E46: Sherrie D'Souza - Faces of RfR

This episode was recorded May 18, 2020. RfR Support Group Director and host, Eric Wells, sits down with Sherrie D'Souza, the Support Group Leader for the new group in Sydney, Australia! We get to know what makes Sherrie D’Souza tick, her journey from a dedicated Jehovah's Witness to thriving as a volunteer at RfR. She explains the scale of child abuse at the Jehovah's Witnesses and the cover up of the cases by the leaders of the church. We also discover her journey from shame to self-forgiveness and the power of meditation. The primary focus of Recovering from Religion (RfR) is to offer hope, healing, and support to those struggling with issues of doubt and non-belief. This transitional period is an ongoing process that can result in a range of emotions, as well as a ripple effect of consequences throughout an individual’s life. We are here to help each other through this journey. Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org. To talk over the phone, dial: (844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada  +3 4505 2402 in Australia  +20 3856 8791 in the UK  +27 11 043 5323 in South Africa  Peer support is also available through local support groups. These groups offer monthly in-person meetings as a place to express doubts, fears, emotions & concerns about religion you wouldn't normally feel comfortable expressing in a religious community. Find your nearest support group at https://www.meetup.com/pro/recovering-from-religion If you are in need of professional help, we can offer the Secular Therapy Project to provide options to connect with a professional therapist. All therapists have been thoroughly vetted by our organization and offer only evidence-based and non-religious treatment. Connect with them at http://www.seculartherapy.org. RfR has an immense collection of well-curated resources available as you go through your journey, including resources for mental and physical crises, working with relationships, issues stemming from specific religions, coming out stories, and much more. Head to https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/resources for these helpful resources. Subscribe to the RfR Blog: https://medium.com/excommunications Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RecoveringfromReligion   Twitter: @RfRorg  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rfrorg/ RfR is a non-profit organization reliant upon both its volunteers and donations. Like what RfR does? Why not volunteer! There are quite a few options and we are always in need of volunteers. Head over to https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer