How Christian Lay Counseling Can Exacerbate Abuse

In the case of families with undisclosed or unacknowledged abuse, Christian lay counseling can be highly damaging.

The Curse of Being Bound to an Image

“This is the curse of being bound to an image of what your life should look like.”

Differentiation and Emotional Cut-offs

“Acceptance in a group is a universal need, but a problem arises when the cost is too great.”

The Impact of Parental Values and Opinions on Educational Outcomes

“An education holds more weight than just a piece of paper.”

Socialization and Psychological Maltreatment: Isolating Children and Teenagers

“Socialization is not a joke.”

Navigating the Justice System, Part Three: As a Young Adult

“Once it was truly clear to me that what happened in my home was abusive and not normal I decided to try to end the abuse for everyone.”

Navigating the Justice System, Part Two: When My Parents Went to Court

“It is very difficult to risk being the whistleblower when surrounded by others who do not seem to recognize the problem.”

Navigating the Justice System, Part One: Alone at 9 Years Old

“There is an outrageous lack of support for children who are put in the position of navigating the justice system, and there is not a great deal of information on the consequences for the children.”

The Psychological Cost Of Not Being Provided For

“We were taught that others were entitled to what they wanted, but we were not. Because we had to take what others no longer wanted, we felt like the trash of the church. We were taught that what we wanted was not important.”

Forgiveness and Power

“Over the course of my life I have been instructed to forgive so many times. Ironically, the people who were telling me to forgive were also the people who spent a good deal of time telling me that in reality there was nothing to forgive, or that no wrong doing had occurred.”