Licensed clinical social worker and ex-Christian Scientist Cara returns for part two of The Mental Health episode. In this episode, Cara does a live grounding demonstration you can do at home, and answers more of your mental health questions. See below for resources. Here are some topics covered: 2:00 - what is the anxiety/CS connection? 6:00 - a 20 minute-ish grounding demonstration (feel free to join in) 31:00 - how is distracting yourself from negative thoughts or feelings different...

Licensed social worker and former guest Cara returns to answer some questions about mental health posted in our ex-CS Facebook group. Here are some topics covered in this part 1: 2:00 - different types of therapists 23:00 - therapists vs coaches 29:00 - the code of ethics that therapists maintain 39:00 - different types of therapy 44:00 - an explanation of EMDR 59:00 - PTSD and CPTSD 1:23:00 - help for attachment issues - internal family systems, somatic therapy, DBT, CBT, CPT and...

In this episode, Sheri discusses childhood ailments and accidents that, left untreated, led to issues later in life, and walking the fine line of maintaining relationships with loved ones still in CS after leaving. The book Sheri references is The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy and the History of Christian Science by Georgia Milmine

Sarah discusses navigating her mother's medical issues and cognitive dissonance, plus battling her own perfectionism as a result of growing up in CS

In this bonus episode, I compare and contrast the experience of growing up in a religious community and belief, and subsequently leaving it, with ex-LDS (Mormon) Paul

Barbara discusses her boundary-pushing mother, dental trauma, finding empathy for her parents and their own childhood traumas, and finally finding her way out of CS. Below are some resources Barbara would like to share that were helpful to her: Books: Mothers Who Can’t Love: A Healing Guide for Daughters by Susan Forward • Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell • Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind over Body by Jo Marchand • Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking is...

Wendy discusses leaving Christian Science physically but not mentally early on in life, and finding her way out later with the help of a career in massage therapy and embracing science

David discusses growing up in CS with a struggling single dad, experiences at Principia and Adventure Unlimited that made him question, and finding therapy later in life that helped him put the pieces together

In this episode, Joseph discusses his difficult family dynamics, life at Prin, and finding his way to a more authentic self with the help of therapy and independent study

Emi discusses growing up in a dysfunctional Christian Science home, finding a very non-CS career path, and recovering from narcissistic abuse Here are some book recommendations mentioned in this episode: No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz https://www.audible.com/pd/B09GKYDGZQ?source_code=ASSOR150021921000V Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine on Audible. https://www.audible.com/pd/B002V5BMPE?source_code=ASSOR150021921000V Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy by Susan McConnell...

Todd talks about his Christian Science youth, navigating a narcissistic relationship, and finding help through learning about psychology and attending support groups

Todd talks about his Christian Science youth, navigating a narcissistic relationship, and finding help through learning about psychology and attending support groups

Todd talks about his Christian Science youth, navigating a narcissistic relationship, and finding help through learning about psychology and attending support groups

From time to time I'll talk with non ex-Christian Scientists as a way of seeing the similarities between these groups and the common pathways out. Today I talk with ex-Evangelical Sarah, who talks about purity culture, fear of hellfire, and balancing relationships with family still in

This week, Emily talks about her Christian Science marriage, her mother's Christian Science death, and how pursuing the arts saved her

Jodi talks about the process of class instruction and becoming a Christian Science practitioner, grieving her dad, and finally leaving Christian Science and belief entirely. The video freezes briefly at about 60:00 for thirty seconds; the audio is unaffected.

Licensed social worker and ex-Christian Scientist Cara talks about the institutionalized gaslighting in CS and how this kind of belief system interrupts healthy attachments with our caregivers, forcing on us an unnatural individualism and inability to resolve conflict

Chandler discusses how being a curious kid was the gateway to leaving belief in Christian Science, a life changing accident that set him on a different path, and how our training as "good little workers" in Christian Science has unintended consequences

Julie talks about navigating the medical system, using logic to explain the fallacy of faith healings, and the importance of mental health care after leaving Christian Science

In this episode, Morgan discusses navigating pain, allergies and the medical world in general after a childhood in CS, and finding our way to more healthy communal experiences without church

In this episode I interview Elizabeth. We discuss her multi-generational CS family, what it was like to go from "all in" to out, the rocky road to medical care, and surviving a measles outbreak at the top Christian Science boarding school

I interview Jeremy, one of the Ex-Christian Scientists Facebook group admins about his multi-generational CS family, his parents' deaths, and how he came to be a non-believer

The first episode of Leaving Christian Science, in which I interview my sister Madeleine as a way to tell our family's story of finding and eventually leaving Christian Science.