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Web Site
Odenwälder Wohnhof e.V.
Unterer Flachsberg 15
74743 Seckach-Zimmern
Tel.: 0 62 91 -64 67 63
Fax.: 0 62 91 -64 67 75
E-Mail: Wohnhof@aol.com
The Odenwälder Wohnhof is a home
for people who escaped from cults, satanic groups,
and psycho groups. People being in trouble can
get help in a non-bureaucratic way there. This
was made possible as a model project with
financial contribution from federal state,
country and a private foundation.
The Odenwälder Wohnhof
had been
situated
in the middle of the green forest Odenwald
between Würzburg, Heilbronn and Heidelberg in a
secluded village. In a
ten-room
house there were six
to seven
beds ready for emergency cases.
Unfortunately, cuts in government funding forced
the organization to give up the house. It
now houses clients in an apartment.
Six years ago, at the beginning of
its work, the Wohnhof was regarded by cult
experts with scepticism. This has changed
fundamentally, since we are able to work
professionally due to their support. Nearly all
the people who asked to be accepted had been
referred to us by cult experts of both churches
and state offices. Many of those experts who
visited the Wohnhof left as promoters.
As there was a long period of
planning, there hardly were extraordinary
problems at the beginning. The team soon found a
way of cooperation and a structure for everyday
life.
Since November 2000, there
have
always
been
clients at the
Wohnhof. They have
come
from all over Germany and from Switzerland. The
very different and partly dramatic problems
that
caused their
stay at the Wohnhof were documented and will soon
be evaluated scientifically
by
Dr.
von Lucadou (head of the parapsychological
counselling office, Freiburg) and
Professor
Klosinski (Medical
Director
of the Department
of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Tuebingen
University ). Because of
confidentiality
we cannot report case studies in detail.
We get many requests from people
who signal that they are in jeopardy, for
example:
-
a 56
year old female Satanist who wants to escape,
-
a grandfather who looks
for a hiding place from Satanism for his 15
year old grandson,
-
a young woman from a
Marian cult who seems to be psychologically
unstable and suicidal,
-
ex-scientologists who
experience their involvement as an unsolved
problem, very much frightening, paralysing,
without a perspective of future,
-
women from the esoteric
scene who have undetermined fear and report
psychological problems,
-
a young woman with a
multiple personality disorder, caused by severe
abuse.
Though the requests are very
precise (arrival dates were appointed), most of
the people do not arrive. The reason is probably
the psychological relief which occurs at the
moment when people in hopeless situations
understand that there is a possibility of help,
and they could use this possibility at any time.
As a result, their own resources are activated,
which often makes the
usage of the help unnecessary.
For the people living at the
Wohnhof, the daily routine is similar to that of
a flat-sharing community with a
therapeutic character: all
work in the house and the garden is done jointly.
The problems of the individual are continuously
treated and worked at.
For the conversation therapy, a physician or
therapist will be there once a week and
additionally if required. Offers for creative,
artistic or athletic usage of free time are
optional. There is no religious influence.
There are only three rules: no
smoking inside the house, no proselytizing, no
therapeutic talks during the meals.
In almost all cases, family
members came for a visit for a longer time to
establish contact again. These visits were
regarded as positive by everybody.
Short time visitors (ex-cult
members from various groups) came for 2 or 3 days
to talk about their problems and questions. A
longer stay was not possible for them because of
professional reasons.
Nearly every month we offer
weekend seminars which are attended by ex-members
from Germany and from abroad. The topic always
refers to "leaving cults." Obviously there is a
great demand. Therefore, we have created a
two-year-advanced-training for consultants who
are educated by the best experts of Germany. This
advanced training started in November 2001 and is
already completely booked-out.
We get requests from television
companies which we have rejected. We do
not want to publish our
clients' problems as
success stories in magazines. But on the occasion
of serious journalistic requests we use the
opportunity for public relation work.
We published articles in many
well-known newspapers, also in brochures and
foreign periodicals. Between October 2000 and
September 2001 there
were on average two
reports per month.
The scientific attendants are
Professor Klosinski and
Dr. von Lucadou. The latter
comes every six weeks
for a supervision, stays overnight,
and takes the reports about the clients with him
for evaluation. At the place, he uses the
opportunity for a personal talk with the clients.
At unusual events, such as the
falling into a trance of a young female Satanist,
staff will consult Professor
Klosinski via telephone.
The monthly reports show an
increasing number of demands and overnight stays.
Our goal is, of course, a higher usage. An
average census of two
persons was estimated to be "normal" by
Professor Klosinski
because a "dense therapeutic
atmosphere" is created which helps the clients.
Without anticipating the scientific evaluation by
Dr. von Lucadou it can
be claimed that the work with the clients usually
leads to success.
What are the costs? The clients
have to pay 15 to 25 Euro per day, depending on
their financial possibilities. (Sometimes they do
not have any money left, then
they are allowed to stay anyway.)
Who works in the Wohnhof? Inge
Mamay, social educationalist, half-time. Iris
Trabold-Otterbach, social worker, half-time. Mrs.
Knoth, help, 5 hours a week. Dr. Fahrig,
therapist, on fee contract.
Inge Mamay
Inge
Mamay has worked with ex-cultists since 1976. At
that time she founded the first rehabilitation
center in Germany. She is a graduate social
educationalist with additional scientific
education in theology and conversational therapy.
She works as a lecturer at a college for social
pedagogies.
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