The W2R Connections Seven-Week program is for those who feel ready to interact with other survivors while focusing on the written word as a tool for integration and creative expression. Weekly, two-hour zoom sessions offer ample opportunity for connections to be made while The Writing to Reckon Journal is a springboard for independent writing. A secure online Slack channel is available to participants 24/7. Companionship, accountability, and support are nearby throughout the entire seven week program.

You may write alone, but you are not alone. Connections happen.

The Writing to Reckon (W2R) Connection program is offered twice a year: Spring and Fall.

The cost is $395.

Read a few of the comments from participants of the Fall 2023 W2R Connections Program:

“I benefited most from feeling validated and not feeling alone in my experiences. It was wonderful to be with a group of people that listened without judgment. I will forever be thankful.”

“It's amazing how much clarity I gained in just 7 weeks compared to the last few years of dissecting my experience. The stages and prompts are laid out so well, they helped me see aspects of my life and story in totally new and different ways. “

“I benefited so much from the W2R Connections program - by being consistently witnessed in a safe and empathetic environment where I could let the walls down a little and process my experiences. “

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Ongoing Writing to Reckon classes offer a safe space for survivors to drop in on a first come-first served basis. These classes provide a confidential container to delve into the challenging terrain of power-over abuse. Each class includes a brief lesson on controlling dynamics and a writing prompt. Participants write for 45 - 50 minutes and then have the opportunity to share one’s work and receive and offer constructive, positive feedback in a structured manner. The class is supportive in nature but is not a support group. The focus is on writing and offers inspiration and support for the survivor’s journey through the written word.

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A Writing to Reckon retreat will offer you a private cabin and an individualized program so you can focus on writing. The retreat is designed and structured based on your needs. You will stay in a small rustic cabin and I will come and go, offering the educational support - as agreed upon.

Personal retreats can last anywhere from two days to two weeks and will be carefully crafted through an extensive application process.

“Bringing together two long-running separate threads—therapy and writing—into one conversation was transformative. To be able to use creative writing as a modality in an in-person therapeutic session was deeply meaningful and facilitated transformative integration. The trifecta of time with Gerette, time alone, and the presence of nature was a powerful combination.

I loved sitting by the stream. I loved the presence of the trees and the hillside and the flowers and the bees and this sense of continual change around me.”

K.F. Burlington, VT

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Half day or daylong Writing to Reckon Workshops offer survivors the space to immerse into the writing process. They can be offered on request at public or private venues. They have taken place at libraries, homes, in forests and on Zoom. They can be specially designed for survivors of the same group, or for families who have lost a loved one to a cultic group. They can be as varied or as specific as one wishes, with safeguards put in place to assure the privacy and confidentiality of all participants.

Live and in person Writing to Reckon Workshops are offered at different locations and only irregularly. Zoom workshops with a special focus can be arranged. If you are interested in hosting one or would like to speak with Gerette about offering one near you, please click the “connect” button. Full day and multi-day retreats are also an option.

A Writing to Reckon workshop is an opportunity for survivors of any high demand group who have experienced cultic, religious, or spiritual abuse to put words to their lived experiences in a safe, supportive environment. Through the process of writing one can find coherence around confusing or traumatic events where coercive control was present and this in turn can reduce stress and promote integration. Each workshop includes writing prompts, provides ample time to write, to share one's work and to receive feedback and support for the writer’s journey. No previous writing experience is necessary.

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For those who prefer to process and write in the privacy of their own home hearth, the Writing to Reckon Journal is perfect. It is organized into six stages of recovery from cultic abuse.

It’s no small act - to write one’s story of cultic, spiritual or religious abuse. Whether the process is purely for one’s own integration or it’s a book in the making - the writing will support the healing process.

For survivors, consultation involves one-on-one meetings via zoom or in person. These sessions are an opportunity for experiences to be voiced and put into the larger perspective of patterns of cultic abuse. Whether the involvement took place recently or decades ago, I will engage in a process with you that supports the integration of complex and traumatic experiences, and furthers self understanding and compassion.

Witnessing a loved one fall into a controlling group can be devastating - especially because in an effort to help, sometimes you can inadvertently create further alienation. Cultic environments actively strive to rupture healthy family ties because their goal is to become the “chosen family.” Consultations provide support that is specific to your loved ones experience - that builds and maintains bridges, re-establishing the link between you and your loved one’s pre-cult or authentic identity. Entire families and close friends can be invited into the consultations.

Cult consultations begin with a commitment to transparency and a willingness to engage honestly on leadership and membership levels. I believe any group or organization has the potential to develop cultic tendencies - often unconsciously - employing controlling techniques that in the long run, will only undermine the entire system. Through educational consultation with leadership, members and all involved, the “easy fix'' of an authoritarian or power over approach can be identified and options for employing ethical leadership will be explored.

The need for discernment in group participation is essential for adolescents and emerging adults. Destructive cultic groups target 15-25 year olds for recruitment - using their natural optimism, curiosity and openness as a tool to garner their trust. 

Learning the signs of destructive or controlling groups is only the beginning of these workshops. Designed to engage students through experiential exercises, participants will learn how humans think (and don't think) and develop skills of discernment on how to safely interact with a group that might look really good but could lead to a loss of autonomy instead of empowerment.

Cult Culture: a workshop for yoga teachers

Empowerment is the essence of what yoga teachers want for students: promoting self-confidence and inspiring a grounded connection with body, mind and spirit. However, there are many examples of abuse of power in yoga centers across the globe. How does this happen? Power dynamics are inherent in teacher-student relationships, making it essential for yoga teachers to understand the complex and nuanced dynamics of hierarchy, projection, and the vulnerability that brings each student into their class. This workshop is designed to shed light on power dynamics that exist in all yoga communities (whether we are conscious of them or not) and empower teachers through tools, techniques and increased personal understanding to create yoga environments imbued with reciprocity, integrity and healing.