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	Washington Discussion: Sex Abuse Litchfield County Times July 23, 2009 http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20349360&BRD=2303&PAG=461&dept_id=478844&rfi=6 WASHINGTON-On Wednesday, the Rev. Ellen Tillotson, pastor of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Torrington, will moderate a panel discussion entitled "Power, its Role in Sexual Abuse" at The Washington Club. The panelists include Dr. Lisa Rene Reynolds, author of "Coming Out and Covering Up: Catholic Priests Talk About Sex Scandals in the Church," Kristen Skedgell, author of "Losing the Way: A Memoir of Spiritual Longing, Manipulation, Abuse and Escape," and James Cornelio, author of "Two To Six, A Sex Offender's Story." The books will be available for sale at the event. Ms. Reynolds practices therapy in New Milford, Torrington and Lakeville and specializes in relationship issues including marriage, divorce and sexuality. She is the author of several books and professional journal articles and is a frequent guest commentator on national radio programs. Her most recent releases are "Still a Family: A Guide to Good Parenting through Divorce" (2009) and "Coming Out and Covering Up" (2004). Dr. Reynolds has also been an adjunct instructor in the Psychology Department of Western Connecticut State University for the past 10 years. For more information, you can visit her Web site at www.drlisarenereynolds.com. Ms. Skedgell is a licensed clinical social worker in a maximum security prison. "Losing the Way," Ms. Skedgell's first book, is a memoir about time she spent from the age of 14 until she was 29 in a fundamentalist cult called The Way International. Ms. Skedgell is currently working on her second book, a sequel involving life after the cult. She is a graduate of Columbia University School of Social Work and Yale Divinity School. Mr. Cornelio is a former Manhattan attorney who currently lives in New Preston. "Two To Six" tells the story of one critical year of his life beginning with his arrest on charges of child sexual abuse stemming from an encounter with an underage male prostitute. Kirkus Discoveries says that Mr. Cornelio is a "skillful, at times beguiling writer" who "makes his readers feel his anguish and fear and the spiritual crisis they provoke." They call the book a "troubling, absorbing memoir" and a "journey into [the author's] soul." As part of an e-mail exchange, Mr. Cornelio elaborated on his experience by writing the following: "There are two main questions which I regularly get asked and there's one question which I regularly ask myself. "The first question is, what, exactly, did I do? "The second is, why did I do it? And the question which I ask myself is, where am I going from here? "Though the first question may seem prosaic or intrusive, I completely understand why it is asked. People want to be able to make some sort of independent, reasoned assessment of who and what I am given the scary label which now, essentially, defines me. And that requires some knowledge of the details of my crime. "[The] problem is [that] it's not easy to answer either of the first two questions in just a few words, as it's difficult not to seem either defensive, self-justifying or completely out of touch with societal norms. So, the best I can do is to answer by saying that I've written some 82,000-plus words where I believe that I have been as honest as I can possibly be not only about the "what" but the "why" of what I did. "Gratifyingly, there have been a number of people who have recognized, and been appreciative of, the honesty with which I try to tell my story. And that, at the most basic level, answers the third question. That is, when I receive a positive, heart-felt reaction to my book I really feel-strange as it may sound-as if there's been some purpose in what's happened. ... "Given that feeling of purpose, it's become important to me to continue to seek the reactions of others. With the nature of the subject matter being so highly-charged, I realize the challenge. But, if done gently and sensitively, I trust there will be those prepared to think about matters many prefer to put safely away in a box. To me, the hesitation to discuss sexual dysfunction (specifically) and sexuality (generally) only serves to increase the cycle of dysfunction. Hence also the point of the panel. "Beyond that, I believe that this experience of what has been a kind of death has caused me to ask questions and seek answers I never before bothered with. Before, it was comfortable to simply continue with the routine my life had become. But when everything which I thought important was not only stripped away but inverted-that is when I went from a high status as a Manhattan lawyer to not simply no status but, instead, to the lowest status-then, suddenly, the words of all those wisdom traditions, whether they be Eastern or Western, took on a lot more meaning." After brief presentations by each panelist about their book, a discussion addressing the problems of sexual abuse will be held to be followed by audience questions. The panelists will be available to sign copies of their books both before and after the event. The fully air-conditioned Washington Club is located on Route 47 next to the Gunn Library in Washington. Admission is free.
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