psychology, Religious Extremism
by tenpel

Walking Free from coercive, cultic and spiritual abuse

On Saturday, 15 July 2023, there was an Inform seminar on “Harm in New and Minority Religions: Sources of Support” at King’s College London.

Among other speakers¹ Gillie Jenkinson, Director of Hope Valley Counselling, gave a presentation of her new self-help work book “Walking Free from the Trauma of Coercive, Cultic and Spiritual Abuse”, published by Routledge. This work book offers a road map and tools for survivors for finding their way to “recovery and growth.”

I was thrilled when I listened to Gillie’s presentation because for me as a cult survivor the outlined map made a lot of sense – or as some would phrase it, ‘resonated a lot with me.’

So I’d like to share the key ideas of her new book with you.² Let me know in the comment section what you think about it. If anyone has made some experiences with Gillie’s self-help work book, please be so kind to share it with us!

The road map of the book divides the possible recovery and growth process into four phases and fifteen “milestones”. The latter are “psychoeducational areas that have been shown to be helpful.” The phases are:

  1. Phase One: Leave physically​
  2. Phase Two: Leave psychologically by cognitively understanding the dynamics of coercive control and spiritual abuse​
  3. Phase Three: Emotionally heal from harm caused – address suppressed feelings, traumatic stress and loss​
  4. Phase Four: Recognising recovery – ‘I am myself again’ & Post-Traumatic Growth [PTG]

 
In the following road map the phases are presented as “regions”. (Don’t be overpowered by the visual density of the road map. Healing from abuse is indeed a difficult and complex process that needs a lot of time and a rather great variety of support.)

The cartoons of the book are deliberately not coloured to enable survivors to colour it themselves as they work through the book.

If you look at the left corner at the bottom of the road map, you’ll see a person carrying a huge bag. The bag symbolises the ‘baggage’ we have in our hearts and minds when leaving a destructive high demand group, a cult, or a highly manipulative leader who have/has harmed us by different types of abuse. At the end of the process, the bag is empty (right corner at the bottom of the road map).

The Structure of “Walking Free​…”

Part 1 – Setting the scene – introduction, navigation, challenges, what is recovery. The reader can set their own ‘chosen destination’ to reflect on at the end of the journey​

Part 2 – ‘Who am I?’ – my story​

Part 3 – Preparing for the journey – looking after yourself as you walk free; grounding and journalling tips; which generation are you; family tree; create a timeline.​

Part 4 – The Walking Free Journey – through four Regions packed with 15 different psychoeducational areas or Milestones to aid understanding and recovery ​

Part 5 – Seeking therapy – general advice​

Part 6 – Advice for therapists – is just that!

The ‘baggage’

Leaving coercive, cultic and spiritually abusive settings comes with a ‘baggage’.

What can this ‘baggage’ include? It will include the harm been inflicted. According to Gillie Jenkinson’s presentation at Inform such harm can include:

  • Fear – existential, of repeating the experience, of leaving, of the leader
  • Shame – ‘how could I have been taken in like that’ or ‘done the things I did?’ ​
  • Loneliness and isolation – feel different and weird, don’t know who to trust​
  • Depression –low mood, low energy​
  • Despair – wanting to run away/give up/feel trapped/suicidal​
  • Dread – ‘something terrible may happen at any moment’​
  • Grief – for lost years in the group, loss of relationships in the group, and loss of relationships and years with family ​
  • Low-self esteem​
  • Anger and rage issues – healthy anger suppressed and turned to unprocessed hot or cold rage (Parker Hall, 2008)​
  • Obsessional thoughts​
  • Confusion​
  • Altered states/floating​
  • Traumatic hyper-arousal and heightened anxiety​
  • Dissociation
  • Phobias and panic attacks​
  • Struggling with bizarre beliefs – e.g. Armageddon is imminent and non-compliance with group is ‘sinful’ or gives off ‘negative energy’ or ‘encourages negative entities’​
  • Spiritual confusion – what to believe​
  • Indecision ​
  • Induced dependency and regression​
  • Difficulty moving on because still have family member in the group​

 
So much harm is caused …, and many of these are addressed in the process of working through the Walking Free Workbook.

The work book addresses professional help strategies​ and self-help strategies​. The book explains traumatic stress, gives support to unmask the leader, it offers worksheets, and it helps you in a very detailed way to understand yourself, the group, what happened, the relationships, the dynamics …; it gives you the much needed psychological background on the dynamics etc.

In all ways, it empowers you to walk free! Thank you Gillie Jenkinson and all those who contributed to the book, especially all survivors.

¹ The speakers included:

 
² The presentation of her book in this post is based on Gillie Jenkinson’s Powerpoint presentation she used at the Inform seminar.