Options for getting help
For yourself:
1. Introductory telephone assessment. Call me and make an appointment for a discussion of your situation. If you do not reach me directly, please leave suggested times for me to return your call.
This assessment will be a time for you to tell me your story and for us to discuss options for helping you. I will very likely have suggestions for initial steps to healing and growth. The session is a 50 min. hour and costs $100.
2. Telephone counseling. These sessions are scheduled and managed much like in-person counseling, with the frequency and duration depending on your situation. If you are in crisis, we may need some intensive time commitment on the front end. Part of the work will be to read my book and do the exercises that we decide are appropriate to your case. Telephone sessions are $100 per hour.
3. In-person counseling. You come to my office in Berkeley, CA. We can spend intensive time together, with the advantage of doing deep work involving hypnosis-like methods of guided imagery. Some of the healing necessary for changing deep-seated religious indoctrination requires these powerful techniques to get effective, rapid results. It can involve several hours on several days. In-person work is $125 per hour.
4. I come to you. We work together in the same intensive manner, in a location you provide. You also pay for my travel and $45 per hour for travel time.
5. Weekend intensive workshop. These are scheduled regularly, mostly on the West Coast. You spend an entire weekend, from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon with a small group of people (7-10) who have also experienced some religious/spiritual abuse. We share experiences, build support, cover important information, and do structured exercises to help you move forward in your healing process. We also eat good food, relax, have some fun, and enjoy a nurturing retreat setting. The workshop is $320 plus $160 for room and board. Variation: If you have the energy and skill to organize a workshop in your area, we can provide guidance, and I will come to you for the weekend.
6. Virtual support group. You join a members-only online group with other people who are recovering from religion. Membership requires invitation from me after either attending a workshop, working with me individually, or having an interview. The group has bi-weekly conference calls and follow-up discussions online. You post your profile and story and any creative writing, photos, etc. you want to share and get feedback on. I moderate the group and participate in the conference calls. Just like an in-person therapy group, we attend to individual needs and also find hot topics of general interest. Membership is $30 per month by subscription on Paypal.
7. In-person support/therapy group. After an interview with me, you join a group of real people, meeting weekly in my office in Berkeley, CA. Sessions are $30 per week. At present, such a group is in the process of getting organized and is not meeting yet.
8. I provide consultation to your therapist. This would be for you to arrange, perhaps by sharing a copy of my book. Your therapist makes an appointment with me to consult by phone, which is $125 per hour.
9. Written correspondence via email. After an initial telephone consultation, you send me your work on chosen exercises from my book, beginning with your religious autobiography, and I give you feedback. We work through a program tailored to your needs, exchanging emails regularly. Cost is $300 for ten email exchanges. This can be continued beyond the initial ten at a rate of $30 per exchange.
10. Self-help: Reading, forums, and self-help groups. Have a look at the Resources page of my website and find books that suit your needs. Participate in online forums listed there as well. Organize a self-help group in your community, using the guidelines on my website. Your group can have me as a back-up consultant to help you with problems that arise or guidance for an effective group. Telephone consultation is $100 per hour.
