Valerie Tarico is a Seattle-based psychologist and author. In private practice since 1993, she previously directed the Children's Behavior and Learning Clinic in Bellevue, Washington. Currently, in addition to her writing and lectures, she maintains a practice specializing in adolescents and families. Her first book, Deas and Other Imaginings, is a collection of stories described as "somewhere between Zen and folktales, somewhere between child's play and wisdom, somewhere between dreaming th

Jacket Text Why are women leaving the Roman Catholic faith? Why are so many refusing to raise their children as Catholics? What has made some women so outraged at Catholicism that this anger remains long after they have left the church? What would make these women view themselves as "recovering Catholics"? Women are leaving the Catholic church in record numbers. Many question a faith that continues to maintain a patriarchal attitude toward them. Some women are disturbed by the church's obses

I have been writing an ongoing series in regards to the troubling subject of religiously motivated child abuse--one of the darker secrets of the dominionist community--starting with an article regarding one of the five to fifteen or more reported deaths a year in the US attributable to religiously motivated child abuse and which are largely summarised in a wrap-up here. Some of these cases are truly horrifying--including kids being shuttled to multiple locations for continuation of abuse and ev

This blog is intended mainly for clergy abuse survivors and those who seek information about Baptist clergy abuse. It's just my own thoughts. For more information and the voice of SNAP Baptist, see StopBaptistPredators.org. My Photo Christa Brown Wife, mom, attorney, jazz-lover, slow-runner, and survivor of Southern Baptist clergy abuse

Weekend retreat for fundamentalists in recovery. Conducted by Marlene Winnell, author of Leaving the Fold Between an introduction and appendix provided by Babinski, 33 former Christian fundamentalists explain how and why they first embraced, and later abandoned, that belief system. Of these, eight have become atheists, eight (including Babinski) agnostics, one a wiccan, and one a Zen Buddhist; the remainder have remained Christian. Major contemporary religious writers such as Harvey Cox and S

Psychological Issues of Former Members of Restrictive Religious Groups by Jim Moyers, MA, MFT While this article was originally written for psychotherapists working with ex-fundamentalists, it should be helpful for anyone who has been involved with a restrictive religious group. Restrictive religious groups, characterized by rigid beliefs, authoritarian structure, rejection of mainstream culture, and isolation from outside influences that might lead to questions about the group's teachings