With the growing community of ExJWs online, we need to support each other through some of the most challenging personal situations. One way that we can support each other is by being active listeners. Your job as a listener is to build rapport, understanding, and trust. As JWs, we were accustomed to telling others whatContinueContinue reading “Support ExJWs with Active Listening”
Category Archives: Building Relationships
Emotional Validation
The feelings of members of Jehovah’s Witnesses are often rejected, ignored, or judged. This is emotional invalidation. Especially if born into the religion these people may experience a very profound level of personal invalidation. Not only are they told what to believe but they are also told what they feel. Any personal feelings or experiencesContinueContinue reading “Emotional Validation”
How to Build Better Relationships with Positive Psychology
Many XJW’s are working on building better healthier relationships. With effort and support we can overcome the social and relationship trauma we have experienced. Letting Positive Psychology influence the way we speak and respond to others can help. As discussed in my Positive Psychology post, Relationships are important to our overall well being. Associate ProfessorContinueContinue reading “How to Build Better Relationships with Positive Psychology”
Love Yourself and Others
As we grow we develop ideas about who we are, who others are, and what the world is like. The collection of values and beliefs that we have about life called our world view. Our world view affects how we treat others and how we live our lives. Waking up from Jehovah’s Witnesses typically meansContinueContinue reading “Love Yourself and Others”
Unconditional Positive Regard
TESTING
Instant Friends, Just Add Water
I received an email from the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) that talked about how it can be difficult for former members of controlling religions to make friends. It explained that when your in such a group the other members are automatically your friends and you don’t have to work on relationships. This made meContinueContinue reading “Instant Friends, Just Add Water”
Learning To Not Be Passive Anymore
So let me tell you a story about learning about myself post fundamentalism. This story involves a former coworker I will call Kathy. Let me say that Kathy was a competent worker and generally, I did not have a problem working with Kathy. However… there were a few, shall we say, incidents involving Kathy thatContinueContinue reading “Learning To Not Be Passive Anymore”
Ryan David Tuttle 