Find a Counselor in Germantown

I deconverted in 2012. I was a devout Christian from three years old to half a year before my fortieth birthday. I left it all and became an atheist between Purim and Easter. I remember it well because the last conversation I had before leaving Christianity was on the phone with my long distant best friend, a Messianic Jewish woman, who's originally from NYC. She was my maid of honor in Hawai'i. A year after that conversation, we spoke on the phone again. She was the first person I told about deconverting. I've not heard from her since, even though I reached out to her several times. That was in 2013. It was then that I realized I needed mental health help with PTSD from childhood. I had horribly abusive Christian parents my entire childhood. They continued to manipulate me until I left them alone for good a year after deconversion. I longed to address my childhood in order to be a better mother to my children. I also knew that it was time to confront my RTS. I was heavily brainwashed, abused and manipulated from a young age (often by spiritual leaders). I absolutely took the Bible and prayer to heart. I needed help with the four decades I suffered with Religious Trauma Syndrome. You can read about some of my childhood, religious and physical/medical trauma through my recent Google reviews. I sought answers from Recovering from Religion's Secular Therapy Project. At the time Jennifer wasn't listed (she is now). The closest therapists they had were in Little Rock and Nashville. The premise of the site is for people to find unbiased mental health experts who don't force any philosophy or religion upon their clients. I did a nationwide internet and phone call search for someone like that, who was willing to counsel me online. I found such a person in the spring of 2016. However, I needed more, particularily at that time. I was with her for a few weeks. Another therapist I reached out to in Murfreesboro highly recommended Jennifer. She couldn't see me just yet. However, we began sessions as soon as Memorial Day weekend 2016. We began meeting once every one to two weeks. I've never regretted my choice. Jennifer doesn't take my particular insurance, but she has been worth every single dime. She doesn't judge me. She doesn't pressure me with church attendance or "encourage" me to pray and read my Bible. Jennifer's honest, but not mean. She's professional, but not cold. Jennifer is down to earth, but not lazy. She's probably the most patient and strongest person I've ever known. She was worth the 60 mile round trip from my previous residence. It's less than a 30 mile round trip for me now. In September she'll be even closer to me as she moves her office to Germantown. The only downfall I have with Jennifer is that she's such an amazing therapist she stays pretty booked. However, she is more than willing to see someone at least once (if she can), and takes it from there. We have just agreed to begin meeting only every other week with the possibility of changing that to a need by need basis in the near future. I've come to realize that emotions are healthy when we deal with them as they rise and not stuff them until they kill us from the inside out. I knew that Jennifer was the right therapist for me by our second session when she told me that forgiveness is overrated. As someone who was often controlled by Christian abusers who insisted I just get over it/forgive, this sentiment has been revolutionary and healing for me.