In November 2017, Liz Ianelli, LCSW was one of the guests featured in the above video excerpt from "The Doctors." Liz Ianelli, a survivor of an abusive program herself, is a therapist who specializes in treating trauma, specifically, survivors of the troubled teen industry. Start video at 2:15 to hear Liz explain her practice.
If you are a survivor of Straight Inc. or any other abusive programs from the troubled teen industry, and are interested in therapy please do not hesitate to contact her.
Liz Ianelli, is a LCSW and has a Masters Degree of Social Work. She does not take insurance but does work with survivors who have financial hardship. In addition, Skype (consultation) is mandatory to assess risk. Her website is SurvivorNineNineThree. Contact Info: survivor.nineninethree@gmail.com
If you are a therapist interested in learning more about Liz's techniques, you may also contact her at survivor.nineninethree@gmail.com
Liz is also the founder of the #ISeeYouSurvivor Campaign
If You Are A Therapist or Other Mental Health Professional:
Presumably you are on this site to learn more about Straight, to better understand a client's background. Thank you for taking the time to learn more. I hope this page and the rest of this website helps.
If you are willing and able to treat Straight survivors for PTSD and other issues related to institutional abuse and would like to publish your contact information on this page, please email this website at surviving_straight_inc@yahoo.com
If you are survivor seeking help for issues related to your time in Straight Inc (or its spin off progams), here is a list of names of a variety of service providers that might be helpful.
Catherine Nyhan, LPC, The North Portland Growth Center 7415 N. Oatman Ave., Portland, OR 97127 phone (503)(957-1222) EMAIL: catherine.nyhan@gmail.com Website: Catherine Nyhan, LPC
Catherine Nyhan has a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor with extensive experience. Ms. Nyhan is also a survivor of Springfield,VA Straight from 87-89. According to Ms. Nyhan’s website “If you are an adult or adolescent struggling with anxiety, depression, if you are over stressed, dealing with trauma or change, if you have difficulty relating to others, deal with grief and loss, or are in recovery from substance use I may be a good fit for you as a counselor.”
Free Consultation available. Several Insurers are accepted.
Nicole E. McCarthy, LCSW
Woodland Hills, California 91367
(818) 330-1147 Website: Nicole E McCarthy
Nicole E. McCarthy has a Master's Degree from USC’s School of Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Nicole McCarthy is also a member of the International Association of Trauma Professionals. Ms. McCarthy has a small private practice and has over 20 years’ experience with trauma, PTSD, and has expertise in institutional abuse. Nicole was also in Straight Inc Yorba Linda In 1990.
Telephone sessions available for California residents only. Offers services on a sliding scale. Free Consultation. Can also make out of state referrals.
Theresa D. Greenwood MA, LSW
Theresa D. Greenwood is a psychologist and has treated survivors from Straight Inc. Ms. Greenwood's orientation for treatment is Cognitive Behavior Therapy used to address trauma, grief, depression and life issues for adults and adolescents.
Theresa Greenwood MA, LSW
Counseling Resources Associates
9900 Cincinnati-Columbus Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45241
513-779-9955
Counseling Associates of Pinellas 2203 16th Street N #A St. Petersburg FL 33704 (727) 821-6522
A Florida survivor reports getting counseling and EMDT therapy here.
*** more names coming soon ***
DISCLAIMER: Surviving Straight Inc does not make specific referrals but does provide a list of names having a variety of specialties and levels of experience. All have agreed to be listed here. Surviving Straight Inc assumes no responsibility with respect to the selection of a specialist and the success or outcome of the assistance or the associated costs. Costs must be discussed with indivdial providers. Surviving Straight Inc does not have that information.
Surviving Straight Inc does not offer any opinions, ratings, endorese or post reviews of participating specialists. If any provider listed here engages in any fraudulent, unethical, abusive and/or criminal behavior or practices, during the course of treatment, report them to relevant authorities and to this website. If that occurs, Surviving Straight Inc will remove that name from this list immediately.
Rich Mullinax C-PTSD Treatment Summary for UGA - Rich Mullinax was a former client/turned Executive staff member at Straight who submitted a public apology in 2009. Rich Mullinax, like many former Straight clients, had C-PTSD. This link is a summary of his treatment for C-PTSD. His apology is posted here:
survivors_request_for_apology_1_apology_received
Over the years survivors have compiled information, based on survivor observations, to help fellow survivors. See Below.....
Waking up is Hard To Do! (compiled by Ann Marie Lett)
Welcome to the boards. Welcome to the survivors family.
This is truly what we have found through our shared experiences and unique bonding.
It is our hope that you find understanding, help and healing during this difficult time.
The Terms.
"waking up" or "awakening" We use to describe the process of memory recall that occurs years after leaving Straight (the average survivor, we are finding upon waking up is approx. 20-25 years out). This time frame is unique to the individual's circumstances also. Current life stress/trauma can trigger the awakening process, or if one is not ready/able to process sometimes it is delayed. We define it as waking process, as the memories return for many of us in fuzzy/fog like bits and pieces to very detailed memories. Similar to waking up and feeling groggy, then more awake, until fully aware. This may happen over many months/years or in a shorter time frame. You might also see the phrase "out of the fog".
Why didn't/don't I remember? How did I forget or block this out all these years? Why am I remembering now? Why can I remember some things/people/details and not others?
Dissociative Amnesia is a memory disorder characterized by extreme memory loss that is caused by extensive psychological stress and that cannot be attributed to a known neurobiological cause. Dissociative amnesia is due to psychological rather than physiological causes and can sometimes be helped by therapy. Situation-specific amnesia occurs as a result of a severely stressful event, as in post-traumatic stress disorder, child sex abuse, military combat or witnessing a family member's murder or suicide, is common in cases of severe and/or repeated trauma.
Straight was daily long term abuse/neglect. As survivors, we witnessed violent abuse/neglect, lived in terrorized conditions over period of time, experienced profound sense of loss of control of being able to meet basic needs of life (nutrition, hydration, toileting, hygiene, comfort, love, emotional bonds, education). We were forced into dependence on the abusive system, brainwashing/coercive thought reform methods. While this process is typical for most of us, the time frames are more individual. Some of us have come to into a full awareness quickly, some more slowly, and some not having reached a full awareness though they have found an understanding of what happened.
What happens now that I'm remembering?
1. Physically - your body will respond to the stress physically. Body memories can also manifest (i.e. feeling bruises down your spine, hunger pains when not hungry, sleep deprived when well rested). Be aware of the changes that occur during this process. The symptoms can vary greatly. See "symptom list" in the Documents section. Please make sure to eat well, sleep as best you can and exercise to your ability level. Seek medical care if/when needed. Taking care of oneself physically will improve your ability to cope better with this process.
2. Mentally - Memories, some clear, some vague notions that may not seem real, anything in between. People, places, vehicles, homes, even colors, clothing, chairs, etc. The mind holds the memories as the body does. Triggers may occur and bring on flashbacks, memory recall and nightmares. A trigger is a specific item, person, place, smell, sound, song, etc that "triggers" a response based on those traumatic memories of the past. Triggers can cause "flashbacks". Flashback is seeing, smelling, hearing, experiencing the event all over again (partial or fully).
3. Emotionally- Emotions will be a huge component of waking up. The range of emotions is not limited to these, though these are the most frequently discussed: Fear, anxiety, paranoia, anger, rage, shame, guilt, and pain. Excruciatingly painful this range of emotions that occur can and will be overwhelming at best. You may have already had many go rounds with these emotions prior to the memories resurfacing without really understanding what was happening. Many report the fears and anger issues since their time in straight, and only now beginning to understand them.
4. Spiritually (NOT RELIGION) - no matter what faith/belief/nonbelief system you ascribe to, this is a component that touched us all with various "God" issues while in straight. If you have a faith/belief system that works for you, please rely on this/these practices to help with the process of healing. If it's as simple as getting a walk in the woods once a week or sitting on a beach, star gazing, meditation, prayer, good thoughts, karmic living, becoming involved in or reconnecting with a church/religion, or finding a new spiritual walk of life, hopefully you find one that works.
Straight affected us. Straight harmed us. Straight was traumatic.
Please see the SYMPTOMS LIST(in Document section) for a more complete list of what you may have already experienced in life up until now and what you may now experience as a result of waking up. It may offer you a better understanding of you, how you have survived and coped over the years.
This is a PROCESS.
The following has been edited to more aptly suit the process of grieving our losses and facing the life we have left to live despite the damages done. Some of us feel more damaged than others may; the damages may not seem severe at first and then may seem overwhelming.
The 5 stages of grief are a basic tool that explains some of what will happen also. We lost important times of our lives, our families, relationships, education, opportunities, identity, innocence, freedom, and much more. Each of us individually will wrestle with coming to terms with our own individual losses and grief.
It's important to note that these stages are not meant to be complete or chronological. Not everyone who awakens feels all five of the responses nor will everyone who does experience them do so in the order in which they are written. Reactions are as unique as the person experiencing them. Not everyone goes through all of the steps or goes through them in a linear fashion. Some steps may be missed entirely, others may be experienced in a different order, some may be re-experienced again and again and some may get stuck in one.
Denial — "I feel fine."; "This can't be happening, not to me." Denial is usually only a temporary defense for the individual. This feeling is generally replaced with heightened awareness of what really did happen with validation.
Anger — "Why me? It's not fair!"; "How can this happen to me?"; '"Who is to blame?" Once in the second stage, the individual recognizes that denial cannot continue. Because of anger, the person is very difficult to care for due to misplaced feelings of rage and envy.
Bargaining — "I'll do anything for a few more years."; "I will give my life savings if..." The third stage involves the hope that the individual can somehow postpone or delay the pain/awakening or undo the damages.
Depression — "I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"; "I'm not able to change the past...What's the point?”
During the fourth stage, the person begins to understand the extent of damages done. Because of this, the individual may become silent, isolate and spend much of the time crying and grieving. This process allows the survivor to disconnect from the damages becoming all consuming. It is not recommended to attempt to cheer up an individual who is in this stage. It is an important time for grieving that must be processed.
Acceptance — "It's going to be okay."; "I can't fight it, I may as well prepare for it."
In this last stage, individuals begin to come to terms with their trauma, their damages, and their life now.
Understanding is only the beginning of recreating ourselves, rebuilding our lives and living fully.
Validation and support from other survivors is a valuable asset in the process of grieving our losses and healing.
Diagnostic terms you may see/hear or you may have been diagnosed with yourself: (these are not complete, just a fraction of the actual definitions...they are not meant for self-diagnosis, just informational purposes)
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Diagnostic symptoms for PTSD include re-experiencing the original trauma(s) through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and increased arousal – such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger, and hypervigilance. It has three sub-forms: acute, chronic, and delayed-onset.
C-PTSD (Complex PTSD) - is a psychological injury that results from protracted exposure to prolonged social and/or interpersonal trauma with lack or loss of control, disempowerment, and in the context of either captivity or entrapment, i.e. the lack of a viable escape route for the victim. C-PTSD is distinct from, but similar to, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Stockholm Syndrome - is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them. These feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their captors for an act of kindness. (i.e. why do I feel this trusting, close and intimate with those who abused and tortured me?)
Dissociation - is an altered state of consciousness characterized by partial or complete disruption of the normal integration of a person’s normal conscious or psychological functioning. Dissociation is most commonly experienced as a subjective perception of one's consciousness being detached from one's emotions, body and/or immediate surroundings. Dissociation is a "compartmentalization of experience." Under normal conditions, consciousness, memory, emotions, sensory awareness, affect, etc., are integrated; with dissociation, in contrast, these traits are discretely compartmentalized to greater or lesser degrees.
Dissociative Amnesia - see above.
Depression - characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities.
Anxiety/Panic Disorders - is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological fear and anxiety. The term anxiety covers four aspects of experiences an individual may have: mental apprehension, physical tension, physical symptoms and dissociative anxiety. Anxiety disorder is divided into generalized anxiety disorder, phobic disorder, and panic disorder; each has its own characteristics and symptoms and they require different treatment. The emotions present in anxiety disorders range from simple nervousness to extreme bouts of terror.
Traumatic Brain Injury - occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism (closed or penetrating head injury), or other features (e.g. occurring in a specific location or over a widespread area). Head injury usually refers to TBI, but is a broader category because it can involve damage to structures other than the brain, such as the scalp and skull. While many of us may not have had an actual blow to the head, motivating may have played a part. Damages to the brain consistent with TBI are present in our survivor subclass, which indicates there may be a psychological component to TBI with or without physical trauma.
Given the information about what is/may be wrong, it is natural to react. Many of us have experienced all forms of regressive behavior patterns ranging from mild to severe. Drinking, smoking, drugs, eating disorders, carving/self harm, acting out (physically, mentally/emotionally, sexually, financially, etc), gambling/over spending, abusive relationships (being abused/being abusive), isolation, suicidal thoughts/behaviors are some examples of how survivors have reacted. These avoidance behaviors are methods that don't typically help our healing and can delay the process or create additional traumatic/damaging events to cope with.
Many of us struggle with relationships overall and our marriages/significant others, parents, siblings, children and close friends have suffered greatly as we come to terms with our past and present issues as survivors. If currently in a relationship, please know that while those people who care and support you (friends, family, spouse/significant others, children) will not understand what you are going through, they may be supportive and helpful. They may not be, they may become jealous of time spent with survivors, time spent online, time spent isolating to cope. They may not believe you. If your relationships need help, please seek appropriate help.
The questions that will rage on.....
Who's to blame? What really happened to me? What is wrong with me? How did they brainwash us? How did they get away with this for so long? Why is it still affecting me? Why can't I just get over it? Will I ever get better?
NOW WHAT???
MOST IMPORTANT - SEEK APPROPRIATE HELP -
If you have physical issues see your doctor. Stress can aggravate and create physical illnesses.
If you have mental/emotional stresses that you need addressed, PLEASE find a therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist that SPECIALIZES in TRAUMA, this is a unique field with specialized practitioners (see doc on finding a therapist). If you can't afford one, many states and veteran centers(if you qualify) have ones available at low/no cost. If you can't get in to see one and need immediate help Call 911 or go to an ER or call a HOTLINE - see docs for Hotline info and numbers.
WE ARE NOT THERAPISTS, WE ARE SURVIVORS!
We are here to be supportive, helpful and are healing ourselves.
HELPFUL HEALING:
This process is difficult at best, please be gentle on yourself. Many of us have been there and still experience much of this, know that you are not alone. You are a survivor of a horrific experience at a very vulnerable time in your life. You have made it this far, hang in there.
Just know that you are not alone anymore, you are understood, you are beginning to heal.
Healing is possible. Hope is here.
Symptoms we experience. This list was created by survivors, for survivors.
Symptoms/Issues/Difficulties
Physical
Mental
Emotional
**Extreme reactions to these fears**
Spiritual
Social/Educational/Vocational
This list was created by survivors, for survivors.
Criteria for Selection of a Trauma Therapist
There is a minimum set of criteria for effective PTSD therapy.
Effective therapists and therapeutic programs must do the following:
*See the trauma as a real and important in itself, apart for any preexisting psychological problems and any current social, family or personal pressures.
*View you as a survivor capable of being healed- not as a willing participant in the trauma or as a hopeless psychiatric case
*Educate you about the nature of trauma, PTSD, and secondary wounding experiences, about the specific factors in your particular category of trauma that may affect you, and about the nature of the healing process itself.
*Either teach you coping skills such as assertiveness, stress management, relaxation techniques, and anger management, or make appropriate referrals for you to receive such help.
*Use medication and behavior management techniques when appropriate, but not to the exclusion of examining your present and past with the goal of understanding what occurred and your feelings about those events.
*Be aware of the effects of sex-role stereotyping, racism, and blame the victim attitudes on the healing process.
Consider asking such questions as the following (if you are considering a program, you would ask these questions in terms of the program staff):
When you have narrowed your list down to a final two or three therapists or programs, go visit them. In the past, many therapists gave an initial consultation free of charge or at a reduced rate. oday most therapistst charge the full fee for their time at the initial consultation. Despite the cost, it's essential that you meet with the therapists face to face before making your selection. (Programs should have a similar provision for an initial consultation).
You should also question staying with a therapist who judges you to be "deficient" because he/she subscribes to one of the following myths:
*Having a good moral character and strong personality structure can make you resistant to traumas.
*You sought the trauma to gain attention, to meet your masochistic needs, or to fulfill some other neurotic need.
*The trauma plays a minor part in your problems compared to the mistakes you've made as a human being.
*It's in the past, just get over it.
Since you are human, you probably have made mistakes in your life, even during the trauma and afterwards. You probably do have areas where you need to grow and inner conflicts you need to explore. Your therapis may want to help you better understand these mistakes and problem areas. However, this should be done in a manner that respects your dignity an dgood intentions. It is not only humiliating, but self-defeating and ineffective in the long run, for a therapist to try and change any of your problem areas through tactics of guilt and shame.
If this website triggers thoughts of suicide please get help right away. Talk to family, friends, other Straight survivors. There are also suicide prevention hotlines such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255 or get help via text suicide prevention hotline Crisis Textline - Text Connect To 741741
, Copyright 2009 Surviving Straight Inc. All rights reserved.