Connie A Baker MA LPC

Therapist, speaker, religious trauma recovery specialist, survivor advocate, author of Traumatized by Religious Abuse: Courage, Hope and Freedom for Survivors.

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

@DefendTheSheep @blueeyesredhair Oh my goodness, I love your daughter! YES. (Said as a therapist, woman of strong faith, mother and grandmother!)

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

Do I need permission to #deconstruct? EVERY DAY I sit with people who are agonizing over their faith, reevaluating their spiritual journey. The label is new, but the process is as old as Christianity itself. #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse Read more: https://t.co/4Nj8wHBQN8

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

Be curious about your triggers. Learn to identify, admit, avoid and manage triggers that provoke a traumatic response in you. Healing triggers is essential for your health in all domains – physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual. #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

There is rarely just one thing that creates a context for #religiousabuse. Identifying all of the contributing factors that make someone susceptible to #spiritualabuse and putting them all into context can neutralize a survivor’s shame and bring clarity. #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

Major life upheaval like a major transition, job change, move, divorce and feelings of loneliness, grief and loss can put anyone at a disadvantage when dealing with a predator or trying to protect themselves in an abusive system. #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

@TruthThatHeals Great to hear, Ryan! Cheering you on!

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

#religiousabuse forces us to grieve our identity. Members often entwine their identities with the institution. When the institution fails, they will likely question everything – their relationships, their role, their spiritual life and their own sense of self. #spiritualabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

#religiousabuse affects our sense of meaning and purpose, our understanding of how this world works, how we see the Divine and how we see life after death. It deeply impacts (and often ruptures) our entire worldview. #spiritualabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

The damage that happens to survivors of #spiritualabuse is different than other types of abuse. With other types of abuse, the damages can be physical/concrete/observable. Religious abuse does specific, profound and unique damage to the soul and spirit. #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

@LynneV87 @smile4wales I totally get what you’re saying! That is so common among us survivors… It needs to be made real. I’m so glad you have a good counselor!

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

A survivor’s healing process is facilitated by 3 things: 1) to have the language to label the experience 2) to understand the mechanisms surrounding their abuse 3) to have confirmation from others that what they experienced was real. #religiousabuse #spiritualabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

A prolonged state of confusion (often present in religious abuse survivors) is profoundly
damaging to the psyche. To heal, we must name what has happened, define it and understand it before we can heal. #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

Among religious abuse survivors, there is one entirely consistent element: a profound sense
of confusion. People find themselves asking, “What’s happening? Why is this happening?
Am I crazy? Is this really what I think it is?” #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

In abusive systems, when anyone deviates from what the system teaches or the leader desires, it gets labeled as “sin”. This is a powerful form of control. #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

If church leadership holds the keys to public perception or reputation of specific people, that leadership holds a dangerous amount of power that can easily be misused. #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

“Unsafe people demand trust instead of earn it.” -Drs. Townsend and Cloud #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

Reminder to survivors: Predators are adept at seeing the traits that make a person susceptible to abuse and then exploiting those traits for their gain. Their cunning is the problem – not you. #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

Abuse recovery is about reclaiming agency - your own personal power. You are in charge of you. You are in charge of your story. #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

Us vs Them Mentality: The idea is that the world is a big bad guy who is out to get the little group, and the group has to draw in close to defend itself against the threat. #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse

[Connie A Baker MA LPC @ConnieABaker1]

The ultimate threat in religious abuse centers around supernatural or spiritual punishment: “If you behave (or believe) that way, you will go to hell/lose your salvation/incur God’s wrath.” #spiritualabuse #religiousabuse