RELIGIOUS TRAUMA
"I think that harmful religious training may be one of the great unrecognized causes of mental and physical illness in our culture,” writes Physician Martin Rossman as he noticed a disturbing trend among his patients. Many were suffering from the lifelong consequences of being raised in a toxic religious environment. “A great number of people I see in my medical practice have been traumatized rather than uplifted by their early religious training.”
Although not yet added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the term “religious trauma syndrome” (RTS) is gaining traction with therapists and other experts to describe the negative mental health effects of unhealthy or harmful religious experiences.
Common symptoms of religious trauma include shame, self-hatred, perfectionism, hypervigilance, difficulty making decisions. loss of community, lack of boundaries, delayed social milestones, sexual dysfunction, and mental health disorders (e.g., PTSD, depression, anxiety, addictions, OCD and eating disorders.
Conventional treatments for religious trauma include EMDR, cognitive behavioral therapy, faith-based therapy, radically open dialectical behavior therapy, et al.
In this panel we will explore the use of psychedelic medicines in healing religious trauma.
PANELISTS
Deeply immersed in fundamental Christianity from birth, Norm navigated a varied business career while devoting himself to fully to furthering the aims of the church. His youth was filled with vacation bible school, Sunday school, and church camps. He gave his life to Jesus when he was eight, and later fulfilled his parents dreams by entering a conservative evangelical college to become a missionary or pastor. He later became a church leader devoting time, money, and mind to living and spreading the truth of the Gospel. He and his wife raised their three children to be devoted Christians, schooling them in biblical traditions and beliefs. The world came to a screeching stop on a Friday morning in July when they learned their son had committed suicide. This was the beginning of a journey out of tragedy into an awareness of the deep wounds caused by religious trauma, an awareness only possible with the help of therapy, psychedelics and compassion.
Phoenix is an alchemist, change agent, spiritual midwife, and social artist who is passionate about shifting normative paradigms in our society. In her practice, she stimulates the transmutation of stagnant energy into creative action.
She created the term “freedom doula” in 2020, as one of her duties in this life is to assist individuals & groups as a spiritual steward while they birth forward a new, empowered life of their own creation. Throughout her life, Phoenix has been a devotee to the sacred mission of service. For the past 20 years, she has engaged in work as a community organizer, workshop facilitator, guest/panelist speaker, event programmer, and healer. She has also been teacher and youth mentor, in addition to being a mother.
Phoenix has experience as a psychedelic integration facilitator, psychedelic trip sitter & psycho-spiritual guide. She has also previously participated in MAPS sponsored, The Zendo Project. She has developed her talents through studies of traditional indigenous healing practices, various forms of divination, ritual and ceremonial works. As a divine channel of the spirit world, shamanic journeying, theta and pranic energetic healing modalities are incorporated into her practice.
Erin Doumert. As someone who has experienced religious trauma firsthand, I understand just how painful and complex the healing process can be. That's why I am here to offer a safe, supportive space where individuals can begin to let go of the resentment and shame that may be holding them back. Whether you are struggling with doubts about your faith, dealing with the aftermath of spiritual abuse, or simply feeling disconnected from your religious community, I am here to help you find your inner peace so that you can be content and live in the present moment.
For many people who have experienced religious trauma, the journey towards healing can be a long and challenging one. But with the right tools and support, it is possible to move past the hurt and begin to rebuild a sense of trust and connection with yourself and with others. As a Psychedelic Integration Specialist and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner focusing in religious trauma, I am here to provide a compassionate, non-judgmental space where you can explore your inner world, confront your pain, and ultimately find a path towards healing and growth.
Kayla Felten, MSW, LICSW (she/her) has been an advocate for religious trauma and spiritual abuse survivors throughout her career, as the co-founder of the Reclamation Collective, as well as a Psychedelic Therapist in her clinical work. In both of these realms of practice, Kayla has been able to support those in the process of reclaiming their inner peace, relational harmony, autonomy, pleasure, and authentic self. Kayla was initially invited to facilitate support groups for survivors of spiritual abuse due to abuses of power taking place in plant medicine and yogi contexts within Minnesota. This experience helped expand her understanding of spiritual abuse both within and outside of religious contexts, and has allowed her to be a voice of advocacy within the psychedelic and therapeutic communities she shows up in to inspire heightened awareness of the power dynamics present in these containers for potential healing, while acknowledging the coexisting potential for abuse.
With over four years experience facilitating support groups, integration circles, retreats, and teaching workshops for folks navigating themes of religious trauma, spiritual abuse, deconstruction, and reclamation through the Reclamation Collective, Kayla aspires to curate expanded offerings for survivors on their healing trajectories that prioritize personal autonomy and pursue radical authenticity.
MODERATORS
The panel will be co-moderated by Brad Adams, Ph.D., founder of the Los Angeles Medicinal Psychedelics Society (LAMPS), and Paul Lisy, documentary filmmaker and LAMPS partner.
Eventbrite Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psychedelics-for-healing-religious-trauma-tickets-622094821357