This page is concerned with support for victims/survivors. This is: one to one counselling, personal support groups, media- books, magazines, videos, cassettes, the Internet, workshops and conferences, etc; where specifically can a victim/survivor get the support- the names of counsellors, counselling agencies, support groups, etc. It gives the addresses and/or telephone numbers of those specifically recommended.
They are categorised in terms of gender (men, women, both, referral- do not specifically see, but can refer to an appropriate agency, or not specified- need to ask them as they could not be approached because of mailing time or couldnt answer telephone calls, etc). They have been collected by reading endorsed literature. This is specifically, Beyond Survial, a national ritual abuse survivor newsletter which unfortunately is currently not being produced. Another way is through discussion with ritual abuse survivors and supporters living in their cities/regions. Some community agencies, support groups, newsletters, etc may have closed. If you could not talk to the agencies or support group it is best to ring your local sexual assault centre who generally are familiar with ritual abuse and who can then refer.
One to one counselling is talking to a single person as different to a group. The word counsellor is the main term to describe a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist or social worker. They are very important. A counsellor is someone who you can trust, who likes you and you like him/her, someone to tell your story, someone who knows what youre talking about, someone who will listen and validate, someone who can act on your behalf with police, social security, someone who will talk to family and friends, etc. For ritual abuse survivors and supporters, the issue is not generally talked about and so we need someone to assist us in validating the abuse.
By talking to a counsellor you are not putting anybody else at risk. A counsellor is someone where the information you tell him/her will stay only with that person. You do not need to worry that it will go to the police or another professional if you dont want it to.
Survivors and supporters find counselling either with those that are specifically trained and experienced in ritual abuse, or are general with no training and experience. A specific counsellor has attended workshops by ritual abuse agencies or within their departments and/or has many ritual abuse clients. He/she is very knowledgeable. A general counsellor is open to accepting it, is willing to be educated and uses their knowledge of abuse and recovery generally.
Specific counsellors are generally found within ritual abuse survivor/supporter agencies, sexual assault agencies, religion based counselling agencies, and multiple personality abuse counselling. Ritual abuse agencies have been set up to specifically deal with the issue. They are run by both survivors and supporters. Ritual abuse incorporates sexual assault, religious/spiritual abuse and sometimes multiple personality abuse. Individual counsellors within counselling agencies that work with these survivors have responded by understanding ritual abuse more fully. Sexual assault agencies are either within government health departments or are community based eg a rape and incest crisis centre. Sexual assault counsellors can sometimes be the first that survivors call upon as the first memories are generally sexual. Religion based counsellors eg Centacare, Careforce, are concerned about ritual religious abuse. (You also do not need to be religious to go to a religion based counselling service.) Multiple personality abuse counselling agencies are also concerned about the deliberate cult splitting and ways a person themselves dissociates. The survivor/supporter therefore rings the counselling agency and asks if they have a counsellor who works with ritual abuse. Some agencies may not have a specific counsellor, but will refer to another that does.
There are also many individual counsellors who are specfically concerned about the issue, and who work in a wide range of agencies and institutions outside of sexual assault etc. Eg. they may work at a university as a counsellor or as a relgious support worker, etc. When looking for a counsellor, you will find a supportive information network that will recommend someone who is experienced. For example, you may ring a sexual assault agency and they may say "No we dont have a person here who is experienced in ritual abuse, but we know that this person at this place does and we recommend her/him". Specific counsellors may also work in private practice, by themselves, and have a concern with the issue. They are referred by an agency or long term survivor. It is important that the agency or a long term survivor recommends a private practice counsellor as this situation is open to cult abuse. A cult member maybe posing as a counsellor in order to continue or reactivate the brainwashing and continue the abuse.
General counsellors, or those not knowledgeable, can be found almost anywhere in sexual assault agencies, in the phone book, etc. If the counsellor is outside a counselling agency, a survivor or supporter definitely needs a recommendation from another survivor or legitimate counselling agency as this situation is again open to cult abuse.
The advantages of a specific counsellor are: knowledge, experience, able to offer mutual support through knowing many survivors and referrals to other support. With a general counsellor, a disadvantage maybe in time spent in educating rather than counselling. However, if both people like each other this maybe overcome.
Finding the right counsellor is important. The major considerations are do you get on with this person and like them, how much do they cost, will they be stable eg not move, have lots of children, not go on holidays a lot, etc. Will they fulfill most of what is expected- validate, act on your behalf, find information, etc. Some counsellors may bring in their wrong beliefs and are pushy. This may include "saving the survivor and supporter from the devil", seeing "men or women as the enemy", etc. Travel is also a major consideration. In metropolitan areas, survivors and supporters have many counsellors available. In rural areas, there is a shortage of counsellors and so the survivor generally needs to find someone they can relate to locally or travel. Gender is also another consideration. Most community based services such as rape and incest survivor agencies are for women and children only. Men need to talk to a government or religious counselling agency.
Cost From my latest information, these are the costs in counselling. They are general estimations. They may differ because of individual services and with rising costs. You/the survivor needs to check with the service. Counselling with a government sexual assault centre is free. Community based services are also generally free. Religious counselling ask for a small percentage of the income which is sometimes not insisted upon. Doctors and psychiatrists can either bulk bill (cost nothing) or ask for the 15% medicare levy. They generally assist by bulk billing if you/the survivor are on benefits, allowances, pension or a low wage. Private psychologists cost and are the most expensive. Most do a sliding scale depending upon if you are on benefits, allowances, pension or low wage. You/the survivor can see the cost as a consideration and not the total one. The most important consideration is liking and trusting the counsellor.
It seems hard at first to talk to someone about ritual abuse. The survivor has lots of threats and violence supposedly against them. It also seems as if the survivor is the only person who knows about it. It is really important therefore to really trust someone. From my and other survivors experience, counsellors and people who have heard about ritual abuse will believe the survivor and will really support them. They will not call you a liar or betray your trust. This only happens with cult members or family who are themselves lied to. I have always been treated with respect and acceptance by counsellors and concerned people and this helped me to talk about it.
These are counselling agencies that have talked to Beyond Survival or have been recommended by survivors. They accept it exists and have an awareness of ritual abuse. They are also crisis numbers. There are also many others that are community based, government or religious that for reasons of time and energy have not advertised their services with the magazine and are still able to offer an appropriate service. Ring your local sexual assault centre and ask to talk to someone who knows about ritual abuse. They are aware that it exists and will help.
Western Australia Perth Sexual Assault Referral Centre (both genders) 9340 1828 24hrs; Incest Survivors Association (both genders) 08 9227 8745 (9-4, closed Wednesdays) WA country Sexual Assault Referral Centre (both genders) 1800 199 888 (local call) 24hrs
South Australia Adelaide Womens Statewide Health Services (women) 08 8267 5366 (9-5, Mo-Fr)
Victoria Melbourne CASA House (both genders) 9344 2210 (24hrs); Vic country Telephone Service Against Sexual Assault (both genders) 1800 806 292 (local call) 24hrs Western Victoria Stawell Community Health Centre (9-5, both genders) 03 5358 3700
New South Wales Sydney Sydney Rape Crisis Centre (Women) 9819 6565 (24hrs) 1800 424 017 (local call NSW country) 02 814 319 TTY (answering machine); Mens Sexual Assault Service, Mens Group (men) 9515 3680 (9-5); Wollongong Illawarra Psychotherapy Centre (both genders) 4228 7311 (9-5); Sexual Assault Centre (both genders) 4222 5408 (9-5); Sexual Assault Mens Group (men) 4226 0333 (9-5), Careforce (both genders) 4229 7911
Australian Capital Territory Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (women) 02 6247 8071 (9-5); Sexual Assault Crisis Line (both genders, after hours) 02 6247 2525, 02 6247 1657 TTY (9-5) leave message; Service Assisting Men Survivors of Sexual Assault- SAMSSA (men) 02 6232 7166 (9-5)
Tasmania Hobart Sexual Assault Services (women, men referral, 24hrs) 03 6231 1811; Sexual Health (both, 9-5) 03 6233 3557. LauncestonLaurel House 03 6334 2740 (both, 9-5) 016 181450 after hours paging service
Queensland Gold Coast Sexual Assault Service 07 5591 1164 (women, men referral, 9-5, 7 days); Sexual Health Clinic (both, 9-5 weekdays) 07 5576 9033 Cairns 07 4031 3590 (women, men referral, 24hrs) Sunshine Coast Crisis Centre 07 5443 4334 (women, men referral, 9-5 weekdays); Qld Country Crisis Centre 1800 012 023 (women, men referral, 24hrs); Brisbane Rape Crisis Centre (Women) 3844 4008 (24hrs); Gladstone Rd Medical Centre Men Affected by Rape and Sexual Assault (MARS) (Men) 3844 9599 (9-5, Mon-Sat); Male Sexual Assault Crisis Line (Men, 24hrs) 0411 220055
These are mutual or peer support groups run by survivors and supporters. They offer information, resources, education and/or emotional support.
Victoria Melbourne RASS PO Box 5, Dingley 3172 (Information, resources and support)
Western Victoria RASS PO Box 485 Stawell 3380, 03 5358 1343 (Information and support)
South Australia Adelaide RASS (women) C/- North Adelaide Womens Community Health Centre, 64 Pennington Tce, North Adelaide 6005 (support for survivors and workers).
New South Wales Sydney RASS PO Box 63, Camperdown 2050 (Information packages).
These are community groups that are concerned about specific issues that ritual abuse survivors suffer eg dissociation and sexual assault, and are concerned about ritual abuse. They offer counselling or referrals or information, etc.
Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse - ASCA. (Both genders). This is a national body, with state and regional coordinators, that provide a toll fee counselling line, information, workshops/conferences etc. They believe in the existence of ritual abuse and are concerned. They may not have counsellors or volunteers on the phones who know a lot about ritual abuse when you ring. PO Box 842, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Phone: 02 9331 2487 (in Sydney) 1300 657 380 (toll free)
New South Wales MAP (Merging All Parts) (Both genders) PO Box 1163, Penrith NSW 2751 02 9837 7275. This agency can assist with dissociation only. It is sympathetic towards ritual absue survivors.
The Australian Association of Trauma and Dissociation. (Both genders). This community group believes that ritual abuse exists and is concerned about it. Many people whom the association refers to counselling are ritual abuse survivors. PO Box 85 BRUNSWICK VIC 3056 03 9663 6225
South Australia Dissociative Identity Society of South Australia PO Box 440 Parkholme 5043
(From Beyond Survival magazine) Sometimes survivors get very stressed. These are mainly when remembering the abuse, telling others, when being told to return to cult activities (eg Halloween for satanic survivors) and talking to, writing to or seeing cult members and/or family. There are many things you can do to take the edge off the pain.
Breathe. Breathe deeply and wriggle your toes. Rub your arms and legs. Blink hard. Keep eye contact with something such as your pet.
Make a list of your reasons NOT to kill yourself. Read it. Give a copy to your friends to read out to you when needed.
Be safe and warm. Put a blanket around you and cuddle a teddy bear. Hold onto your pet.
Make a list of things you can do to make you feel better: go out for dinner, have a bath, read a book, suck on a dummy, go for a walk. Whatever works or feels right for you.
Write in a journal.
Ring a friend.
Tell yourself that you are worth being loved. You are good.
Be proud of having survived. The fact that you are still alive after all the torture shows what an amazingly strong and lucky person you are.
Ring a crisis number from those listed above, the national crisis counselling services of Life Line 13 1114 (local call) and Kids Helpline Freecall 1800 551800, and talk to them. In case you/the survivor is concerned about being accepted as a ritual abuse survivor by Lifeline or Kids Helpline or anyone else, you do not need to explain that you are a survivor. What the listener is concerned about during a crisis is your safety and that you do NOT harm yourself.
The different forms of media (not television channels, etc) are now responding well to revealing ritual abuse. Survivors and our supporters are writing books, setting up webpages, producing magazines and videos, etc. The internet, with its "do it yourself" capabilities has been particularly helpful.
There are now a large number of books on ritual abuse which help survivors and supporters. These are some very popular ones.
Books written by survivors for healing:
Breaking the Circle of Ritual Satanic Abuse: Recognizing and Recovering from the Hidden Trauma by Daniel Ryder. This outlines, gives a good understanding, has case studies and counsellors validation.
Ritual Abuse: What it Is, Why it Happens, How to Help by Margaret Smith. This also outlines, gives a good understanding, has a survivor's perspective and explains escaping if you are currently being abused.
Although it is out of print, Safe Passage to Healing; A Guide for Survivors of Ritual Abuse by Chrystine Oksana is excellent. A counsellor or sexual assault agency may have it and may be borrowed.
Breaking the Chain: Breaking Free of Cult Programming
Breaking the Chain gives a comprehensive and clear understanding of programming and suggestions for deprogramming. It is written by an exprogrammer who escaped the Illuminati cult and wants to educate about cults, programming and deprogramming. You can order it by writing to the author Svali at [email protected]
Biographies:
Breaking Ritual Silence An Anthology of Ritual Abuse Survivors Stories Editors: Jeanne Marie Lorena and Paula Levy Over fifty male and female survivors all over the world share their experiences of abuse and healing.
Paperclip Dolls by Annie McKenna An account of a survivor from government/military abuse and related ritual abuse. Can be ordered at: http://www.paperclipdolls.com
Michelle Remembers by Michelle Smith and Larry Pazder One of the first books written by a survivor (1980). Still powerful.
Books written by supporters eg counsellors
Satanic Ritual Abuse:A Therapist's Handbook by Dee Brown A warm, encouraging introduction to the treatment of adult survivors written for therapists beginning work in this area.
Ritual Child Abuse:Discovery, Diagnosis and Treatment by Pamela HudsonA survey of symptoms of child survivors of extra-familial ritual abuse and a discussion of therapy with both agitated and 'frozen' children. Kind, respectful, and well written.
Books on related topics There are also books on related issues such as sexual assault, mind control, cults, multiple personality, satanism, etc. The major ones used and which acknowledge ritual abuse are:
Sexual assault
The Courage to Heal Book by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis for women survivors.
Victims No Longer by Mike Lew for men survivors
The Courage to Heal Workbook by Laura Davis for male and female survivors.
Mind Control- Government Development
Virtual Government : CIA Mind Control Operations in America by Alex Constantine Gives an understanding of how secret service agencies develop and abuse mind control.
The Search for the Manchurian Candidate:The CIA and Mind Control by John Marks. A classic book that uncovers the US government's (and western countries) development and abuse.
Freedom from Mind Control- Therapy
Combatting Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassan
.Buying books, magazines, cassettes, etc Feminist, christian and quality bookshops are places to order and buy books. Each capital city has feminist and christian bookshops some with toll free numbers. They may also refer quality bookstores. Angus and Robertson, individual stores such as Gleebooks in Sydney etc, and again with possible toll free numbers, may either have the book or can order it.
Some libraries may also have these books, particularly related ones eg sexual assault.
Amazon Books is an Internet book ordering service and is excellent on ritual abuse and related topics. They have over one hundred titles on ritual abuse.
Video and Audio cassettes have also been produced by ritual abuse survivor agencies. You can get or order them at many feminist and christian bookshops. Each capital city has feminist and christian bookshops some with toll free numbers.
Webpages
There are many webpages on ritual abuse. They are mostly in the United States where the recovery movement is larger due to the larger population and a greater emphasis on personal growth. The pages are the result of community groups and individuals (both survivors and supporters) showing their concern and providing support. They are mostly within a broad ritual abuse context, and some also offer local, specific type eg Masonic, etc support. A very good example of a broad webpage is The Ritual Abuse, Ritual Crime and Healing Page
Search Engines such as yahoo can take you to where there are webpages. Subject headings include: ritual abuse, mind control, satanism, organized pedophilia, "snuff movies", etc.
Emailing other Survivors Directly. Survivors can find and talk to other survivors through webpages. Some pages are all ritual abuse survivors, and some are about survivorship generally where ritual absue survivors mail to. An example of a safe general survivorship page is The Survivor's Page
Email and Newsgroup List Support Groups. These are support groups where people email. Either the emails are directly sent to the list, modified if there are triggers, or compiled and sent back as a digest. They are different to chat groups where people are talking at the same time. Some are publically advertized while others are private. They are very safe as the list facilitators are particularly concerned about safety. One needs though to still be cautious particularly if joining a publically advertized one. Again, use feelings and intuition, and whether you have benefited from the discussions. A selection of publically advertized email lists for ritual abuse survivors is at www.onelist.com/ Just type in ritual abuse in the subject search.
International Ritual Abuse Resources Within This Webpage also has information about specific international webpages, email lists, book reviews, etc.
Caution is needed. Even though list facilitators and contributors generally are very safty minded, emailing other survivors (both facilitators and contributors) can go outside safety measures. There can be very little information with knowing who they are and not having other people for feedback. This could lead to being revictimized. There are actual cases of revictimisation through email and the internet. Most survivors however have got a lot out of this support. I personally have not come across any revictimisation. Use feelings and intuition, and whether you have benefited from the discussions.