Survivorship Conference May 2018 - Conference Speakers

Dear Friends, 

We are now accepting conference registrations. We have special prices for those that register before February 1, 2018.  

The Survivorship Ritual Abuse and Mind Control 2018 Conference  
https://survivorship.org/ritual-abuse-and-mind-control-2018-conference/

When: 
Regular Conference - Saturday and Sunday May 19 - 20, 2018 
Clinician's Conference - Friday May 18, 2018  

Where: 
Courtyard Marriot Long Beach Airport 
3841 N. Lakewood Blvd 
Long Beach, CA 90808 

 Please write conference2018@survivorship.org for more information.  


Regular Conference Speakers - Saturday and Sunday May 19 - 20, 2018  

For Those Who Condemn Themselves for Acts Coerced Under Torture 

Presenter: Ellen Lacter, Ph.D. Synopsis: One of the most disturbing horrors described by survivors of extreme abuse is having been subjected to torture to coerce them, while being tortured, to harm or kill other victims. Many survivors describe clear memories of first being subjected this form of abuse as young children. The subsequent moral injury is devastating. This workshop will explain how specific torture methods predictably work to coerce victims to harm and kill others; the various psychological responses of victims while they are being coerced to harm others; and abuser methods to coerce victims to harm others outside of immediate torture. This workshop will assign all guilt, shame, and moral responsibility for coerced harm to the perpetrators who execute the torture and will work to help survivors stand in solidarity with other survivors of extreme abuse to do everything in their power to to overcome all self-condemnation for having been coerced through torture to harm other victims. Participants will be provided with a list of statements by the speaker and participants in the clinicians conference proclaiming the innocence of victims coerced to harm others under torture. Note: Survivors should carefully consider beforehand whether to attend this workshop as the material is extremely painful. 

 Ellen P. Lacter, Ph.D., is a Psychologist and Academic Coordinator of the Play Therapy Certificate Program at University of California- San Diego, Division of Extended Studies. She specializes in the treatment of dissociative disorders and complex trauma, including victims of ritualistic abuse and mind control, has published on this subject, and is an activist on behalf of victims and survivors based in her website: https://endritualabuse.org/. She has also written: A Coloring Book of Healing Images for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, illustrated by Robin Baird Lewis and Jen Callow (2015).  

Encouraging a Supportive Environment for Survivors: An Interactive Discussion 
 Presenter: Randy Noblitt, PhD  

Randy Noblitt, PhD, is a clinical psychologist (licensed in Texas) and professor of clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology at the California School of Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles. In the course of his practice, Randy has treated more than 300 individuals who met the criteria for dissociative identity disorder. He is the principle author of Cult and Ritual Abuse: Its History, Anthropology and Recent Discovery in Contemporary America (Praeger, 1995. 2000), and its third edition, Cult and Ritual Abuse: Narratives, Evidence and Healing Approaches (Praeger, 2014). He is also co-editor and contributing author of the book, Ritual Abuse in the 21st Century: Psychological, Forensic, Social and Political Considerations (Robert Reed, 2008).  

Changes in Awareness of Severe Abuse and Child Abuse Crimes Over Twenty Five Years Presenter: Neil Brick

 The awareness of severe abuse and child abuse crimes has changed over the last 25 years. In the early 1990s, severe abuse survivors were often believed and supported. Then a backlash started and severe abuse survivors and their supporters were harassed and attacked. The child abuse survivor movement changed and adapted. Ten years ago, research began again to help expose severe abuse crimes. More recently, first in the UK and Australia and now in the United States, a variety of child abuse, severe abuse, sexual harassment and rape cases are bringing public awareness again to the mainstream media of severe abuse crimes. This presentation will discuss the changes of the last 25 years, with an emphasis on the more recent exposures of organized child abuse crimes and social systems that have been part of the cover up of these crimes.  

Neil Brick is a survivor of ritual abuse and mind control. His work continues to educate the public about child abuse, trauma and ritual abuse crimes. His child abuse and ritual abuse newsletter S.M.A.R.T. https://ritualabuse.us has been published for over 22 years. http://neilbrick.com 

Clinician's Conference Speakers - Friday May 18, 2018  

For Those Who Condemn Themselves for Acts Coerced Under Torture Presenter: Ellen Lacter, Ph.D. Synopsis: One of the most disturbing horrors described by survivors of extreme abuse is having been subjected to torture to coerce them, while being tortured, to harm or kill other victims. Many survivors describe clear memories of first being subjected to this form of abuse as young children. The subsequent moral injury is devastating. This workshop will educate therapists about the methods of torture that predictably work to coerce victims to harm and kill others; the various psychological responses of victims while they are being coerced to harm others; abuser methods to coerce victims to harm others outside of immediate torture, and how to work with survivors and their self-states to overcome the consequent moral injury, including specific things to say that the speaker has found can make a difference and developing more of these together with participants in this workshop. 

 Ethics, the Community Standard, and the Credibility of Ritual Abuse Allegations 
Presenter: Randy Noblitt, PhD 
Synopsis: To what extent do mental health and other helping professionals believe the stories of ritual abuse survivors? This presentation systematically reviews the empirical research on the credibility of ritual abuse allegations. After presenting the findings there will be a discussion that welcomes the opinions of the attendees regarding their own conclusions including considerations of the community standard, professional ethics, related forensic questions, and advocacy for extreme abuse survivors. 

 Introduction to Using Sensorimotor Psychotherapy with Clients with DID 
 Presenter: Cynthia Henrie, MFT 
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a body-oriented, talking therapy developed in the 1980s by Pat Ogden, informed by the work of Ron Kurtz (1990) and the Rolf Method of Structural Integration (Rolf 1987) and enriched by the contributions from the fields of attachment, neuroscience, and dissociation. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy blends cognitive and emotional approaches, verbal dialogue, and physical interventions that directly address the implicit memories and neurobiological effects of trauma. By using bodily experience as a primary entry point in trauma therapy, rather than the events or the “story,” we attend to how the body is processing information, and its interface with emotions and cognitive meaning-making. A Sensorimotor Psychotherapy approach is a useful tool in the work of treating survivors of ritual abuse, mind control and Dissociative Identity Disorder. When used mindfully, Sensorimotor Skills can aid in building a sense of safety and “belonging” within one’s own body. It can help inform both the client and clinician of different alter experiences in their own physical space, and is a useful approach that aids in resolving traumatic experiences, decreasing dissociation and grieving developmental wounding in an individual’s life experience. This is an introduction to the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy approach and some of the ways it can be useful in the treatment of Dissociative Disorders and survivors.  

Cynthia Henrie, MFT, is a Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress, a Feminist Therapist and specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation. Ms. Henrie is the founder and director of the Los Angeles Therapy Network, a network of private practice therapists whose mission is to help women through feminist empowerment, trauma survivors, persons with Dissociative Identity Disorder, LGBTQIA issues, rape/sexual assault, human trafficking/slavery and torture. Ms. Henrie graduated from Antioch University with her MA in Clinical Psychology with a Focus on Adolescence & Feminist Therapy. She is trained in the treatment of trauma and dissociation through the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, is a Level II EMDR Practitioner and has completed two years of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy which focuses on the treatment of trauma and developmental attachment problems. She is also Sandplay Practitioner. Ms. Henrie is the cofounder of the Los Angeles Dissociative Disorder Study Group, along with Randy Noblitt, PhD which is held at Alliant University. 

 https://survivorship.org 
Survivorship is one of the oldest and most respected organizations supporting survivors of extreme child abuse, including sadistic sexual abuse, ritualistic abuse, mind control, and torture. Survivorship provides resources, healing, and community for survivors; training and education for professionals who may serve survivors; and support for survivors’ partners and other allies. 

Sincerely, 

The Survivorship Conference Committee