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frequently asked questions
Ministry Services
Q: I am counseling with/ministering
to/supporting an abuse survivor and I need help. Is it possible to
speak with someone at RCM by phone?
A:
You may call Sheila at 540-249-9119 or email her at
sheila@rcm-usa.org
Q: Is there anyone in my area that uses your
materials and your approach?
A:
RCM maintains a
limited list of those who are using our materials and approach and may be open
to taking new clients.
You
may contact
Sheila at
540-249-9119 or
sheila@rcm-usa.org
for
possibilities
in your area.
While we will
give names of people we are acquainted with, we cannot make
any guarantees
about the quality of their work.
It is
your
responsibility to determine
whether the
people we suggest are suitable for your particular needs.
Q: I am a survivor and I need help.
A:
At this time RCM does not offer counseling services. However, you may contact
Sheila at 540-249-9119 or
sheila@rcm-usa.org
if you do not have a counselor. She may be able to give you some possibilities
in your state or area.
If you have a counselor or prayer minister who is working with you, we would
encourage you or him/her to order our "Restoring Shattered Lives Seminar"
series. This includes our complete training on what you need to know to
understand and minister effectively to those with DID. It is meant to benefit
both counselors and counselees. We recommend getting it in the DVD format, as
you will be able to watch a number of role plays that are very instructive in
some of the sessions. However, we do offer the same series in Audio on CD or mp3
CDs for those who can't afford the DVDs. Diane's book "Multiple Identities" will
also be helpful to you and those ministering to you. You can go to the
Training Resources pages to review these and other helpful resources.
RCM also publishes a quarterly newsletter called "Survivor Matters", which is
written to inspire, educate, and empower survivors on their healing journeys.
You may contact Christa at 540-249-1027 or
rcmoffice@rcm-usa.org to request to
be added to the mailing list.
RCM also offers a yearly DID couples’ retreat for those survivors who are
married and desiring help in making their marriages work. Plans are also being
made to conduct yearly survivors’ retreats. Watch for announcements of this
under Training Events. Announcements will be posted
4-6 months in advance.
Training Resources
Q: Who will benefit from your training resources?
A: While our primary focus is to equip therapists, counselors,
and prayer ministers for working effectively to bring spiritual freedom,
emotional healing, and wholeness to individuals who have Dissociative Identity
Disorder (DID), our materials cover many aspects of inner healing that are
applicable to a much broader spectrum of clientele, especially those who have
suffered any kind of trauma. They are also invaluable for helping individuals
working in any kind of social work or Christian ministry to be
able to recognize dissociated individuals among the populations with which they
work.
Those experiencing DID themselves
will also benefit greatly from our materials, learning to understand their
condition and what they must do to achieve healing and freedom. We strongly
recommend that survivors do not rely solely on their counselors to know how to
lead them to healing. They will be much more successful if they themselves know
just what they need to do. This is particularly important because facilitators
who are adequately trained in this field are often difficult to find.
Because spiritual warfare is a major part of working with DID cases resulting
from ritual abuse, some of our materials are also very beneficial to those
working in the deliverance field. We strongly recommend that all deliverance
ministers be able to differentiate between demons and alter-personalities.
Significant trauma can occur when deliverance ministers mistake alter-identities
for demons. Deliverance is also much more complicated when DID is involved and
should not be attempted without proper training.
Q: What subjects do your training resources cover?
A: Our resources cover every aspect of understanding and treating Dissociative
Identity Disorder (DID), including the complexities caused by ritual abuse. In
them you will learn the identifying symptoms of DID as well as the dynamics
involved; the role of conflict, denial, and false beliefs; how to differentiate
Primary Identities from alter-identities and the importance of doing so; as well
as treatment strategies for overcoming dissociation. You will learn the Biblical
context for ritual abuse as well as the complications that mind-control
programming, out-of-body/dimensional experiences, and spiritual bondages bring
to DID that comes from this origin. The various aspects of memory, including
traumatic, implicit, body, and the possibility of spirit memory will be
explained. You will learn how traumatic memory is processed through the brain in
a different manner than ordinary memory and how to distinguish true traumatic
memories from imagination. You will find information to help you understand the
emotional intensities and tendencies to self-harm that survivors often exhibit.
Our resources are all written from a Christian perspective and also cover the
critical issues of dealing with anger, hate, and forgiveness as well as
understanding why God allows abuse and suffering in this world. The primary
resources containing this key information are the
Restoring Shattered Lives DVD seminar series and the two books:
Multiple Identities by Diane
Hawkins and Dissociative Identity Disorder
by Tom R. Hawkins with Diane Hawkins.
Preventing Shattered Marriages
is a CD set that addresses the many areas of struggle that couples face when one
of them has DID. The principles shared, however, are much more broadly
applicable to marriages struggling for other reasons as well.
Our Cosmic Hierarchy series is not
aimed directly at DID but is applicable to anyone desiring further training on
the spiritual realm and the nature of the entities in it. It is invaluable for
anyone involved in advanced spiritual warfare.
Other supporting resources address many of the peripheral issues that result
from growing up in a dysfunctional family or a fallen world, which none of us
can escape. They also include true accounts of individuals who have overcome
DID.
Q: Where can I get a complete list of the resources that you offer?
A: You can go to the
Resource Center
page on this website for a selection of our printed materials, DVDs, and CDs.
For a complete list, you can download
Available Resources from Restoration in Christ Ministries in PDF format.
You can also call the RCM office at 540-249-9119, or send an email to
rcmoffice@rcm-usa.org, and request an
information package.
Training Events
Q: Are you having a seminar in our area in the near future?
A: Because our entire training seminar is available in DVD format, we are no
longer conducting training seminars.
Q: Do you have any other training opportunities available?
A: Several times a year we will be offering the Tom Hawkins Memorial
Internship Program. This will be an opportunity for those who are actively
working with DID clientele to benefit from watching recorded ministry sessions
conducted by the late Dr. Tom Hawkins. The opportunity for thorough discussion
and Q & A will be led by his wife, Diane Hawkins. Go to
Training Events to see the dates currently being
offered for this opportunity. You may also contact Christa at 540-249-1027 or
Christa@rcm-usa.org for further information.
Credentials
Q: What credentials did the late Dr. Tom R. Hawkins carry in founding
Restoration in Christ Ministries?
A: Tom R. Hawkins, Ph.D., was a graduate of Multnomah School of the Bible,
Cascade College (B.A. 1965), and Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1969;
Ph.D., 1995). He ministered as a pastor for twenty-five years before founding
Restoration in Christ Ministries in 1994. With a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies, he
claimed no mental health credentials. However, from 1991 to 1993, he worked
closely with mental health professionals in one of the few Christian in-patient
Dissociative Disorders Units in the United States. He was a member of the
International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation from 1988 until
his death in 2010 and was a founding member of the ISDM (International Society
of Deliverance Ministries). He also served as treasurer for the Christian
Society of Healing from Dissociative Disorders when it was active in the 1990s.
Tom was a member of the AACC for a time but felt that since he was unable to
represent dissociative issues there in an effective manner at that time, he
would not devote further time and energies at this otherwise fine organization.
After his first wife died of cancer in 1976, he married Diane, who was diagnosed
with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) in 1987. His interest in helping
survivors of sexual and ritual abuse developed, first, out of his earnest desire
to help her and, secondly, out of his compassionate heart of mercy that had
already made him a sought after counselor in the various churches that he
pastored.
After a
thorough study of the available literature and sitting under the teaching of
many of the recognized authorities in the field did not provide answers for all the
issues he was encountering, especially among the ritual abuse population, he and
Diane began to develop some of their own ideas and strategies while remaining in
close communication with other Christian therapists and prayer ministers.
The approach he developed recognizes the value of learning and applying the
generally accepted treatment principles used by professional therapists and
psychiatrists but also draws from his own broad range of experience and that of
others in Christian ministry to address the significant spiritual dynamics
occurring in DID, especially in cases of complex ritual abuse. As a result, Tom
saw God bring significant hope and healing to many, many survivors.
Consultations with Dr. Hawkins became in great demand by professionals, pastoral
counselors, and prayer ministers throughout the USA and abroad. The training
materials that he and Diane developed have gone into at least 37 countries.
Q: What credentials does Diane Hawkins carry as the current President of
Restoration in Christ Ministries?
A: Diane W. Hawkins, M.A., is a graduate of Taylor University (B.A., 1969) and
Wheaton Graduate School of Theology (M.A., 1973). She served as a missionary to
Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) with TEAM from 1971-1976. After marrying Tom in 1977,
she became a pastor’s wife, mother to Tom’s two children, and a ladies’ Bible
teacher. She also extended her own Bible training by typing all of Tom’s Bible
arguments and his dissertation for his Ph.D. degree. In 1987, after an 8-year
search for understanding of symptomology that emerged in her life following
marriage, she was diagnosed with DID. The following year revealed the presence
of a ritual abuse history. Frustrated after 6 years of concentrated therapy did
not seem to be bringing resolution, she began applying her own good mind to
figuring out the dynamics that were going on in her life and learning all she
could to overcome them. From 1995 to 2000, she and Tom learned critical concepts
that enabled her to begin making real progress in her healing journey. She began
participating in more and more of the teaching at the seminars that became a
central part of RCM’s ministry. Her CDs of her personal journey and what God was
teaching her reached as far as Siberia, where a missionary reported that it
saved her life. While traveling around the country and overseas cut down on the
frequency of her own therapy, in February, 2011, six weeks after Tom passed
away, she came to experience wholeness.
From the beginning of Restoration in Christ Ministries in 1994, Diane played a
major role in writing, speaking, and increasingly accompanying Tom is ministry
sessions. God has given her gifts of discernment and teaching as well as a heart
of compassion for other survivors, whom she has been mentoring and supporting
for a number of years.
Treatment Approach
Q: How does the RCM approach relate to Theophostic?
A: Our approach includes what we call “Truth ministry,” which is an adaptation
of the teachings of Basic TheoPhostic, which Tom and Diane learned directly from
Ed Smith in the early days of his teaching. We use it in bringing healing to
memories and truth to false beliefs underlying the conflicts that lie at the
heart of DID. We do not believe that Theophostic alone is sufficient for
attaining either sanctification or healing from DID. Other issues must also be
addressed, such as sin and spiritual bondage, which can come from generational
iniquity, parental/caregiver permission, and/or personal entrenchment in sin or
involvement in occult activities and/or direct acts of allegiance to Satan.
Q: Does RCM recommend the use of regression, guided imagery, or hypnosis in the
treatment process?
We do not recommend any of these means that involve the direction of a person’s
mind by another individual. We prefer all information to come from the survivor
without external guidance or suggestion. Frequently, in the process of
treatment, survivors will report imagery on their own that reflects how their
systems are organized, what is happening within them, or how God is working with
various parts of them. We acknowledge that this can be helpful.
Questions from Survivors
Q: I was diagnosed with DID several years ago. I struggle as to whether DID is
real or whether I am just influenced by something demonic that causes me to
believe lies and act in different ways at times. I’ve read about DID and have
had many questions answered about why I have lived life the way I have, but I
continue to find myself struggling with accepting it. I am also concerned
because DID is not mentioned in the written Word of God.
A: I am glad that you have read some about DID and feel that it does explain
some things about the way you have experienced life. For a demon to be causing
fluctuations in the way that you act, perceive life, and think about yourself,
others, and the environment, it would have to have a profound hold on you
(virtually “possessing” you). This can only happen if you have given Satan legal
access to yourself through some major event in your life. Even if something like
that did occur in your past, if you are a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus
Christ, we do not believe that a demon can take any kind of control of your life
without permission by some part of you. Demons can harass you externally in
trying to get you to believe lies, but you must actively decide whether to
accept them or not. This would not happen passively without your assent.
Coming to grips with a diagnosis of DID can be intimidating for various reasons.
Not understanding it is a big one. Many believe that it is a mental illness,
like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. While it is often treated within the
mental health community, it is not a true mental illness. It differs in that it
is not caused by any abnormality in the brain. Instead, it is a complex coping
mechanism that God provided for young children who are subjected to overwhelming
trauma. For this reason it is also completely curable with the right kind of
understanding and facilitation, if the person is sufficiently motivated and
willing to undergo significant therapy.
To ascertain just what is hindering your acceptance of the diagnosis, I would
suggest that you ask yourself, “what would it mean if I had DID?” This will help
you understand your fears. Then you can check out whether your fears are based
on reality.
As far as DID being mentioned in Scripture, the closest possibility occurs in
Isaiah 61:1, which Jesus Christ Himself quoted in Luke 4:18 in talking about
Himself and His mission in coming to earth. Among other things, He said that He
had come to “bind up the broken-hearted.” Obviously, this refers to those who
have been deeply wounded, not in a physical sense but in a way that deeply
affected the very core of their beings. The Hebrew here could also be translated
as the “shattered in soul,” which could potentially allow for those whose trauma
was so devastating that it resulted in the soul being divided, as in DID.
Q: Since I was diagnosed with DID, the shifting of personalities (what I call
“ways of being”) has become more pronounced, which is causing me a lot of
struggle over the past months. I find myself having more difficulty in
controlling the “shifting to other ways of being,” and I become almost
dysfunctional at times in my normal life of church activities, managing job
responsibilities and generally maintaining sufficient stability in my daily
life. It seems that life is getting more and more difficult as each year passes
in regard to stability and functionality.
A: What you are describing is not unusual. Once the system has been
“discovered,” it is no longer so strongly invested in keeping the multiplicity
of “selves,” or “ways of being,” a secret from you. Your desire to keep the
situation from creating instability in your life is a very legitimate one. We
have found that survivors are able to stay much more functional if both they and
the facilitator of their therapeutic journey are aware of the difference between
Primary Identities and alter-identities. Once this is recognized, then emphasis
can be put on identifying, unifying, and strengthening the Primary Identities so
that they can handle life. These are the parts that are most strongly connected
to the person’s true identity and are usually perceived to be the age of the
body, as opposed to alter-identities, which are usually frozen at the age at
which they were formed. Focusing therapy on these identities is the most direct
route to maintaining/regaining control of your life. When the Primary Identities
have been strengthened by resolving their issues and conflicts, the
alter-identities and their issues are much less apt to intrude into daily life.
This approach to working with DID is found in our Restoring Shattered Lives
Seminar series. These resources will also teach you how to bring true healing to
memories and resolution to the internal conflicts responsible for the
dissociation, which is the long-term solution to eliminate dysfunction in your
life.
Q: I have been counseling with someone who is unfamiliar with DID. Instead of
getting better, I seem to be getting worse, so I have tried to put my
“craziness” (as I call it) back “in a box” to distance myself from it and more
easily maintain stability in my daily life. Over the last year and a half I have
been seeking the Lord for healing and seem to take five steps forward and three
back. I never know when something will throw me into chaos again. Is this a
common experience?
A: Approaching the resolution of DID without knowing the dynamics involved and
what must be done to overcome them can be like ripping open a feather pillow.
You don’t want to do that without a clear plan for what you are going to do with
the released feathers. We certainly understand the problem of finding a
counselor who is well trained in this field. This is why I am emphasizing the
need for survivors themselves to become thoroughly educated to understand DID,
what must be overcome in order to get well, and how to do that. When you know
what you are doing and why and the path ahead, the journey is not nearly as
“chaotic.” While you will not be totally immune to times of crisis, triggering,
or upset, you will understand much better why these things are happening and
what to do about them, thus being able to resolve them much more quickly. If you
have this education, then you will also be much more apt to be able to work
safely with a counselor who is untrained in this area but willing to learn about
DID. We strongly recommend the following resources to give you this education:
Restoring Shattered Lives DVD set;
Dissociative Identity Disorder; and
Multiple Identities.
Q: Have you ever known of anyone being healed without going to counseling? Due
to past experience, the thought of going to counseling again is difficult to
consider.
A: First, although it is likely that the Lord has healed someone completely
without help from another person, we don't have any clearly documented examples
of this happening. If you mean without going to "professional counselors," as
opposed to lay counselors and prayer ministers, then the answer is "yes." Many
are coming to healing through the assistance of non-professional helpers who are
informed of the latest insights in bringing resolution to DID. You will be most
empowered, however, in any of these situations if you yourself become educated
about DID and what needs to be done to bring about healing. Then you are not
putting yourself in a place of dependency on another person. You can enter into
a facilitating relationship from a position of much greater strength. In this
way you take responsibility for your own healing. The following resources on
this website will give you the education that you need: Restoring Shattered
Lives DVD set; Dissociative Identity Disorder; and Multiple Identities. Training
Resources
Q: Have you ever counseled anyone that had a part of himself that knew the Lord
and then another part that didn’t?
A: Yes, this is very common with DID. It is important to understand that
salvation is a matter of our spirit coming into life through Jesus Christ
by accepting His death on our behalf. When a person is dissociated, it is often
the case that not all of him is on board when this decision is made. Some parts
may just be ignorant of the need for this salvation decision; others may be
actually opposed to it. This does not affect the person’s salvation but is more
a matter of sanctification, or bringing one’s complete mind into submission to
Christ. Sanctification is a lifelong process for all of us but can be a much
more complex process for those who are divided.
Are
there additional questions that you would like for us to add to this page? If
so, send your suggestions by email to
sheila@rcm-usa.org for
consideration.
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