Showing posts with label Laurie Matthew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laurie Matthew. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Survivorship Conference Video and PowerPoint Presentations


Survivorship Conference Video and PowerPoint Presentations are now available online at: https://survivorship.org/the-survivorship-trafficking-and-extreme-abuse-online-conference-2025-presentations/

   

Presentations include:

“Progress made against Ritual Abuse in Scotland since 1980” by Laurie Matthew.

“Researching, Writing and Publishing about Masonic Ritual Abuse – What are the issues?” by Lynn Brunet.

“People Who Identify as Plural” by Randy Noblitt PhD.

“Successful Investigations of Extreme Abuse Cases – The Role of Mental Health Professionals in Family Courts” by Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz.

“Ritualistic Abuse Survivors Difficulties Obtaining Services” by Neil Brick.

 

August 2025 SMART Ritual Abuse Conference http://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/ with Randy Noblitt, Wendy Hoffman, Lynn Brunet and Neil Brick speaking. The conference is co-sponsored by Survivorship. Prices are as low as $50.

 

Ritual Abuse Evidence https://survivorship.org/ritual-abuse-evidence/

 

Child Abuse Wiki – Ritual Abuse http://childabusewiki.org/index.php?title=Ritual_Abuse

Monday, February 24, 2025

The Survivorship Trafficking and Extreme Abuse Online Conference 2025

 

The Survivorship Trafficking and Extreme Abuse Online Conference 2025

Survivor Conference - Saturday and Sunday May 17 - 18, 2025

This year's topic is "Celebrating the Gains Fighting Ritual Abuse."

Clinician's Conference - Friday May 16, 2025

This year's topic is "Progress Against Extreme Abuse."

https://survivorship.org/the-survivorship-trafficking-and-extreme-abuse-online-conference-2025 Please write us at: email info@survivorship.org for more information about the conference.

 

Survivorship Announces Its 14th Annual Weekend Conference Fighting Child Abuse

Survivorship is celebrating its 36th year helping survivors and co-survivors of child abuse. For many years, Survivorship has provided resource information, education and conferences for survivors of extreme abuse.

Survivorship is proud to announce that this May 16 – 18, 2025, we will be having an online conference.  Our Survivorship Trafficking and Extreme Abuse Online Conference 2025 will have presentations for survivors and clinicians.  We will be celebrating the gains fighting ritual abuse. https://survivorship.org/the-survivorship-trafficking-and-extreme-abuse-online-conference-2025

Presentations will include “Progress made against Ritual Abuse in Scotland since 1980” by Laurie Matthew.  Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE is the founder and Manager of Eighteen And Under an award winning charity providing confidential support services to young people who have been abused. She is a founding member of MAIRSINN (formerly the Ritual Abuse Network Forum - RANS).   https://www.mairsinn.org.uk/  https://www.18u.org.uk

“Researching, Writing and Publishing about Masonic Ritual Abuse – What are the issues?” by Lynn Brunet. Lynn Brunet (PhD) is an Australian art historian whose research examines the coupling of trauma and ritual in modern and contemporary western art and literature. It traces the connection between Masonic and other fraternal initiation rites and complex trauma in the work of so-called ‘tortured’ artists and writers.

 “People Who Identify as Plural” by Randy Noblitt PhD. This presentation discusses the variety of circumstances where people may have the experience of multiple identities or selves. Randy Noblitt is a professor of Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles and a licensed psychologist in Texas. He has evaluated and treated extreme abuse survivors clinically since 1979.

 “Successful Investigations of Extreme Abuse Cases – The Role of Mental Health Professionals in Family Courts” by Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz. Rainer Kurz is a Chartered Psychologist based in London. Since 1990 Rainer has worked in Research & Development roles for leading test publishers. His PhD dissertation was on enhancing the validity and utility of ability testing.  

“Ritualistic Abuse Survivors Difficulties Obtaining Services” by Neil Brick. Ritualistic abuse survivors have struggled to obtain adequate mental health and social support services for over twenty years.  Neil Brick is a survivor of ritualistic abuse. His child abuse and ritualistic abuse newsletter S.M.A.R.T. http://ritualabuse.us  has been published for 30 years. http://neilbrick.com

Ritual Abuse Evidence https://survivorship.org/ritual-abuse-evidence/

Child Abuse Wiki - Ritual Abuse http://childabusewiki.org/index.php?title=Ritual_Abuse

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

2023 Conference Video Presentations and PowerPoints

 

The 2023 Online Annual Ritual Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference   August 19 – 20, 2023

If you are interested in participating in our conference next year or getting on a mailing list, please write: smartnews@aol.com

Internet conference information: http://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/

Proof That Ritual Abuse Exists https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/

Large List of Ritual Abuse and Child Abuse References https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/studies/satanic-ritual-abuse-evidence-with-information-on-the-mcmartin-preschool-case/

Grey Faction, Satanic Temple and Lucien Greaves Fact Sheet https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/grey-faction-satanic-temple-and-lucien-greaves-fact-sheet/

Research and Information on Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder) https://ritualabuse.us/research/did/

Sybil – Proof Sybil had MPD and it was caused by severe trauma  https://ritualabuse.us/research/did/sybil-proof-sybil-had-mpd-and-it-was-caused-by-severe-trauma/

Judith Herman: “In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens.” Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

Videos and PowerPoints from our 2022 conference https://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/2022-conference/2022-conference-video-presentations-and-powerpoints/

These presentations may be difficult for survivors to view and listen to.  Survivors may want to have a support person present while viewing. All accusations are alleged.

 

Conference Speakers
Survivors may want to use caution reading this material or read it with a safe support person.

Artificially Rooted in the Natural - Wendy Hoffman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHwkWt2qpFg

Many of us wonder why recovery from criminal mind control takes so long and is so painful and consuming. This workshop explores one aspect of the difficulties we experience. Perpetrators don’t pull mind control programs out of the blue. They have studied and continue to study what is natural to human emotions, behaviors and motivations. Their mind control tactics stem from those observations. Perpetrators artificially root their commands in the natural tendencies of the human brain, personality and soul, such as dissociation, the need for love and many others. The purpose of this workshop is to help survivors understand some of the unwanted potency of programming and relieve some of the shame and suffering they may feel as they go through their recovery, or even decide whether to start their investigation of themselves, their brains and hearts.

Wendy Hoffman has published three memoirs, The Enslaved Queen (Karnac Books, 2014, new edition by Aeon Books, 2019), White Witch in a Black Robe (Karnac Books, 2016, new edition by Aeon Books, 2019) and A Brain of My Own (Aeon Books, 2020). The Enslaved Queen has been translated and published in Germany (Asanger-Verlag, 2021). Her book of poetry, Forceps, was also published (Karnac books, 2016) along with a book of essays, From the Trenches, written with Dr. Alison Miller (Karnac Books, 2018, re-issued Routledge Books, 2019). Her fourth memoir, After Amnesia, is published on the SmartNews and Survivorship websites (2022). It also has been translated into German. https://ritualabuse.us/smart/wendy-hoffman/

False Memories – The Deception That Silenced Millions – Lynn Crook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z35sA9kixb4

Lynn Crook explains why accused child molesters needed a defense, why they selected false memories and how they sold it to the media. She’ll explain how the media then sold false memories to the public with rhetoric and false, false memory research results. Prevalence rates were forgotten. As the media coverage slowed, FMSF recruited therapy patients for lawsuits against therapists. Today, psychology students learn about false memories in their textbooks. Although false memory claims are no longer making headlines except when celebrities are on trial, they have become a “given” as reporters paraphrase memory researcher Elizabeth Loftus.

Lynn Crook received an M. Ed. from the University of Washington. She worked at a sexual assault agency in eastern Washington as a community educator and treated clients in crisis. She admired the courage of her clients and soon discovered that she, too, was molested as a child. She sued her parents for damages in 1991. The judge declared in her favor in 1994, as false memories were making headlines. She discovered an oddity in the deposition of her parents’ expert, Elizabeth Loftus. That investigation led to her recent book, “FALSE MEMORIES – The Deception That Silenced Millions LLC.”  http://www.lynncrook.com

The Identification and Use of Trauma Triggers in the Treatment of Extreme Abuse Survivors – Dr. Randall Noblitt   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrVB9a8GWrg

The Identification and Use of Trauma Triggers in the Treatment of Extreme Abuse Survivors – Dr. Randall Noblitt – PowerPoint

Extreme abuse survivors sometimes seek psychotherapy services because of the overwhelming consequences of previous or ongoing incidents of abuse. Repeated severe circumscribed abuse often leaves survivors with trigger-responsive dissociation of identity and traumagenic amnesia, including initially impaired awareness of the abuse and its effects. This workshop will discuss methods for safely exploring, identifying, and desensitizing triggers where the goal is to assist clients in reclaiming effective self-regulation, autonomy, and quality of life.

Randy Noblitt is a professor of Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles and a licensed psychologist in Texas. He has evaluated and treated extreme abuse survivors clinically since 1979. He has authored three editions of the book Cult and Ritual Abuse with Pam Noblitt (1995, 2000, 2014). Together they also edited Ritual Abuse in the 21st Century (2008) and they have authored a recent book, Navigating Social Security Disability Programs: A Handbook for Clinicians and Advocates (2020).  https://ritualabuse.us/smart/randy-noblitt/

Ongoing Work by Survivor Led Non-profit Organisations in Scotland – Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FddGxBR0ioo

Ongoing Work by Survivor Led Non-profit Organisations in Scotland – Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE – PowerPoint

Ongoing Work by Survivor Led Non-profit Organisations in Scotland – Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FddGxBR0ioo

This presentation will explore the ongoing work carried out by survivor led non-profit organisations based in Scotland. Ritual Abuse Network Scotland (RANS) has provided support and information to adult survivors of ritual abuse for the past 20 years and Eighteen And Under has provided support services for young abuse survivors for the past 30 years. Both organisations have been at the frontier of raising awareness about ritual abuse in the UK and beyond. She will also share findings from recent survivor led participatory research highlighting the importance of involving survivors as researchers with lived experience in all aspects of research from deciding the research question, to agreeing methodology, gathering data, analysing results and dissemination of the findings..

Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE is founder and Manager of Eighteen And Under an award winning charity providing confidential support services to young people who have been sexually abused. She is also a founder member and advisor to Ritual Abuse Network Scotland the UK’s leading charity for survivors of organised and ritual abuse. She is the author of several books about ritual abuse and the multi-award-winning Violence Is Preventable abuse prevention programmes for children and young people. She has over 40 year’s experience of directly supporting abuse survivors. Her published research includes participatory research with adult ritual abuse survivors and participatory research with young survivors of sexual abuse.
http://www.18u.org.uk  http://www.rans.org.uk

Child Trafficking through Family Court Proceedings: A UK Case Study – Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz  https://youtu.be/JYF1hUQFcsQ

Child Trafficking through Family Court Proceedings: A UK Case Study – Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz PowerPoint

This presentation builds on a decade-long investigation into two index incidents that led to the transfer of parental responsibility for a toddler from a mother to a Local Authority, and eventually adoption by the foster carer in suspicious circumstances marred by procedural irregularities. Index Incident 1, dismissed as untrue by a Family Court Judge, concerned the mother’s claim that she gave birth to a baby as a young teenager that succeeded from incestuous rape by her father and ‘disappeared’. Index Incident 2, that was also dismissed in the same judicial process, concerned a daytime sexual assault on the toddler in broad daylight. The presentation draws on a 60-minute audio recording describing the two index incidents and information submitted to a document review by complex trauma specialists in the process of preparing an appeal application. The content of the presentation is potentially triggering but provides rare insights into the workings of an Organized Ritual Crime Abuse Network (ORCAN) in the midst of society.

Rainer Kurz is a Chartered Psychologist based in London. Since 1990 Rainer has worked in Research & Development roles for leading test publishers. His PhD dissertation was on enhancing the validity and utility of ability testing. Rainer developed 50+ psychometric tests and authored more than 100 publications. He is a Consultant Editor for Test Reviews at the Psychometric Testing Centre (PTC) of the BPS. Rainer has been investigating complex trauma assessment problems since 2012. He presented 30+ posters on trauma, dissociation and healing at international peer-reviewed conferences that are available here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rainer_Kurz2

The Effects of Social Movements on Survivor Support Systems and Survivor Recovery – Neil Brick    https://youtu.be/ORtHBsA2wbU

The Effects of Social Movements on Survivor Support Systems and Survivor Recovery – Neil Brick PowerPoint

The Effects of Social Movements on Survivor Support Systems and Survivor Recovery – Neil Brick – PowerPoint Transcript https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/articles/the-effects-of-social-movements-on-survivor-support-systems-and-survivor-recovery-neil-brick/

Neil Brick will speak about the history of ritualistic abuse and the effects of social movements on survivors. He will present historical information regarding the literature of clinicians and researchers. He will describe the effects of social and historical movements on survivor support systems and survivor recovery.

Neil Brick is a survivor of ritualistic abuse. His work continues to educate the public about child abuse, trauma and ritualistic abuse crimes. His child abuse and ritualistic abuse newsletter S.M.A.R.T. https://ritualabuse.us has been published for over 28 years. http://neilbrick.com

Please note: None of the material on these pages or at the conference is meant as therapy, or to take the place of therapy.

Monday, August 7, 2023

Ritual Abuse Online Conference August 19-20 - Special Prices - as low as $50 - Only a few days left to register.

 

Ritual Abuse Online Conference August 19-20 - Special Prices - as low as $50 - Only a few days left to register.  
 
Speakers include: Lynn Crook, Wendy Hoffman, Randy Noblitt, Neil Brick, Laurie Matthew and Rainer Kurz
 

The 2023 Online Annual Ritual Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference   August 19 – 20, 2023

If you are interested in participating in our conference  or getting on a mailing list, please write: smartnews@aol.com

Internet conference information: http://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/\

 

Conference Speakers 

These descriptions may be heavy for survivors to read.  You may want to read them with a support person.

Artificially Rooted in the Natural
Wendy Hoffman

Many of us wonder why recovery from criminal mind control takes so long and is so painful and consuming. This workshop explores one aspect of the difficulties we experience. Perpetrators don’t pull mind control programs out of the blue. They have studied and continue to study what is natural to human emotions, behaviors and motivations. Their mind control tactics stem from those observations. Perpetrators artificially root their commands in the natural tendencies of the human brain, personality and soul, such as dissociation, the need for love and many others. The purpose of this workshop is to help survivors understand some of the unwanted potency of programming and relieve some of the shame and suffering they may feel as they go through their recovery, or even decide whether to start their investigation of themselves, their brains and hearts.

Wendy Hoffman has published three memoirs, The Enslaved Queen (Karnac Books, 2014, new edition by Aeon Books, 2019), White Witch in a Black Robe (Karnac Books, 2016, new edition by Aeon Books, 2019) and A Brain of My Own (Aeon Books, 2020). The Enslaved Queen has been translated and published in Germany (Asanger-Verlag, 2021). Her book of poetry, Forceps, was also published (Karnac books, 2016) along with a book of essays, From the Trenches, written with Dr. Alison Miller (Karnac Books, 2018, re-issued Routledge Books, 2019). Her fourth memoir, After Amnesia, is published on the SmartNews and Survivorship websites (2022). It also has been translated into German. https://ritualabuse.us/smart/wendy-hoffman/

Child Trafficking through Family Court Proceedings: A UK Case Study – Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz

This presentation builds on a decade-long investigation into two index incidents that led to the transfer of parental responsibility for a toddler from a mother to a Local Authority, and eventually adoption by the foster carer in suspicious circumstances marred by procedural irregularities. Index Incident 1, dismissed as untrue by a Family Court Judge, concerned the mother’s claim that she gave birth to a baby as a young teenager that succeeded from incestuous rape by her father and ‘disappeared’. Index Incident 2, that was also dismissed in the same judicial process, concerned a daytime sexual assault on the toddler in broad daylight. The presentation draws on a 60-minute audio recording describing the two index incidents and information submitted to a document review by complex trauma specialists in the process of preparing an appeal application. The content of the presentation is potentially triggering but provides rare insights into the workings of an Organized Ritual Crime Abuse Network (ORCAN) in the midst of society.

Rainer Kurz is a Chartered Psychologist based in London. Since 1990 Rainer has worked in Research & Development roles for leading test publishers. His PhD dissertation was on enhancing the validity and utility of ability testing. Rainer developed 50+ psychometric tests and authored more than 100 publications. He is a Consultant Editor for Test Reviews at the Psychometric Testing Centre (PTC) of the BPS. Rainer has been investigating complex trauma assessment problems since 2012. He presented 30+ posters on trauma, dissociation and healing at international peer-reviewed conferences that are available here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rainer_Kurz2

The Effects of Social Movements on Survivor Support Systems and Survivor Recovery – Neil Brick

Neil Brick will speak about the history of ritualistic abuse and the effects of social movements on survivors. He will present historical information regarding the literature of clinicians and researchers. He will describe the effects of social and historical movements on survivor support systems and survivor recovery.

Neil Brick is a survivor of ritualistic abuse. His work continues to educate the public about child abuse, trauma and ritualistic abuse crimes. His child abuse and ritualistic abuse newsletter S.M.A.R.T. https://ritualabuse.us has been published for over 28 years. http://neilbrick.com

Ongoing Work by Survivor Led Non-profit Organisations in Scotland – Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE

This presentation will explore the ongoing work carried out by survivor led non-profit organisations based in Scotland. Ritual Abuse Network Scotland (RANS) has provided support and information to adult survivors of ritual abuse for the past 20 years and Eighteen And Under has provided support services for young abuse survivors for the past 30 years. Both organisations have been at the frontier of raising awareness about ritual abuse in the UK and beyond. She will also share findings from recent survivor led participatory research highlighting the importance of involving survivors as researchers with lived experience in all aspects of research from deciding the research question, to agreeing methodology, gathering data, analysing results and dissemination of the findings..

Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE is founder and Manager of Eighteen And Under an award winning charity providing confidential support services to young people who have been sexually abused. She is also a founder member and advisor to Ritual Abuse Network Scotland the UK’s leading charity for survivors of organised and ritual abuse. She is the author of several books about ritual abuse and the multi-award-winning Violence Is Preventable abuse prevention programmes for children and young people. She has over 40 year’s experience of directly supporting abuse survivors. Her published research includes participatory research with adult ritual abuse survivors and participatory research with young survivors of sexual abuse.
http://www.18u.org.uk  http://www.rans.org.uk

The Identification and Use of Trauma Triggers in the Treatment of Extreme Abuse Survivors – Dr. Randall Noblitt

Extreme abuse survivors sometimes seek psychotherapy services because of the overwhelming consequences of previous or ongoing incidents of abuse. Repeated severe circumscribed abuse often leaves survivors with trigger-responsive dissociation of identity and traumagenic amnesia, including initially impaired awareness of the abuse and its effects. This workshop will discuss methods for safely exploring, identifying, and desensitizing triggers where the goal is to assist clients in reclaiming effective self-regulation, autonomy, and quality of life.

Randy Noblitt is a professor of Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles and a licensed psychologist in Texas. He has evaluated and treated extreme abuse survivors clinically since 1979. He has authored three editions of the book Cult and Ritual Abuse with Pam Noblitt (1995, 2000, 2014). Together they also edited Ritual Abuse in the 21st Century (2008) and they have authored a recent book, Navigating Social Security Disability Programs: A Handbook for Clinicians and Advocates (2020).  https://ritualabuse.us/smart/randy-noblitt/

False Memories – The Deception That Silenced Millions – Lynn Crook

Lynn Crook explains why accused child molesters needed a defense, why they selected false memories and how they sold it to the media. She’ll explain how the media then sold false memories to the public with rhetoric and false, false memory research results. Prevalence rates were forgotten. As the media coverage slowed, FMSF recruited therapy patients for lawsuits against therapists. Today, psychology students learn about false memories in their textbooks. Although false memory claims are no longer making headlines except when celebrities are on trial, they have become a “given” as reporters paraphrase memory researcher Elizabeth Loftus.

Lynn Crook received an M. Ed. from the University of Washington. She worked at a sexual assault agency in eastern Washington as a community educator and treated clients in crisis. She admired the courage of her clients and soon discovered that she, too, was molested as a child. She sued her parents for damages in 1991. The judge declared in her favor in 1994, as false memories were making headlines. She discovered an oddity in the deposition of her parents’ expert, Elizabeth Loftus. That investigation led to her recent book, “FALSE MEMORIES – The Deception That Silenced Millions LLC.”  http://www.lynncrook.com

The conference is sponsored by S.M.A.R.T., a newsletter that examines the possible connections between ritual abuse and secretive organizations. SMARTNEWS@aol.com http://ritualabuse.us/

The conference is co-sponsored by Survivorship. 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.  https://survivorship.org

Please note: None of the material on these pages or at the conference is meant as therapy, or to take the place of therapy.

 

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

The 2023 Online Annual Ritual Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference August 19 – 20, 2023

 The 2023 Online Annual Ritual Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference   August 19 – 20, 2023

If you are interested in participating in our conference  or getting on a mailing list, please write: smartnews@aol.com

Internet conference information: http://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/

Proof That Ritual Abuse Exists https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/

Large List of Ritual Abuse and Child Abuse References https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/studies/satanic-ritual-abuse-evidence-with-information-on-the-mcmartin-preschool-case/

Grey Faction, Satanic Temple and Lucien Greaves Fact Sheet https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/grey-faction-satanic-temple-and-lucien-greaves-fact-sheet/

Research and Information on Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder) https://ritualabuse.us/research/did/

Sybil – Proof Sybil had MPD and it was caused by severe trauma  https://ritualabuse.us/research/did/sybil-proof-sybil-had-mpd-and-it-was-caused-by-severe-trauma/

Judith Herman: “In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens.” Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

Videos and PowerPoints from our 2022 conference https://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/2022-conference/2022-conference-video-presentations-and-powerpoints/

Conference Goals

– To help stop future occurrences of ritual abuse
– To help survivors of ritual abuse
– To name the groups that have participated in alleged illegal activities
– To unite those working to stop ritual abuse

Please note: S.M.A.R.T. has no paid employees and all money paid to S.M.A.R.T. goes toward efforts to educate survivors and the general public about survivor issues and research.

Conference Information

Conference Participants

The conference will include those either recovering from ritual abuse and/or helping those recovering from ritual abuse. This includes survivors, co-survivors and therapists working with ritual abuse survivors. Members of secret organizations, acting out perpetrators, and/or members of unsympathetic organizations are excluded from the conference. This is for the protection and safety of those in attendance. S.M.A.R.T. recommends that you try to bring a support person that is familiar with mind control techniques.

S.M.A.R.T. 2023 Conference Schedule – August 19 – 20
(Please note : this schedule may be subject to change. Please write us for the latest schedule.)

Saturday
9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Sunday
9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Conference Speakers 

These descriptions may be heavy for survivors to read.  You may want to read them with a support person.

Artificially Rooted in the Natural
Wendy Hoffman

Many of us wonder why recovery from criminal mind control takes so long and is so painful and consuming. This workshop explores one aspect of the difficulties we experience. Perpetrators don’t pull mind control programs out of the blue. They have studied and continue to study what is natural to human emotions, behaviors and motivations. Their mind control tactics stem from those observations. Perpetrators artificially root their commands in the natural tendencies of the human brain, personality and soul, such as dissociation, the need for love and many others. The purpose of this workshop is to help survivors understand some of the unwanted potency of programming and relieve some of the shame and suffering they may feel as they go through their recovery, or even decide whether to start their investigation of themselves, their brains and hearts.

Wendy Hoffman has published three memoirs, The Enslaved Queen (Karnac Books, 2014, new edition by Aeon Books, 2019), White Witch in a Black Robe (Karnac Books, 2016, new edition by Aeon Books, 2019) and A Brain of My Own (Aeon Books, 2020). The Enslaved Queen has been translated and published in Germany (Asanger-Verlag, 2021). Her book of poetry, Forceps, was also published (Karnac books, 2016) along with a book of essays, From the Trenches, written with Dr. Alison Miller (Karnac Books, 2018, re-issued Routledge Books, 2019). Her fourth memoir, After Amnesia, is published on the SmartNews and Survivorship websites (2022). It also has been translated into German. https://ritualabuse.us/smart/wendy-hoffman/

Child Trafficking through Family Court Proceedings: A UK Case Study – Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz

This presentation builds on a decade-long investigation into two index incidents that led to the transfer of parental responsibility for a toddler from a mother to a Local Authority, and eventually adoption by the foster carer in suspicious circumstances marred by procedural irregularities. Index Incident 1, dismissed as untrue by a Family Court Judge, concerned the mother’s claim that she gave birth to a baby as a young teenager that succeeded from incestuous rape by her father and ‘disappeared’. Index Incident 2, that was also dismissed in the same judicial process, concerned a daytime sexual assault on the toddler in broad daylight. The presentation draws on a 60-minute audio recording describing the two index incidents and information submitted to a document review by complex trauma specialists in the process of preparing an appeal application. The content of the presentation is potentially triggering but provides rare insights into the workings of an Organized Ritual Crime Abuse Network (ORCAN) in the midst of society.

Rainer Kurz is a Chartered Psychologist based in London. Since 1990 Rainer has worked in Research & Development roles for leading test publishers. His PhD dissertation was on enhancing the validity and utility of ability testing. Rainer developed 50+ psychometric tests and authored more than 100 publications. He is a Consultant Editor for Test Reviews at the Psychometric Testing Centre (PTC) of the BPS. Rainer has been investigating complex trauma assessment problems since 2012. He presented 30+ posters on trauma, dissociation and healing at international peer-reviewed conferences that are available here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rainer_Kurz2

The Effects of Social Movements on Survivor Support Systems and Survivor Recovery – Neil Brick

Neil Brick will speak about the history of ritualistic abuse and the effects of social movements on survivors. He will present historical information regarding the literature of clinicians and researchers. He will describe the effects of social and historical movements on survivor support systems and survivor recovery.

Neil Brick is a survivor of ritualistic abuse. His work continues to educate the public about child abuse, trauma and ritualistic abuse crimes. His child abuse and ritualistic abuse newsletter S.M.A.R.T. https://ritualabuse.us has been published for over 28 years. http://neilbrick.com

Ongoing Work by Survivor Led Non-profit Organisations in Scotland – Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE

This presentation will explore the ongoing work carried out by survivor led non-profit organisations based in Scotland. Ritual Abuse Network Scotland (RANS) has provided support and information to adult survivors of ritual abuse for the past 20 years and Eighteen And Under has provided support services for young abuse survivors for the past 30 years. Both organisations have been at the frontier of raising awareness about ritual abuse in the UK and beyond. She will also share findings from recent survivor led participatory research highlighting the importance of involving survivors as researchers with lived experience in all aspects of research from deciding the research question, to agreeing methodology, gathering data, analysing results and dissemination of the findings..

Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE is founder and Manager of Eighteen And Under an award winning charity providing confidential support services to young people who have been sexually abused. She is also a founder member and advisor to Ritual Abuse Network Scotland the UK’s leading charity for survivors of organised and ritual abuse. She is the author of several books about ritual abuse and the multi-award-winning Violence Is Preventable abuse prevention programmes for children and young people. She has over 40 year’s experience of directly supporting abuse survivors. Her published research includes participatory research with adult ritual abuse survivors and participatory research with young survivors of sexual abuse.
http://www.18u.org.uk  http://www.rans.org.uk

The Identification and Use of Trauma Triggers in the Treatment of Extreme Abuse Survivors – Dr. Randall Noblitt

Extreme abuse survivors sometimes seek psychotherapy services because of the overwhelming consequences of previous or ongoing incidents of abuse. Repeated severe circumscribed abuse often leaves survivors with trigger-responsive dissociation of identity and traumagenic amnesia, including initially impaired awareness of the abuse and its effects. This workshop will discuss methods for safely exploring, identifying, and desensitizing triggers where the goal is to assist clients in reclaiming effective self-regulation, autonomy, and quality of life.

Randy Noblitt is a professor of Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles and a licensed psychologist in Texas. He has evaluated and treated extreme abuse survivors clinically since 1979. He has authored three editions of the book Cult and Ritual Abuse with Pam Noblitt (1995, 2000, 2014). Together they also edited Ritual Abuse in the 21st Century (2008) and they have authored a recent book, Navigating Social Security Disability Programs: A Handbook for Clinicians and Advocates (2020).  https://ritualabuse.us/smart/randy-noblitt/

False Memories – The Deception That Silenced Millions – Lynn Crook

Lynn Crook explains why accused child molesters needed a defense, why they selected false memories and how they sold it to the media. She’ll explain how the media then sold false memories to the public with rhetoric and false, false memory research results. Prevalence rates were forgotten. As the media coverage slowed, FMSF recruited therapy patients for lawsuits against therapists. Today, psychology students learn about false memories in their textbooks. Although false memory claims are no longer making headlines except when celebrities are on trial, they have become a “given” as reporters paraphrase memory researcher Elizabeth Loftus.

Lynn Crook received an M. Ed. from the University of Washington. She worked at a sexual assault agency in eastern Washington as a community educator and treated clients in crisis. She admired the courage of her clients and soon discovered that she, too, was molested as a child. She sued her parents for damages in 1991. The judge declared in her favor in 1994, as false memories were making headlines. She discovered an oddity in the deposition of her parents’ expert, Elizabeth Loftus. That investigation led to her recent book, “FALSE MEMORIES – The Deception That Silenced Millions LLC.”  http://www.lynncrook.com

The conference is sponsored by S.M.A.R.T., a newsletter that examines the possible connections between ritual abuse and secretive organizations. SMARTNEWS@aol.com http://ritualabuse.us/

The conference is co-sponsored by Survivorship. 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.  https://survivorship.org

Please note: None of the material on these pages or at the conference is meant as therapy, or to take the place of therapy.

Monday, June 12, 2023

The 2023 Online Annual Ritual Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference August 19 – 20, 2023

The 2023 Online Annual Ritual Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference   August 19 – 20, 2023

If you are interested in participating in our conference  or getting on a mailing list, please write: smartnews@aol.com

Internet conference information: http://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/

Proof That Ritual Abuse Exists https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/

Large List of Ritual Abuse and Child Abuse References https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/studies/satanic-ritual-abuse-evidence-with-information-on-the-mcmartin-preschool-case/

Grey Faction, Satanic Temple and Lucien Greaves Fact Sheet https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/grey-faction-satanic-temple-and-lucien-greaves-fact-sheet/

Research and Information on Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder) https://ritualabuse.us/research/did/

Sybil – Proof Sybil had MPD and it was caused by severe trauma  https://ritualabuse.us/research/did/sybil-proof-sybil-had-mpd-and-it-was-caused-by-severe-trauma/

Judith Herman: “In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens.” Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

Videos and PowerPoints from our 2022 conference https://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/2022-conference/2022-conference-video-presentations-and-powerpoints/

Conference Goals

– To help stop future occurrences of ritual abuse
– To help survivors of ritual abuse
– To name the groups that have participated in alleged illegal activities
– To unite those working to stop ritual abuse

Please note: S.M.A.R.T. has no paid employees and all money paid to S.M.A.R.T. goes toward efforts to educate survivors and the general public about survivor issues and research.

Conference Speakers 

These descriptions may be heavy for survivors to read.  You may want to read them with a support person.

Artificially Rooted in the Natural
Wendy Hoffman

Many of us wonder why recovery from criminal mind control takes so long and is so painful and consuming. This workshop explores one aspect of the difficulties we experience. Perpetrators don’t pull mind control programs out of the blue. They have studied and continue to study what is natural to human emotions, behaviors and motivations. Their mind control tactics stem from those observations. Perpetrators artificially root their commands in the natural tendencies of the human brain, personality and soul, such as dissociation among, the need for love and many others. The purpose of this workshop is to help survivors understand some of the unwanted potency of programming and relieve some of the shame and suffering they may feel as they go through their recovery, or even decide whether to start their investigation of themselves, their brains and hearts.

Wendy Hoffman has published three memoirs, The Enslaved Queen (Karnac Books, 2014, new edition by Aeon Books, 2019), White Witch in a Black Robe (Karnac Books, 2016, new edition by Aeon Books, 2019) and A Brain of My Own (Aeon Books, 2020). The Enslaved Queen has been translated and published in Germany (Asanger-Verlag, 2021). Her book of poetry, Forceps, was also published (Karnac books, 2016) along with a book of essays, From the Trenches, written with Dr. Alison Miller (Karnac Books, 2018, re-issued Routledge Books, 2019). Her fourth memoir, After Amnesia, is published on the SmartNews and Survivorship websites (2022). It also has been translated into German. https://ritualabuse.us/smart/wendy-hoffman/

Child Trafficking through Family Court Proceedings: A UK Case Study – Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz

This presentation builds on a decade-long investigation into two index incidents that led to the transfer of parental responsibility for a toddler from a mother to a Local Authority, and eventually adoption by the foster carer in suspicious circumstances marred by procedural irregularities. Index Incident 1, dismissed as untrue by a Family Court Judge, concerned the mother’s claim that she gave birth to a baby as a young teenager that succeeded from incestuous rape by her father and ‘disappeared’. Index Incident 2, that was also dismissed in the same judicial process, concerned a daytime sexual assault on the toddler in broad daylight. The presentation draws on a 60-minute audio recording describing the two index incidents and information submitted to a document review by complex trauma specialists in the process of preparing an appeal application. The content of the presentation is potentially triggering but provides rare insights into the workings of an Organized Ritual Crime Abuse Network (ORCAN) in the midst of society.

Rainer Kurz is a Chartered Psychologist based in London. Since 1990 Rainer has worked in Research & Development roles for leading test publishers. His PhD dissertation was on enhancing the validity and utility of ability testing. Rainer developed 50+ psychometric tests and authored more than 100 publications. He is a Consultant Editor for Test Reviews at the Psychometric Testing Centre (PTC) of the BPS. Rainer has been investigating complex trauma assessment problems since 2012. He presented 30+ posters on trauma, dissociation and healing at international peer-reviewed conferences that are available here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rainer_Kurz2

The Effects of Social Movements on Survivor Support Systems and Survivor Recovery – Neil Brick

Neil Brick will speak about the history of ritualistic abuse and the effects of social movements on survivors. He will present historical information regarding the literature of clinicians and researchers. He will describe the effects of social and historical movements on survivor support systems and survivor recovery.

Neil Brick is a survivor of ritualistic abuse. His work continues to educate the public about child abuse, trauma and ritualistic abuse crimes. His child abuse and ritualistic abuse newsletter S.M.A.R.T. https://ritualabuse.us has been published for over 28 years. http://neilbrick.com

Ongoing Work by Survivor Led Non-profit Organisations in Scotland – Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE

This presentation will explore the ongoing work carried out by survivor led non-profit organisations based in Scotland. Ritual Abuse Network Scotland (RANS) has provided support and information to adult survivors of ritual abuse for the past 20 years and Eighteen And Under has provided support services for young abuse survivors for the past 30 years. Both organisations have been at the frontier of raising awareness about ritual abuse in the UK and beyond. She will also share findings from recent survivor led participatory research highlighting the importance of involving survivors as researchers with lived experience in all aspects of research from deciding the research question, to agreeing methodology, gathering data, analysing results and dissemination of the findings..

Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE is founder and Manager of Eighteen And Under an award winning charity providing confidential support services to young people who have been sexually abused. She is also a founder member and advisor to Ritual Abuse Network Scotland the UK’s leading charity for survivors of organised and ritual abuse. She is the author of several books about ritual abuse and the multi-award-winning Violence Is Preventable abuse prevention programmes for children and young people. She has over 40 year’s experience of directly supporting abuse survivors. Her published research includes participatory research with adult ritual abuse survivors and participatory research with young survivors of sexual abuse.
http://www.18u.org.uk  http://www.rans.org.uk

The Identification and Use of Trauma Triggers in the Treatment of Extreme Abuse Survivors – Dr. Randall Noblitt

Extreme abuse survivors sometimes seek psychotherapy services because of the overwhelming consequences of previous or ongoing incidents of abuse. Repeated severe circumscribed abuse often leaves survivors with trigger-responsive dissociation of identity and traumagenic amnesia, including initially impaired awareness of the abuse and its effects. This workshop will discuss methods for safely exploring, identifying, and desensitizing triggers where the goal is to assist clients in reclaiming effective self-regulation, autonomy, and quality of life.

Randy Noblitt is a professor of Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles and a licensed psychologist in Texas. He has evaluated and treated extreme abuse survivors clinically since 1979. He has authored three editions of the book Cult and Ritual Abuse with Pam Noblitt (1995, 2000, 2014). Together they also edited Ritual Abuse in the 21st Century (2008) and they have authored a recent book, Navigating Social Security Disability Programs: A Handbook for Clinicians and Advocates (2020).  https://ritualabuse.us/smart/randy-noblitt/

False Memories – The Deception That Silenced Millions – Lynn Crook

Lynn Crook explains why accused child molesters needed a defense, why they selected false memories and how they sold it to the media. She’ll explain how the media then sold false memories to the public with rhetoric and false, false memory research results. Prevalence rates were forgotten. As the media coverage slowed, FMSF recruited therapy patients for lawsuits against therapists. Today, psychology students learn about false memories in their textbooks. Although false memory claims are no longer making headlines except when celebrities are on trial, they have become a “given” as reporters paraphrase memory researcher Elizabeth Loftus.

Lynn Crook received an M. Ed. from the University of Washington. She worked at a sexual assault agency in eastern Washington as a community educator and treated clients in crisis. She admired the courage of her clients and soon discovered that she, too, was molested as a child. She sued her parents for damages in 1991. The judge declared in her favor in 1994, as false memories were making headlines. She discovered an oddity in the deposition of her parents’ expert, Elizabeth Loftus. That investigation led to her recent book, “FALSE MEMORIES – The Deception That Silenced Millions LLC.”  http://www.lynncrook.com

The conference is sponsored by S.M.A.R.T., a newsletter that examines the possible connections between ritual abuse and secretive organizations. SMARTNEWS@aol.com http://ritualabuse.us/

Please note: None of the material on these pages or at the conference is meant as therapy, or to take the place of therapy.

Monday, May 22, 2023

Ritual Abuse Survivors’ Perspectives on Research Participation: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Online Study

Ritual Abuse Survivors’ Perspectives on Research Participation: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Online Study
Laurie Matthew & Ian Barron - Journal of Child Sexual Abuse
09 May 2023
 

This exploratory study sought a deeper understanding of the perspectives of self-defined ritual abuse (RA) survivors, who had experienced sexual victimization, on participation in research. A mixed-methods qualitative design involving online survey and follow-up virtual interviews included 68 adults across eight countries. Content and thematic analysis of responses indicated that RA survivors were keen to be involved in a range of research activities to share their experience, knowledge, and support for other survivors. Having a voice, gaining knowledge, and feeling empowered were reported as advantages of participation, while concerns included exploitation, researcher ignorance, and emotional dysregulation caused by content discussed. To enable their engagement in the future research, RA survivors identified participative research designs, anonymity, and increased opportunities for inclusion in decision-making.

 
Matthew, L. & Barron, I. (2015). Participatory Action research on help-seeking behaviors of self-defined ritual abuse survivors: a brief report. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 24(4):429-43.
 
The existence of ritual abuse is the subject of much debate. Ritual abuse survivor perceptions of seeking help have not been explored, and studies have yet to utilize self-defined survivors as collaborative researchers. This study addresses both issues. Participatory action research was utilized to design a survey and semistructured interview to investigate ritual abuse survivor experience of seeking help.

Sixty-eight participants completed the survey, and 22 were interviewed. A group approach to thematic analysis aided validity and reliability. Participants reported experiencing disbelief and a lack of ritual abuse awareness and help from support services. In contrast, participatory action research was reported by participants as educative and emancipatory. Future research should explore the benefits of participatory action research for survivors of different forms of oppression.
 
In the 1990s, a modest number of research articles (Faller, 1994) and clinical guides were published on ritual abuse. Moreover, a considerable number of clinicians reported encountering ritual abuse (RA) cases in their practices, about 10% in a study of members of the American Psychological Association (Bottoms, Shaver, & Goodman, 1991). Media hysteria, the rise of the False Memory Foundation (Salter, 2008), and the failure of feminism to fit RA into dominant paradigms of sexual abuse led to many professionals becoming wary of RA (Scott, 2001). For practitioners, investigators, and journalists, it was reassuring and convenient to redefine RA as a nonphenomenon. However, it is likely, this left individuals who self-defined as RA survivors
more isolated and disbelieved....
 
DISBELIEF
Fear of disbelief was a prevalent theme across participants’ responses (n = 12). During interviews, participants explored the reasons behind this as well as consequences for survivors. Many tried to understand the reasons behind this lack of belief. “We face denial and disbelief on a scale that beggars belief. They can’t handle our abuse at all but they don’t have to, they just have to
listen, but they don’t.” Others felt angry, particularly when speaking about their experiences of not being believed in childhood. Some expressed child protection concerns. “How can we safeguard children from something that is not known about or recognized?”
 
Issues of mental illness and vulnerability were reflected in experiences of participants when seeking help. “I was given ECT [electroconvulsive therapy] . . . at the age of 13. They diagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder, at 16 a counsellor diagnosed False Memory Syndrome” and “when I started with my new therapist and started to remember ritual abuse she didn’t believe me.
I was devastated. It is hard enough trying to cope with some of these very extreme memories without having professionals disbelieve.”....
 
Conclusions
The current study found survivors appeared to suffer from the continued polarized discourse around belief, memory, and mental illness. The researchers discovered that survivors reported low awareness of RA issues among professionals, which in turn resulted in services being perceived as
poor. As a consequence, participants reported they were reluctant to reveal histories of RA due to anticipated negative reactions. The authors suggest there is a need for survivor agencies to raise awareness of issues for RA survivors, share the experiences of survivors, and encourage development of survivor-sensitive services.

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

25th SMART Survivors' Conference

 

25th SMART Survivors' Conference


NEWS PROVIDED BY

SMART Newsletter and Conferences 

Jun 15, 2022, 08:15 ET


EASTHAMPTON, Mass.June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Online Conference August 20 – 21, 2022

The 2022 Online Annual Ritual Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference August 20 – 21, 2022

http://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/ 

30 Years of Ritual Abuse, Mind Control and Dissociation – Valerie Sinason

In 1989 a Swedish psychologist, Anders Svensson rang me for help at the Tavistock Clinic in London. He was a psychologist working with a woman with intellectual disability who reported abuse.  Three decades later, how much has changed?  

Valerie Sinason is a poet, writer, retired child psychotherapist, and adult psychoanalyst. She helped to pioneer the field of disability psychotherapy. She is also the founder director and now patron of the Clinic for Dissociative Studies in London and has worked extensively with severely traumatised individuals suffering from dissociative identity disorder. https://ritualabuse.us/smart/valerie-sinason/

The Modern False Memory Syndrome Movement in the United States – Neil Brick

The modern FMS movement borrows most of its history, techniques, and research from prior false memory movements. These erroneous theories include memory implantation into survivors' minds by therapist and pseudoscientific theories.

Neil Brick is a survivor of ritual abuse and mind control. His child abuse and ritual abuse newsletter S.M.A.R.T. https://ritualabuse.us  has been published for over 27 years. http://neilbrick.com

A History of Ritual Abuse – Dr. Randy Noblitt

This two-hour presentation traces the history of ritual abuse, and critically evaluates the chronology and evolution of this topic in the scholarly literature.   

Randy Noblitt is a clinical psychologist and professor of clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International UniversityLos Angeles.

Should I seek freedom? Should I go through with recovery? A workshop to help you decide and a discussion of its benefits – Wendy Hoffman

Wendy Hoffman had amnesia for most of her life. When she regained memory, she wrote books about her forgotten life. Wendy has published three memoirs.

The 20th Anniversary of the Ritual Abuse Network Scotland (RANS) – Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE

Laurie will talk about the Ritual Abuse Network Scotland and share the experience of 20 years of setting up services and supporting survivors of ritual abuse in Scotland.

Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE is founder and Manager of Eighteen And Under an award winning charity providing confidential support services to young people who have been abused.   www.18u.org.uk    www.violenceispreventable.org.uk 

Proof That Ritual Abuse Exists https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/

Research and Information on Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder) https://ritualabuse.us/research/did/

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

The Survivorship Ritual Abuse and Mind Control 2022 Online Conference - The International Evidence of Ritual Abuse Conference

The Survivorship Ritual Abuse and Mind Control 2022 Online Conference



Special Low Prices Until May 14th - Please write us as soon as possible for special deals.



The International Evidence of Ritual Abuse Conference 



Clinician's Conference - Friday May 20, 2022 - "Exposing Ritual Abuse Internationally." The clinical conference will present empirical evidence of ritual abuse and complex trauma.


Survivor Conference - Saturday and Sunday May 21 - 22, 2022 - The weekend survivor conference for survivors and their supporters will discuss breaking the global silence of ritual abuse and will provide resources and support for survivors.



Conference information is at: https://survivorship.org/the-survivorship-ritual-abuse-and-mind-control-2022-conference/



Conference Speakers


Survivors may want to use caution reading this material or read it with a safe support person. 


Organized Ritual Violence in Germany - Claudia Fischer and Hannah C. Rosenblatt


In May 2017 we opened up a German website (https://www.infoportal-rg.de) with cases and evidence for organized ritual abuse and violence. We collect verdicts and publicly proven cases of cults that are involved in sexual violence and ideologically based homicides. In our presentation, we will


• share the concept and obstacles of this website

• share information about the survivors' community in Germany

• give some examples of German cases and the state of public discussion in Germany


Claudia Fischer is a German journalist (TV, radio, print and online) with 20 years of expertise in investigating stories about ritual abuse and sexual trauma. She invented the https://www.infoportal-rg.de website. She coordinates a group of survivors and other experts (lawyers, therapists, social workers) behind this project as chief editor.


Hannah C. Rosenblatt is a German survivor of organized violence. After their freeing, they started documenting their life with DID at einblogvonvielen.org which was followed by the podcast "Viele-Sein" in 2015. They educate about trauma and violence against people with disabilities, fight for needs-based psychotherapy and assist Claudia Fischer in the Infoportal project.


Should I seek freedom? Should I go through with recovery? A workshop to help you decide and a discussion of its benefits - Wendy Hoffman


If you’re living as an unaware mind controlled victim, you’re living in a vapor, seeing yourself and life through an indistinct veil of mist. You have strong emotions that can break through numbness, but you don’t know who you are or why you react the ways you do. You may also feel trapped in hurtful and unloving relationships and not able to mature into who you really are. All that can be changed if you are willing to go through with a recovery. It is hard work. It can be exhilarating. The enemy group will try to stop you. But if you want, you can find out who you are and what your life has been and can be in the future. This presentation explores some of the benefits of relinquishing slavery and learning who you are. Self-knowledge is the way out.


Wendy Hoffman had amnesia for most of her life. When she regained memory, she wrote books about her forgotten life. Wendy has published three memoirs, The Enslaved Queen, White Witch in a Black Robe and in 2020, A Brain of My Own. The Enslaved Queen has been translated into German. Her book of poetry, Forceps, was also published along with a book of essays, From the Trenches, written with Alison Miller. Her most recent memoir, After Amnesia, is published on the SmartNews website. It is presently being translated into German. What gives her life meaning is helping other surviving victims.


Complex Trauma Assessment Problems - Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz



This presentation addresses serious assessment issues related to complex trauma in an extreme abuse setting that had life changing consequences. Many of the incidents observed by Becker, Karriker, Overkamp, & Rutz (2008) in their Extreme Abuse Survey (EAS) apply to this case. In a court setting the textbook of Miller (2012) and the Epstein, Schwartz & Schwartz (2011) book of UK case vignettes were drawn upon to explain the ‘unbelievable’ sequence of events that had unfolded.


An Advocate’s Journey into Extreme Abuse - Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz


This presentation provides an autobiographical account of advocacy in a case of global significance. A mother emailed a warning to the advocate in his multiple roles as a psychologist, faith leader, and family man. She alleged that her father sexually assaulted her toddler son (i.e. his grandson) and that authority representatives took her child into care as three Psychiatrists had found her ‘delusional.' On a final session with a 4th court appointed expert (a Clinical Psychologist) the advocate was allowed to sit in the back of a session and found the mother reasonable, clear, and fluent in her responses. Disclosures before and after the session raised the possibility that the mother was a victim of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA), and that the sexual assault was meticulously planned to re-victimise her, destroy her credibility as a potential witness/complainant, and gain control of the toddler.


Rainer Kurz is a Chartered Psychologist based in London. Since 1990 Rainer has worked in Research & Development roles for leading test publishers. His PhD dissertation was on enhancing the validity and utility of ability testing. Rainer developed 50+ psychometric tests and authored more than 100 publications. He is a Consultant Editor for Test Reviews at the Psychometric Testing Centre (PTC) of the BPS. In an entirely private volunteer advocate capacity Rainer has been investigating a chilling ‘Child Smuggling’ case since 2012. He presented 30+ posters on trauma, dissociation and healing at international peer-reviewed conferences that are available here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rainer_Kurz2


Ritual Abuse Survivors Experience of Research - Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE


This presentation will explore the background and ongoing work of two survivor led and innovative non-profit organisations based in Scotland. Ritual Abuse Network Scotland (RANS) has provided support and information to adult survivors of ritual abuse for 20 years now and Eighteen And Under has worked for almost 30 years with young abuse survivors who are under 18. Both organisations have been at the frontier of raising awareness about ritual abuse in the UK and beyond. She will also share findings from recent research investigating ritual abuse survivors' experiences when seeking help from agencies and research exploring the needs of young abuse survivors for confidential services. The importance of survivor led participatory research will also be discussed in the presentation. 


Dr. Laurie Matthew OBE is founder and Manager of Eighteen And Under an award winning charity providing confidential support services to young people who have been abused. She is also a founder member and advisor to Izzy’s Promise the UK’s leading charity for survivors of organised and ritual abuse and of the Ritual Abuse Network Forum (RANS). She is the author of several books about ritual abuse and the Violence Is Preventable abuse prevention programmes for children and young people. She has over 40 years experience of directly supporting abuse survivors. Her recently published research has included participatory research with adult ritual abuse survivors and participatory research with young survivors of sexual abuse who were unknown to authorities. 

www.18u.org.uk  www.violenceispreventable.org.uk


A History of Ritual Abuse - Dr. Randy Noblitt


This two-hour presentation traces the history of ritual abuse, and critically evaluates the chronology and evolution of this topic in the scholarly literature. We will review and discuss the definition of ritual abuse from the APA Dictionary of Psychology along with other definitions and conceptualizations. We will consider ritual abuse allegations in the context of the backlash movement to including the false memory syndrome and sociocognitive theories. We will review contemporary international allegations of ritual abuse, also exploring historic accounts of ritual abuse. We will examine the frequently noted psychological sequelae in ritual abuse.


Randy Noblitt is a clinical psychologist and professor of clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University, Los Angeles. He is the principle author of Navigating Social Security Disability Programs: A Handbook for Clinicians and Advocates (2020) as well as Cult and Ritual Abuse: Narratives, Evidence and Healing Approaches, 3rd Edition (2014). He is the co-editor and a contributor to Ritual Abuse in the Twenty-first Century: Psychological, Forensic, Social and Political Considerations (2008).


Healing from Trauma by Shelby Rising Eagle


Shelby will discuss the steps she took to heal from her childhood trauma. "Your healing is for you to pursue and claim. Each and every one of you has your path to walk and you have it inside you to heal. It may work or it may not, but either way as your path unfolds you will get there."


Shelby Rising Eagle was born in the SF Bay Area raised in the Mormon Church. Mother was a multi-generational Mormon; father was a convert. She reports both parents participated in satanic worship, pedophile sex ring in the church. She has done over 20 years of recovery work. She is the writer of two books – How Would You Know? & How Would You Know My Whole Story? She owns and operates a Martial Arts School and is a Master in her style of martial arts and now testing for her 6th degree black belt. She is a master gardener and loves growing vegetables and flowers. She does workshops with therapists on working with victims with DID and the recovery process. She practices meditation for centering her life and progress towards a better life. She is committed to helping to up lift others in their recovery work. She teaches that everyone that they can recover and claim their life back from extreme abuse.


We recommend that survivors bring a safe support person to the online conference who is familiar with the issues ritual abuse survivors may need help with.


None of the material on this page, on linked pages or at the conference is meant as therapy, or to take the place of therapy.


Four Continuing Education credits are available to licensed clinicians at the Friday Clinicians' Conference:  The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT) is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT) maintains responsibility for this continuing education program and its content. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) now accepts American Psychological Association (APA) continuing education credit for license renewal for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs. Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT) is approved by the California Board of Registered Nurses to offer continuing education for nurses (CEP #13737). Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT) is approved by the State Bar of California to offer Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) for attorneys (#11600). Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT) is approved by the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP) to sponsor continuing education for certified alcohol and drug counselors (Provider #1S-03-499-0223).



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. The organization functions as a lifeline for survivors who may be isolated emotionally or geographically. Through community outreach and training, Survivorship also raises awareness about these difficult issues.