Faustina was a devout Catholic and member of a religious order. A priest and several female assistants came to minister to her congregation. The visitors used "Theophostic Prayer Ministry". Initially Faustina had horrid images of abuse by her parents. Later she came to doubt and reject the memories as not real. In her small group she was forced to argue with others that her memories were not true. The memories, retraction and shame still impact her. She never did confront her parents with the false memories. The fact that she allowed such memories to be nurtured still shames her.I am a consecrated religious who lived in community with other Catholic religious. A priest arrived with a number of others from a nearby reputable Catholic University to provide counseling and personal development. Small groups were formed and I was assigned to one of the groups. Personal sharing was the stated goals of the group.
After hearing the stories of childhood sexual abuse detailed by some of the visitors during group sessions I was moved by the emotions of empathy and sympathy. After a number of meetings I openly stated that my parents had abused me. Members of the group encouraged me to share more of the details as time passed and I experienced being liked and accepted even by some who were once rather distant from me. Over time, in prayer, I began to doubt my "memories". I became convinced that the events depicted could not have happened. When I shared my doubts with my group they argued with me and insisted that the memories must be real and that I was mistaken! It was tormenting to actually doubt such memories and not know if they were true or not. Eventually I came to know the memories were not real events but rather imagined like in a dream. The emotional support of the group waned as the disagreement became more entrenched. I am certain now that these memories were never true.
Another member of the my order then accused me of wrongdoing that I was unable to ever remember happening. I think now that possibly something I did may have been exaggerated and the rift between she and myself unfortunately remained.
I never did confront my parents but knowing that I had once made such false accusations about my loving parents was deeply disturbing. This event has troubled ever since.
Eventually the priest and assistants left. I was so ashamed of my being led into such horrid memories that I have remained silent. Others think the ministry was "good" and so in order to keep peace and focus on our ministry of service I have remained silent. I imagine that there are many others like me. The priest and his assistants may be continuing to practice this suggestive and misleading group therapy today. I am sure that there are many others like me. I pray for those wounded and shamed by this approach to helping.
Editor’s Comment: The retractor provides a remarkable insight into how a prayer ministry that assumes "repressed memory" to be a fact, combined with a person having significant authority predictably nurtures false memories.
The Theophostic Prayer Ministry author openly calls "repressed memories" a "fact". This position is in spite of the universal rejection of repressed memories by credentialed scientists, psychologists, psychiatrists who have done peer reviewed studies and rulings of the Supreme Courts at both the state and federal levels.
The false memories generated using this program were in this case done by a highly credentialed authority. Priests normally have degrees and post graduate academic studies in addition to pastoral training. The implementation is always variant with the precise instructions of this "prayer ministry", as is always the case for such distributions of services, BUT the outcome is very predictable and repeatedly so. Use of this program in a culture having a popular media overwhelmed with sexual images from early youth are certain to generate horrid false memories of sexual abuse.
In addition the issue of shame, which silences so many victims, is clearly revealed by the victim of this "prayer ministry". This shame is partly the reason such programs continue to breed falsehood and tragedy. The silence imposed by shame insures the spread of more falsehood and more painful tragedies.
The Theophostic Prayer Ministry author openly calls "repressed memories" a "fact". This position is in spite of the universal rejection of repressed memories by credentialed scientists, psychologists, psychiatrists who have done peer reviewed studies and rulings of the Supreme Courts at both the state and federal levels.
The false memories generated using this program were in this case done by a highly credentialed authority. Priests normally have degrees and post graduate academic studies in addition to pastoral training. The implementation is always variant with the precise instructions of this "prayer ministry", as is always the case for such distributions of services, BUT the outcome is very predictable and repeatedly so. Use of this program in a culture having a popular media overwhelmed with sexual images from early youth are certain to generate horrid false memories of sexual abuse.
In addition the issue of shame, which silences so many victims, is clearly revealed by the victim of this "prayer ministry". This shame is partly the reason such programs continue to breed falsehood and tragedy. The silence imposed by shame insures the spread of more falsehood and more painful tragedies.
This personal story is based on a case obtained (6/14/16) through an interview by Theresa Burgess (Tree.Burgess@ gmail.com). The religious wishes to remain anonymous.
NOTE: This retraction is a rare example of integrity and courage. Many live with the false memories their entire lives and rob their children of grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. Losing contact at a time when the children most benefit from that contact.
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WARNING
If you are seeking help for personal struggles and a therapist, counselor or friend says that "recovering childhood memories can help you get better" then IMMEDIATELY get up from your chair (or off the couch), run to the door, open it and flee. Hundreds of thousands have lost families, years of productive living and squandered immense wealth with tragedy inducing therapy that produces horrid false memories, splinters families, isolates the client and is documented to cause decline in mental health.
If you are seeking help for personal struggles and a therapist, counselor or friend says that "recovering childhood memories can help you get better" then IMMEDIATELY get up from your chair (or off the couch), run to the door, open it and flee. Hundreds of thousands have lost families, years of productive living and squandered immense wealth with tragedy inducing therapy that produces horrid false memories, splinters families, isolates the client and is documented to cause decline in mental health.
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Grace and I while visiting family in New England
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