as Release and Reclaim retreats
   - Reports, photos, videos and audio recordings from previous events.
   - Exercises for healing and growth related to the topics we are discussing.
   - Articles of interest, and humor
   - Creative pages where you can view members’ work and post creative writing and art. 
   - Resources such as book reviews, films, and conferences
   - Volunteer opportunity information; you can find out how to give
   - CONFERENCE CALLS one a month (more as needed) with 5-7 others and me. We discuss whatever is on your mind, and pay special attention to anyone who is in need of extra support. 
 
Membership in the group is by invitation following an intake interview with me. This gives us both a chance to see if it is a good fit.  A subscription is $30 per month, with a sliding scale available. If interested in joining, please send an email to me at mwinell [at] gmail [dot] com with the following information: Name, age, phone, address, brief religious history, reason for interest in group, good times to call you. 
 
About Dr. Winell: Marlene Winell is a psychologist and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies. She grew up in a fundamentalist missionary family, spent some years as a “born-again” Christian, and then went through her own recovery and growth process. She has worked in human services for 30 years and specializes in helping clients who are recovering from RTS, or Religious Trauma Syndrome. She is the author of Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion. She is also available for individual counseling, in-person or by phone.