About Cathy S Harris
Lived Experience And 25 Years In The Work
Mother and Cult Survivor
I am a mother who survived a traumagenic family and cult membership from age 17 to 43. I attended college at 40 years old and this led to leaving the high-control group I had dedicated my life to. My freedom was the most important consideration as I contemplated leaving my family and friends behind. The group practices shunning of members that leave and I knew that this was my fate, once I no longer believed the teachings and observed the rules of The Watchtower Society. More on Cathy's story.
Nonetheless, I made the difficult decision to leave. After finishing my BS at Iowa State University and my Master of Social Work degree at the University of Iowa, I completed the required work to become independently licensed. While in school, I worked with adolescent youth in residential treatment, provided phone counseling through programs facilitated by The Red Cross and completed my training with Dr. Colin Ross in his inpatient trauma treatment program in Dallas, Texas.
Psychedelics
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, has recently stated, “For a hundred years or more, every textbook of psychology and psychotherapy has advised that some method of talking about distressing feelings can resolve them. However, as we’ve seen, the experience of trauma itself gets in the way of being able to do that.”
My evolution as a therapist has included using many tools in addition to hearing my clients’ stories. The story is important, however, healing happens in the body. Psychedelics are proving to be catalysts to this healing. In my training as a Psychedelic Integration Specialist, I was required to engage in using plant medicine. At this later stage in my life, I have learned that these substances are remarkable for stimulating deep work that can lead to living in joy and peace after trauma. My training and my own experiences have resulted in me becoming a strong advocate for this work.
