East of England Community Chaplaincy

Freedom Therapy, a release from Spiritual Abuse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we think of Spiritual Abuse, we think in terms of being brainwashed, perhaps via a cult or some other hard line religious group. We might think in terms of being scarred by our own "dabbling" in other spiritual paths or practices. This may even include involvment with the dark arts. These can and may all lead to Spiritual Abuse.

 

Abuse, however, can be much more subtle than that, and far less obvious to those on the receiving end. By its very defintion , abuse is an act, often persistant, of making someone else feel unworthy, even frightenened and compelled to act and live in a way contrary to who they are.

 

Spiritual Abuse happens up and down the country, in homes, churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and indeed anywhere where people gather to express a religious practice or belief system. Even the seemingly welcoming local vicar may unwittingly be abusing those in his church who are vulnerable by his portrayal of a Loving God - who we constantly have to appease due to our unworthiness.

 

Over the years we have seen so many people who are scarred from their experience of religion (what ever expression that takes) , it may be simply a case of a constant dripping tap, being made to feel unworthy or unloved, perhaps due to sexuality, lifestyle or what religious groups term "liberal" beliefs. Many of these people are yearning to expolore their spiritual self but find that in doing so they are made to feel that they are turning their backs on God - in fact all they are doing is turning their backs on one narrow understanding .

 

We work with people on a one-to-one basis to help them to be comfortable with themselves, comfortable with their concept of God / The Divine and to unravel and dispense with the abusive influences of the past - We call this "Freedom Therapy" - Freedom to be ourselves and to be comfortable with our own spirituality.

If you would like to explore this further, do get in touch.