Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This episode is 1:16:09 long. Download MP3 (69.8 MB).

Regular Hosts:
Amber – Dave
Guest Hosts:
Michael Reeder, a Pagan in the Baltimore-Washington DC area.

Interview with Michael Reeder about Psychology and Paganism

2:01
Why Pagans don’t like seeking psychological help
2:33
How many Pagan Therapists are there?
2:59
How to find the right therapist for you as a Pagan
7:00
Is mentioning your Pagan experiences going to result in being forced to take anti-psychotics?
8:22
Therapists don’t have the power to “stuff meds down your throat”
9:48
Are there benefits of natural alternatives?
11:00
Schizophrenia and being spiritually enlightened
15:45
Incorporating spirituality into psychological therapy
20:42
Are there many closed-minded psychological therapists?
21:16
Warning signs that you’re with a therapist that wouldn’t work well with Pagans
22:02
Warning signs that you’re with a therapist that is more interested in the spiritual than the therapy that is needed.
23:55
Have you ever experienced someone overwhelmed by the spiritual that it is causing psychological problems?
28:15
What should you do when therapy seems to be too hard and not working
30:30
Keeping the lines of communication open with your therapist
35:15
Similarities of Pagan techniques and psychological theraputic techniques
39:00
Is there a danger of a person pretending to be something else so deeply that they don’t feel like themselves?
42:00
Guided meditation, astral travel and its similarities to hypnotherapy and visualization techniques
46:00
Warning signs one should seek professional help rather than try to overcome an issue themself.
48:00
Cherry Hill Seminary’s Intensive on Pastoral Counseling at the Pagan Leadership Skills Conference
49:30
Can Otherkin be psychologically healthy while maintaining their belief in Otherkin?
55:50
How well tolerated are Pagan therapists among the overall community?
58:30
Forceful institutionalization – how does that work?
1:01:00
Dealing with family members that think Paganism is a psychological illness.
1:03:00
How you can contact Michael to help find a local Pagan therapist
1:03:55
“The universe will never put more on your plate than you can handle” – religious vs. therapist perspectives.
1:05:30
Build a network of people around you that you can seek assistance from
1:06:30
How to help a metaphysically sensitive child get though a traumatic event (e.g. loss of a sibling)
1:08:42
Connection between those who have been through traumatic events and those who are metaphysically sensitive?
1:13:00
Some directories for locating therapists so you can research therapists before calling someone blind.

Credits

« Older Episode This episode has 1,386 downloads so far… Newer Episode »
Dave posted the following on June 21, 2009 at 12:18 am.

You don’t need to adjust your iTunes, we really did release an episode with a “Clean” tag for the first time in almost 100 episodes :) .

Magda posted the following on June 22, 2009 at 8:11 pm.

I really loved this episode. It also helped me realize that my childhood and teen traumas are why I’m so short tempered and can’t handle normal stressful situations.

Nick F. posted the following on June 25, 2009 at 6:06 pm.

I just took another look at your guys’ cluster map… HOLY SHIT pcp is EVERYWHERE!

Serenity Marie posted the following on June 29, 2009 at 3:49 am.

This episode was deeply inspiring not only as a pagan who is counseling, but as a pagan who wants to get a ph.d. in psychology. I have been having problems, mostly due to my parents’ divorce and my stepmother’s drinking. It makes it easier to know that I can talk about my religion with my counselor and not be branded as crazy.

Michael R. posted the following on June 30, 2009 at 2:11 pm.

Knowing that the interview touched your life, and the positive feedback I’ve gotten elsewhere makes me glad I did it. Thanks.

Sheena posted the following on June 30, 2009 at 5:46 pm.

this was great.

I’m probably going to get my man to listen to it. as mentioned before, he’s paranoid schizophrenic, and I’m his carer, and I think this might be a good perspective for him to hear about.

bearing in mind that I had to out myself to his doctors when he was in hospital, because he kept telling them he needed me because I have healing hands and can do magic.

I mean, yeah, not the best thing for them to have in their hands, but better they know that it’s based in what I believe, not in his delusions.

Please continue discussion on the forum: link