Not of My Making - Softcover

Margaret W Jones PhD

Softcover

ISBN 10: 098014910X ISBN 13: 9780980149104

Publisher: Pluck Press, 2008

Coming from a childhood marred by abuse and neglect, Margaret Jones sought comfort and safety in a community of faith. When conflict erupted within her congregation, clergy diverted attention away from their own mistakes by calling into question her emotional and mental stability. Accused of being the problem she was pushed out of church nearly shattering her faith, her life and her marriage. This is the story of one woman s courageous struggle to recover from spiritual abuse and find justice for herself and her family.

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About the Author:

In the late 1990's Margaret Jones was the victim of bullying and spiritual abuse in her church community. She sought help from a therapist but was so overcome with anxiety she couldn t talk. Searching for a way to communicate with her therapist she recalled how she use to write in a spiral bound notebook when she was in her late teens. Bullied by other high school students she withdrew and like Anne Frank she imagined she was writing to a close friend. She used her journal to work through the abuse, neglect and rejection she suffered at home and at school. After she was dechurched writing once again became a central part of her recovery. Later she would use her journal and letters to write her memoir about being emotionally abused and bullied in mainline churches. When she was an undergraduate Dr. Jones had considered a writing career but when a creative writing instructor disparaged her work she switched majors. Dr. Jones earned a bachelor's degree in women's studies and psychology from Richmond College, now the College of Staten Island. After marrying and giving birth to two children, she entered graduate school. She earned a doctorate in psychology from Hofstra University in 1986. Along with her husband Dr. Jones owns a thriving private practice in New England. As a survivor of abuse and neglect she has a special affinity for working with individuals who have been sexually, physically and emotionally abused. Believing all individuals regardless of what problems they are experiencing know what is best for them, she seeks to build upon her clients strengths and assist them in finding solutions to their own problems.

Review:

This in-depth, honest book provides interesting insight into the collective mindset of many churches. ... How Dr. Jones finally found God and His place for her is a timely, vital read. --The Mindquest Review of Books, Winter, 2008

... well written memoir ... clearly shows how neglect and abuse in childhood affects one even well into adulthood. --Connie Harris, TCM Reviews, November 2008

... well written memoir ... clearly shows how neglect and abuse in childhood affects one even well into adulthood. --Connie Harris, TCM Reviews, November 2008

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