John I was referring to you. You gave up TM how many years ago yet it seems to have quite a grip on you now.
Instead of just moving on with your life, even though you may not be participating in the TM world/programs, you are spending quite a bit of time in TM world via all these discussions. KN than it could havse--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "John M. Knapp, LMSW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > You are a therapist? Would you recommend that a patient, once he saw > > the error of his ways, spend the next 20 years wallowing in it? > > Sorry, KH, I'm not following your thought here. I suggest that no one "wallow in it." > Certainly not clients in my practice. > > My clients and I typically spend about 4 sessions or so talking about the processes that > may have been present in their group. Then we spend 4 or so sessions practicing simple > cognitive behavioral techniques to help cope with any lingering mental, emotional, social, > or spiritual challenges they may be facing. > > For most that's it. Some few clients choose to work longer. Some choose to work less. > > If you have an interest, check out http://knappfamilycounseling.com/cultdefine.html or > http://knappfamilycounseling.com/razor.html where I talk about the dangers of dwelling > on "blaming the cult." > > In my work, I say blame is largely about the past: Who did what to whom when. It doesn't > bring about change. > > I emphasize responsibility, which is about the future. No matter what happened to a client > in the past, only the client can take responsibility for changing his or her life. > > As to my wallowing in it personally, if that was your meaning, TM is a relatively small part > of my life -- and has been for some time. That's why I let the trancenet.net domain > registration lapse. (I brought it back because I received a number of requests to do so.) > > I would say less than a third of my current clients were involved with TM. These days the > largest group were involved with various Bible-based groups. > > But some people do feel called to being an activist. Nearly every religion has an active > reform group. Do you feel the fellows who founded SNAP, who seek justice for children > molested in the Catholic Church, should just get over it? > > They're an inspiration to many in and out of the Catholic Church. > > My influence is a tiny fraction of theirs, I know. But I do what I can. I wish I were more > gifted. But we all work with the cards we're dealt. > > Being a cult activist is not something I recommend to anyone. In fact, quite the opposite. I > recommend to my clients that they avoid replacing the high-intensity of their group with > the high-intensity of cult activism for at least a year after leaving their group. I think it's > important that people rediscover their authentic selves before rushing off into a new > cause. > > I was offered this advice way back in 1995 as I was leaving TM. I wish I had taken it. My > exit from TM was messy and painful. I think many of my more over-the-top writings at > that time would have been quite different if I had looked to my own needs and challenges > before rushing off into the Internet wars. > > But what's past is past. I've tried to be more temperate in the last 8 years or so. > > J. >
