Several groups are described here, with the status of each. I have been leading therapy groups and workshops for about 25 years.
1. Reclaiming Soul: A Group Exploration
Status: Starting in January, 2008, Alameda, CA. Time to be arranged.
This group will be part book-club and part support/personal development.
The object will be for a small group of adults to come together and explore ways to survive and thrive as human beings in the midst of challenging times. Most of us would agree there are aspects of our culture that do not support us – materialism, individualism, alienation. We lack structures that facilitate community and affirm our core values. Some people find groups such as churches acceptable but many do not. We need quality friendships and loving, reliable connections.
This group will be an experience of looking at some of our deepest needs and dilemmas – meaning, responsibility, connection, mortality – and explore the ways we can honestly face and deal with them – both individually and collectively. There are no answers or formulas. However, from an existential-humanistic point of view, we must engage these questions in order to have satisfying lives and be fully human. How can we have the kinds of relationships with each other that contribute to a loving, compassionate world? We have many options for response. People have amazing ideas, resources, and creativity. The process is much easier when shared with others.
In facilitating this group, I will consider everyone wise and learning to share that intuitive wisdom. In other words, this is a group exploration rather than my being a guru. However, I will provide readings and provoke you to explore. My goal will be to help you forge a cohesive set of relationships that will inspire you to advance to a new level in your life. Depending on the participants, we may also use experiential processes geared to help focus and gain awareness (eg, art, movement, imagery). Expect to meet interesting people, have deep conversations, learn about seeing and listening and giving, be truly heard & allowed to be authentic, and be appreciated for who you really are. Let’s look at how we extend this in our lives and in the world for a more sane society.
Potential authors: Thomas Moore, Rollo May, Victor Frankl, Irving Yalom, Scott Peck, Anne Morrow Lindburgh, Susan Griffin, and more. (Group members may also make suggestions). We will start with an informal potluck and discussion for anyone considering joining the group.
While the group will certainly promote personal growth, it is not meant to take the place of intensive psychotherapy. Membership will be by invitation following a telephone interview. Call 510-292-0509.
2. RELEASE AND RECLAIM (Google Group)
Status: Ongoing
This is an online therapeutic support group for individuals rebuilding their lives after a harmful experience with organized religion.
We have monthly conference CALLS for exploring issues and providing support to each other. These sessions are supplemented by the online FORUM with discussions and resources. New members are invited to post profiles, including your religious/spiritual history and story of recovery to date.
Members have access to:
• Discussion threads: From our phone calls and the topics suggested so far, we have the following topics: relationships with friends and family in the "fold," alternative views of spirituality, creativity, sexuality, and developing new friends/social support networks. More topics can be started, and we will post information from our phone talks.
• Room to post creative writing (get published!)
• Reports and photos from retreats.
• Exercises for healing and growth related to the topics we are discussing.
• Articles
• Humor
• Resources, book reviews, conferences.
This group is for people who have worked with me already on issues related to religious recovery, or who have discussed their situation with me directly. The reason for this is to have some commonality and trust. The group is private and confidential, like any therapy group, and I will safeguard everybody's safety and privacy. I also need to know you so I can make sure your membership will be good for you and for the group.
Membership involves a subscription of $30/month, payable through Paypal or other method. Financial need will be considered if this is a hardship or becomes one. Please consult with me during your interview to explore options, such as paying on a donation basis. No one will be turned away for financial reasons. If interested in joining this group, please email me and tell me about yourself. We will need to have a telephone conversation to determine whether the group is for you. This call is at no obligation and I'm happy to discuss options with you. I believe you are to be commended for your courage in finding your own path, and we'd like to be supportive if we can.
• PARENTING GROUP FOR FORMER FUNDAMENTALISTS
Status: Not meeting at present
If you are a "recovering fundamentalist" or from another repressive religion and now a parent, you probably realize you are dealing with a whole new set of issues. It's one thing to leave the faith and another to think about what that means for your children. As I have worked with parents who were fundamentalist Christians or otherwise indoctrinated, we have identified several key areas of concern.
The first has to do with basic parenting. The teachings of fundamentalist churches on this subject are quite dogmatic and linked to tenets of the religion: e.g., original sin, obedience, honoring parents and authority, cautions about pride and self-love, fears about sexuality, and so forth. There is little attention to knowledge of child development or psychology. Consequently, parents who leave the church are often lacking in information and confidence about "normal" secular parenting skills. Other religious groups also discourage parents from trusting their own intuition.
The second area concerns spirituality and religion in the lives of one's children. Parents wonder whether they need knowledge of religion and how to acquire it. Should the kids go to church or Sunday School? What about other faiths? Also, how will they develop values and morals? Or learn to have an awareness of spirituality, as that might be redefined?
This group will explore the alternatives that are richly available. We will raise questions, examine closely the ideas that were promoted in the church, and provide support for participants to reconstruct their approach to parenting. Resources and references will be shared as well as personal experiences.
The goal will be to reclaim with confidence the joy and responsibility of that most precious of roles as a human being - nurturing the growth of our children.
