Who am I – Carla Hamoen
Carla Hamoen, founder of Fragile Wing
About Carla Hamoen
My name is Carla Hamoen (1969). I am the founder of Fragile Wing (2000), a practice dedicated to supporting survivors of ritual abuse.
In addition to the counselling practice and this website, which aims to provide information and foster recognition, Fragile Wing has also established a National Day of Remembrance for victims of SRM, as well as a permanent monument in their honour.
Fragile Wing also hosts a podcast containing a wealth of information about SRM and programmed DID.
From a young age, I felt a strong desire to help people. The “how” and “what” of that calling unfolded gradually over the course of my life. There was no clear plan. It developed step by step.
For as long as I can remember, I have lived with the Lord Jesus and have wanted to share His love and light. During my teenage years, I met someone who had come out of a background in Satanism, and she gave me my first book on the subject: From Witchcraft to Christ.
That is when I began reading. At that time, very little was known about DID, and there was not much available to read. But I read everything I could find.
In my twenties, I met Marlou van Essen, and together we read books from the United States about SRM. At that time, we did not yet know any survivors personally, and I had no idea that I would one day work with them.
I was deeply inspired by the story of a man who felt called by God to go to the gangs in New York, even at great personal risk. That spoke to me.
During that period, I became involved in “Station outreach work” and supported people struggling with drug addiction and those involved in prostitution. This work came naturally to me, and even outside of that setting, I would often seek out the women to check how they were doing.
In 1994, I completed my degree in psychology at Utrecht University, specialising in traumatic experiences. Around that time, I was also involved in pastoral care within my church, supporting survivors of sexual abuse and other trauma.
In the 1990s, I met my first survivor of SRM. I offered to support her through pastoral care, and that is how it all began.
The knowledge and experience I gained gradually expanded as I met more survivors, particularly during trauma recovery weekends where I was present as part of the support team.
I also wrote several articles for the magazine of the organising foundation.
What came next? I felt a clear calling in my heart to be there specifically for these individuals. To stand up for survivors of SRM. When the time was right, new steps forward became clear to me. In 1999, I created the first version of the Fragile Wing website, which went online in 2000. At that time, it was the only website in the Netherlands that spoke so openly about this subject.
In the same week the website launched, I began receiving requests for help. That is how the Christian counselling practice Fragile Wing came into being.
The heart behind Fragile Wing
A deep desire to offer recognition to survivors of SRM in their suffering, to be present with them and to connect with them, so that they can learn to reconnect with themselves, and find the courage to remain present.
A strong longing to bring light into darkness, and to raise awareness in society, creating understanding, recognition, and compassion for survivors.