MarleneWinell.net - Religious Recovery

"Release and Reclaim" retreat coming up

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:03:40 -0600

LEAVING YOUR RELIGION?
It's not the end of the world. Join us at a recovery retreat.

"RELEASE AND RECLAIM"
A workshop for letting go of religious indoctrination
and reclaiming your life.
Led by Marlene Winell, Ph.D.

WHEN: FRIDAY, Feb. 29, 7PM until SUNDAY, Mar. 2, 3PM.
WHERE: A beautiful house near the beach in Alameda, California, minutes from Oakland Airport.

Honor the Child: A different take on the holiday

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:14:20 -0600

The Christmas season is often busy and complicated with families and schedules and special events. There are standard criticisms of materialism and holiday angst. Yet at the center of it all there is a powerful image that speaks to all of us – the Child. It’s fascinating to me that once a year so many people stop everything, or at least pause, to acknowledge a Child.

But who is this Child of Christmas and why does the image have such power? We have religious and secular interpretations, and I would like to suggest a third – a soulful interpretation. <

Religious Recovery retreats available

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:28:49 -0600

Please contact Dr. Winell at recoveryfromreligiongmail.com for more information about dates and locations, and join the mailing list on this site. See the news story about a previous retreat at "Ex-fundamentalists find peace at retreat."

"RELEASE AND RECLAIM" Workshop Series
Recovering from authoritarian religious training can be very challenging and even more of a struggle if one feels alone.

Reaction to Matthew Murray case, from Debra Thornley

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:25:21 -0600

On Sunday, December 9, 2007, a young man entered a church in Colorado.
He was armed and dangerous, opening fire and killing two people before
a security guard wounded him. The gunman then turned the gun on
himself and ended his life. According to the reports, he was troubled,
possibly mentally ill, and angry at the church who had rejected him,
saying he was not social enough to be a missionary.

Colorado shootings and religious abuse

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:31:45 -0600

We don't know exactly what Matthew Murray was going through that led to the Colorado shootings. But he apparently wrote the agonized postings of "Nightmare Child," on ex-pentecostals.com. He was suffering a lot of pain and rage, partly about his upbringing in the church and his continuing frustration with Christians. (Some of this was in May, 2007, when I invited him to contact me for help.)

Weekend workshop coming up Nov. 16-18 in Oakland, CA

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:36:25 -0500

LEAVING YOUR RELIGION?
It's not the end of the world.
Join us at a recovery retreat.

"RELEASE AND RECLAIM"
A workshop for letting go of religious indoctrination and reclaiming your life.

Led by Marlene Winell, Ph.D., psychologist and author of Leaving the Fold, A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion

WHEN: FRIDAY, Nov 16, 7PM until SUNDAY, Nov 18, 3PM.

Ways to get help

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:33:11 -0500

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.

Upcoming "Release and Reclaim" Retreats

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 02:24:15 -0500

October 5-7 in Seattle, WA

November 2-4 in the San Francisco Bay Area

December 7-9 in Orange County, CA

January 11-13 in Tucson, AZ

A workshop for letting go of religious indoctrination and reclaiming your life.

Led by Marlene Winell, Ph.D., psychologist and author of
Leaving the Fold, A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion

Release and Reclaim retreat held in Oakland, CA

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:41:54 -0500

by Michelle G. Lyerly

Rebecca Rosen, reporter for the Contra Costa Times, in conversation with retreat participants. See her article "Ex-fundamentalists find peace at retreat."

They say that a faith ridden with doubts is already on its way out, but add fear into the equation, and the situation changes.

Dr. Marlene Winell, psychologist and author of Leaving the Fold: A Guide to Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion, knows this situation firsthand. As the daughter of a missionary and former devotee of the evangelical faith, she understands the lasting consequences of breaking away from authoritarian religion. Dr. Winell uses her training in the psychology of human development to work with others, helping them confront the demons of the past and regain their footing.

How do you deal with family?

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 11:18:50 -0500

This is an invitation for contributions. It seems that many people who have recovered from religious indoctrination and feel rather healed in their personal lives still have a great challenge when it comes to relating to family members who are still "in the fold." What have you found works for you? Please write and I will post your insights for the benefit of others, as well as share some thoughts of my own.

Book talk in Berkeley

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:52:08 -0500

Hello,
This is to let you know I'll be talking on
"Losing Your Religion – What's the Problem?" followed by a discussion about leaving Christian fundamentalism. This will be based on my book, which has been reprinted and available at the event - "Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion." We'll be looking at issues for individual recovery and also the larger problem of authoritarianism in a democracy.

Telephone/online group for religious recovery

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 17:13:04 -0500

Release and Reclaim virtual therapy group

What do we do? We have monthly conference CALLS for discussing subjects on our minds and providing support to each other. We also have an online group site for our FORUM and other features at http://groups.google.com/group/reclaim. This is a new development, moving it from marlenewinell.net so we can do more with it.

New members are invited to post profiles, including your religious/spiritual history and story of recovery to date. The site now has profiles and discussion threads and continues to be under construction.

Response to Battlecry, SF City Hall

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:49:56 -0500

City Hall Steps, San Francisco, March 9th, 2007.

Battlecry is a fundamentalist youth organization that is gaining strength and was recently in San Francisco. (see: http://battlecry.com/) Prior to their demonstration about moral values there was a press conference of people addressing the threat of the Christian right. The San Francisco chronicle had this story:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/09/BAGGNOIKNB4.DTL

Connection

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 02:06:09 -0600

Yes, we have an issue of feeling connected to other human beings. And what a lot of ways people try to accomplish that, and not all healthy. Joining a group is certainly one, whether it is a cult or a political cause or a golf club. Another is the love relationship. We all know the pressure brought to bear on that one.

As I try to analyze this, I'm thinking we should start with admitting the need. We are social animals. In a basic, evolutionary sense, we need each other - for survival, if not company. Craving an intimate relationship contributes to reproduction. Needing to belong keeps an individual from wandering off from the tribe where it would be dangerous. I think it's interesting to consider our modern feelings in the light of ancient impulses because our emotional make-up is thousands of years behind other aspects of our evolution. We see this in other areas of course, like aggression, defending territory, etc.

How to speak with former friends from church

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:00:36 -0600

Many of the people I work with in recovering from fundamentalism dread meeting up with contacts from their previous life because it can be so disturbing to be treated as "fallen." After working on this issue, one woman happily described finally being able to hold such a conversation and "come away intact," which I thought was an apt description. Here is a story I just received today from another woman who had an empowering experience and wanted to share it with others. I hope it will inspire you.