Recovering from Religion, Cults, High Control Groups: Why is it so hard?

Founded in 2009 by Dr Darrel Ray, Recovering from Religion has expanded to include a global network of volunteers, online support groups, and resources for those transitioning away from religious belief.

Religious ideologies can create psychological conflicts that have lifelong consequences. Even people who were never raised religious, can hold beliefs that are harmful and destructive and rooted in ancient religious ideas. "At Recovering from Religion we see the evidence every day when people call to say they are concerned about a loved one who has been taken in by a religious or political ideology. People who discover that the things they were taught as a child are not true yet still frighten them. People that tell us they don’t believe in any gods but still fear hell or armegeddon. People that feel intense shame for natural desires and feelings." In this talk, Dr. Ray will explore why it is so difficult for many people to discard these beliefs and how the organisation, Recovering from Religion helps anyone needing hope, healing and support as they deconstruct the ideology of religions or a high control group.

In the UK, Humanists UK's own Faith to Faithless service, established in 2015, supports anyone who has left a high control religion through weekly peer support, an LGBT group, a women's group, and in-person social events throughout the UK in addition to our helpline.

Note: This lecture is part of a series jointly sponsored by Faith to Faithless and Recovering from Religion (RfR) as an outreach and fundraising event for Faith to Faithless - a Humanists UK service dedicated to supporting people who have left high-control religious groups. Neither RfR, nor Dr. Ray receive any remuneration or compensation.

Speaker Bio: Dr Darrel Ray practiced clinical psychology for a decade before transitioning to organisational psychology, where he focused on team dynamics and workplace culture. He authored two books on organisational development: 'Teaming Up: Making the Transition to a Self-Directed, Team-Based Organization' and 'The Performance Culture: Maximizing the Power of Teams'.In 2009, Ray founded Recovering from Religion (RfR), a nonprofit organisation dedicated to supporting individuals dealing with religious trauma, doubt, and non-belief. Under his leadership, RfR has expanded to include a global network of volunteers, online support groups, and resources for those transitioning away from religious belief. In 2012, he launched the Secular Therapy Project, connecting clients with secular, evidence-based mental health professionals. Throughout his career, Dr. Ray has been a vocal advocate for secularism and mental health, emphasising the importance of science-based approaches to therapy and the challenges faced by individuals leaving religious communities.

We are thrilled to host Dr Darrel Ray in Oxford on this UK tour in October. Please do note that for this special program we are hosting on a Monday evening, and will be at the Old Fire Station cafe, (George St, Oxford) with a later start time than usual (7pm - 9pm event).

This event is free to join, however we do request registration to help us manage numbers with the venue and, as always, any donations you are able to contribute will support our running costs. We will be raising funds for the HUK Faith to Faithless services on the evening also. Old Fire Station cafe has a cash/card bar which will be open for purchasing refreshments on the evening.

Not sure if this is for you or have questions about the event? Please get in touch with our Events Manager; we'd love to hear from you at events-oxford@humanistbranches.uk.

We hope to see you there!

Oxford Humanists Local group