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My 2021 Birthday Mantra
Since my birthday is so close to the new year, I have been writing birthday mantras (statements of “I am…”) for the last several years in replacement of New Year resolutions (which I’m not a fan of but I do like mantras). These mantras have helped me own my life as well as recognize and appreciate the growth from year to year. Lots of growth, lots of changes since I began this practice. To catch up, you can read last year’s. This year I add three more: I am content. Resisting life brings suffering and who needs that? So being content is important to me. That means I am trying…
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Chapter 7: Research Findings on Healing from Trauma
Chapters One through Five included in depth discussions on the research of church trauma and how it is affecting the worth, the faith, the truth, and the ambition of so many within the Mormon Church. Chapter Six contained an analysis and discussion on how a path of healing might be sought and achieved. Chapter Seven will include how the research was obtained and organized. The hypothesis presented in Chapter One will be examined, along with the research findings. Conclusions will be drawn as to where the Church is now and where it seems to be heading. Ideas for future research will be offered. A complete bibliography of all the chapters…
- Acceptance, Anger, Depression, Effects of Trauma on the Family, Fear, Healing, Mental Illness, Self-Care, Shame
Chapter 6: Accepting the Reality of Trauma and Researched-Based Treatments
In chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, we explored the harmful causes and effects of church trauma. Now we will discuss how to heal and find meaningful beauty and rebirth post trauma. Accepting the Reality of Trauma With so much pain to deal with in regards to church trauma, it often feels very overwhelming and discouraging as victims try to begin piecing their lives together again. It can seem nearly impossible to make sense of it all. Yet, if there is one essential truth that must be grasped in overcoming trauma, it is that in order to heal, one must feel. With that, research shows that there has to…
- Abuser Loyalty, Acceptance, Anger, Church doctrine, Church Exodus, Codependency, Cultural Behavior, Danna Hartline's articles, Depression, Discrimination, Dissociation, Dissonance, Effects of Trauma on the Family, Fear, Fellowship, LDS Women, Leadership, Mental Illness, Modesty, Mormon Culture, Organizational Behavior, Patriarchal Structure, Post Traumatic Church Syndrome, Self-Care, Self-trust, Sex, Shame, Suicide, Trauma vs. Offense, Unrighteous Dominion, Unsafe policies
Chapter 5: Four More Consequences of Church Trauma
Chapter 4 discussed four common effects of Church Trauma: cognitive dissonance, church exodus, dissociation, and abuser loyalty. This chapter addresses four more consequences of Church Trauma: loss of identity, mental disorder, family dysfunction, and shame. Loss of Identity Trauma messes with concept of self. After one is traumatized by the Church, victims often have no idea who they are anymore. The Mormon Church is not just a religion; it’s a lifestyle. Hence traumatization can cause a complete upheaval to a person’s construction of reality, including the self, other people, life, and the future. Few can appreciate the sheer terror religious trauma can create (Tarico, 2015). Many considerations must be examined—“Should…
- Abuser Loyalty, Anger, Church doctrine, Church Exodus, Codependency, Cultural Behavior, Danna Hartline's articles, Depression, Dissociation, Dissonance, Fear, lds culture, Leadership, Mormon Culture, Organizational Behavior
Chapter 4: Four Consequences of Church Trauma
Consequences of Church Trauma Now that we have discussed many of the causal factors of church trauma (see chapters two and three) within the Mormon Church, it is important to also look at the consequences of traumatic situations found there. Although the focus will be on consequences of trauma in the Mormon faith, it is important to note that these consequences can be found within most sufferers of church trauma, regardless of the religion. Indeed, because of church trauma, we see many serious side effects, including the following: cognitive dissonance, church exodus, dissociation, abuser loyalty, loss of identity, mental disorders, family dysfunction, and shame. Each will be discussed below: (Added…
- Abuser Loyalty, Church doctrine, Church history, Codependency, Cultural Behavior, Danna Hartline's articles, Discrimination, Dissonance, lds culture, LDS Women, Leadership, Modesty, Mormon Culture, Organizational Behavior, Patriarchal Structure, Priesthood, Racism, Shame, Unrighteous Dominion, Unsafe policies
Chapter 3: Five More Causes of Trauma in the Mormon Church
Chapter 2 addressed three causal factors of trauma in the Mormon Church: Unsustainable History, Church Doctrine, and Unsafe Policies. This chapter addresses five more: Patriarchal Structure, Organizational Behavior, Cultural Behavior, Unrighteous Dominion, and Discrimination. Like Chapter 2, the discussion is just an overview and is not comprehensive. Further, not all causal factors of trauma are addressed in my thesis, as there are potentially several but I tried to hit on some of the main factors. If you have not yet read Chapter 2 or Chapter 1, it might be beneficial before or after reading this chapter. Pictured below is the Church Trauma Tree that was referenced in Chapter 2. Patriarchal…
- Church doctrine, Church history, Danna Hartline's articles, lds culture, Leadership, Mormon Culture, Priesthood, Racism, Unrighteous Dominion, Unsafe policies
Chapter 2: Three Causal Factors of Trauma in the Mormon Church
Here is Chapter 1 in case you missed it. This chapter (chapter 2) does not entail all that is promised in the Review of Related Literature below because I am breaking the publication up into smaller sections. (Remember my thesis is 112 pages.) But I am keeping it true to how it is found in the original thesis. After the overview and a brief explanation of each root, there will be a discussion of the first three causal factors of church trauma within the Mormon Church: Unsustainable Church History, Church Doctrine, and Unsafe Policies. Next week I will address the last five causal factors, followed by chapters addressing the consequences…
- Danna Hartline's articles, Healing, Mental Illness, Post Traumatic Church Syndrome, Self-Care, Shame, Suicide, Unrighteous Dominion
Chapter 1: Understanding and Managing Church Trauma—Finding Help and Healing for Mormons
Following is my master’s thesis on church trauma. I will post it in sections. This article will include all of my thesis’s chapter one but because chapter two is so long and comprehensive, it will be published in smaller parts (the whole thesis is 112 pages). For easier reading and clarity, I will label each section a new chapter. Because it is a thesis, it is quite formal in nature, which I hope will be appreciated. I will plan on posting a new section weekly. May you enjoy and find value in this series. Chapter One Introduction Church trauma is a largely uncharted area of investigation that is just beginning…
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My 2020 Birthday Mantra
For my birthday, it’s become a tradition to write three statements of “I am…” as a way of noting growth and progress over the year. I’ve been doing this instead of New Year’s resolutions. The first year I did this (two years ago), my mantra was “I am worthy; I am good enough; I am unshamed” and by so doing, I noted more growth within a year’s time than ever before in my life. I was able to step out of a harmful environment which challenged me to seriously look at myself and by so doing, I really started to claim ownership of my life. I was astounded by the…
- Acceptance, Anger, Danna Hartline's articles, Depression, Effects of Trauma on the Family, Empathy, Love, Mental Illness, Shame, Suicide
Waves of Grief
A few months ago, I shared a story of a tragic suicide. Sadly, as preoccupied and short-sighted humans, we often momentarily mourn over the loss of a passing associate but then maybe forget about those who are left behind and the long-lasting effect the death–and the causes of it–has on them. Below is a follow-up on the dear mother of the deceased: Christine Burton. She offers some important insights of one who has been left to suffer mostly alone: “It has now been six months since my son Michael’s tragic and untimely death. What has transpired during this time frame, has been mind altering, eye opening, and heart rending! The tsunami…
