UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Tuesday, January 13th

Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda of Moraga, California, Orthodox Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 925-708-6175 , melanie.sakoda@gmail.com )

A website offering “Orthodox Christian healing and counseling” was launched earlier this month. According to the website, Seeds of Hope is a national, non-profit organization of licensed therapists who are also Orthodox. Also according to the site, these therapists will provide free, confidential counseling for Orthodox victims of clergy abuse.

[Seeds of Hope]

However, members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, while they applaud a lay initiated response to the problem of clergy sexual abuse in the Orthodox churches, worry that survivors may be re-victimized by participating in the program.

“Free therapy is a powerful lure for clergy abuse survivors,” Melanie Jula Sakoda of…