Theology: Practical Theology: Trauma and Moral Inquiry

Many pastors and lay counselors have had minimal training in clinical methods of grief and trauma counseling. The Complete Guide to Crisis and Trauma Counseling is a biblical, practical guide to pastoral counseling written by one of the most respected Christian therapists of our time. Dr. H. Norman Wright brings more than 40 years of clinical and classroom experience to this topic, and shares real-life dialogs from his decades in private practice to demonstrate healthy, healing counseling sessions. Readers will learn how to counsel and coach both believers and non-believers who are in crisis, how to walk alongside them through the hours, weeks and months following their trauma and how to help them find the path to complete restoration.  

What do you do when the call comes from a distraught parishioner who needs help in dealing with a murder, rape, traffic accident, miscarriage, or the effects of a natural disaster or war? How can students of pastoral care and counseling learn in a seminary setting how to think about and counsel in those situations? An extraordinary number of survivors of such catastrophic events turn to clergy for help to deal with their stress. The effects of such massive stress are typically known as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Knowing how to recognize PTSD and how to handle such crisis situations is critical for caregivers. Weaver, Preston, and Flannelly use case studies to show how to handle such tough situations. Treatment options, referral possibilities and procedures are explained so that the caregiver knows how to help those in their care cope with catastrophic emotional distress. The authors suggest religious resources within the faith (mainly Christian and Jewish) community that can be of help in crisis situations.  The authors also list national, cross-cultural, and self-help resources (including street and internet addresses as well as phone information) which many caregivers and family members may prefer to access. This book is intended primarily as a teaching/caring resource and pastoral aid to be studied over time; however, the authors include a quick reference section for emergency aid.

Trauma is defined as a sudden, potentially deadly experience, often leaving lasting, troubling memories. Traumatology (the study of trauma, its effects, and methods to modify effects) is exploding in terms of published works and expanding in terms of scope. Originally a narrow specialty within emergency medicine, the field now extends to trauma psychology, military psychiatry and behavioral health, post-traumatic stress and stress disorders, trauma social work, disaster mental health, and, most recently, the subfield of history and trauma, with sociohistorical examination of long-term effects and meanings of major traumas experienced by whole communities and nations, both natural (Pompeii, Hurricane Katrina) and man-made (the Holocaust, 9/11). One reason for this expansion involves important scientific breakthroughs in detecting the neurobiology of trauma that is connecting biology with human behavior, which in turn, is applicable to all fields involving human thought and response, including but not limited to psychiatry, medicine and the health sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, the humanities, and law. Researchers within these fields and more can contribute to a universal understanding of immediate and long-term consequences-both good and bad-of trauma, both for individuals and for broader communities and institutions. Trauma encyclopedias published to date all center around psychological trauma and its emotional effects on the individual as a disabling or mental disorder requiring mental health services. This element is vital and has benefited from scientific and professional breakthroughs in theory, research, and applications. Our encyclopedia certainly will cover this central element, but our expanded conceptualization will include the other disciplines and will move beyond the individual.

It's no revelation that in today's world many people suffer from some form of spiritual crisis. But, fortunately, there is hope. In Spiritual Crisis: Surviving Trauma to the Soul, you'll discover how you can reverse the impact of spiritual crisis and apply healing balm to the traumatized soul. A comprehensive, real-life approach to spiritual care, it gives you the understanding necessary to put a lid on the daily chaos that seeks to destroy those whose lives have been shattered by tragedy, terror, and disillusionment. Written from the perspective of a compassionate professional who has navigated the dark and turbulent waters of his own spiritual crises, Spiritual Crisis represents a loving cross-section of aid from the fields of pastoral theology, psychology, and health care. Christians and non-Christians alike will benefit from its frank approach to aiding troubled souls through the tough times of belief transition, loss of faith, and potentially damaging extremes in living and thinking. Specifically, you'll read about: understanding the effects and roots of spiritual crisis and trauma coping with loss counteracting disillusionment with the church negotiating belief transitions dealing with religious burnout intervening in denominational identity crises Oftentimes, it's hard to know what will make a loved one survive or succumb to the impact of seemingly insurmountable personal emergencies. However, this book is a "call to care" that will enable you to help others turn back the tide of debilitating hardship in their lives and restore the tempering unity of mind and body. Whether you're a beginning pastoral counselor, a marriage and family therapist, or friend of a troubled loved one, Spiritual Crisis will show you and those you work with how to turn crisis into care.

Trauma is a universal phenomenon that can be caused by international catastrophes or individual, personal tragedy. Trauma is also a severely neglected topic in Christian literature, and while it can challenge someone's faith in Christ, God and the ministry of his Word is central to dealing with the emotional and psychological impact of trauma. By his Spirit, through his Word, and through his church, God is available to minister to people suffering from trauma and bring transformation to their lives. In this book, a team of experienced and informed Christian professionals from around the world promote a deep biblical response to trauma through clinical and theological wisdom and their first-hand experience of witnessing and experiencing trauma. The contributions provide practical responses to people's trauma, rather than mere descriptions of the problems, making it an ideal resource for pastors, counsellors, humanitarian workers and students.

This substantive collection from noted scholar Serene Jones explores recent work in the field of trauma studies. Central to its overall theme is an investigation of how individual and collective violence affect one's capacity to remember, to act, and to love; how violence can challenge theological understandings of grace; and even how the traumatic experience of Jesus' death is remembered. Jones focuses on the long-term effects of collective violence on abuse survivors, war veterans, and marginalized populations and the discrete ways in which grace and redemption may be exhibited in each context. At the heart of each essay are two deeply interrelated faith claims that are central to Jones's understanding of Christian theology: (1) We live in a world profoundly broken by violence, and (2) God loves this world and desires that suffering be met by words of hope, love, and grace. This timely and relevant cutting-edge book is the first trauma study to directly take into account theological issues.

Life is a mix of good and bad happenings and sometimes terrible things happen to people. Trauma is evident across our lifespan; it is part of our lives. Trauma may not exert the same demands on the individual when they get on with their lives or experience other positive aspects of what life has to offer; however, it does not change its form from trauma to growth -- it stays there etched into our psyche as trauma. In simple terms, growth occurs alongside the traumatic etchings. This is a book that will provide some answers to psychologists, counsellors, social workers and mental health workers about what happens to people who are traumatised and how they 'get on with their lives'; it also gives some excellent examples of how therapies can assist them in moving forward in life's journey.

When ordinary people have done, seen, or failed to prevent something that betrays their deeply held sense of right and wrong, it may shake their moral foundation. They may feel that what they did was unforgivable. In this thoughtful book culled from a wide range of experiences, Alice and Staughton Lynd introduce readers to what modern clinicians, philosophers, and theologians have attempted to describe as 'moral injury'. We can take heart from the exemplary actions by individuals and groups of individuals described in this book.

Psychology of Trauma 101 is exceptionally well-written, easy to read, and enriched with empirical findings and discussions related to trauma psychology. Therefore, this book would help any beginning mental health professional better understand the current state of trauma research, theory, and treatment; and thus, Psychology of Trauma 101 is highly recommended. " -- Erin K. Poindexter, Journal of Loss and Trauma As trauma research and practice grow, practitioners, trainees, and others struggle to acquire and apply critical information to help the traumatized. In Psychology of Trauma 101, Lesia Ruglass and Kathleen Kendall-Tackett fill this void with a highly readable and reliable guide for practitioners and students in promoting posttraumatic growth and resilience. Charles R. Figley, PhD, Tulane University Our knowledge about the psychological effects of traumatic events has grown dramatically over the past three decades. Psychology of Trauma 101 is a concise, current, and accessible overview of this critical issue, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), its causes, and its physical and mental consequences. Grounded in the most up-to-date research and theories on trauma and its effects, this text not only covers the concepts of what trauma is and the ways in which different kinds of traumas affect people, but also considers how it is diagnosed in the wake of DSM-5 and is treated with both conventional and alternative methods. Richly illustrated with first-person accounts from trauma survivors, this book encompasses theories, diagnosis, and treatment as well as how trauma affects family members and caregivers. It also addresses the variables of gender, race/ethnicity, and culture as they bear on trauma psychology and the potential health consequences of trauma. In addition, the book illuminates controversies in the field and such emerging topics as posttraumatic growth, multiple traumas, and how traumatic events affect communities. Written by a team of leading researchers and clinicians in the field, the book is an ideal introduction to this critical topic for students and practitioners. Key Features Provides a comprehensive yet concise overview of trauma and PTSD Considers theoretical frameworks for understanding trauma and its impact on physical and mental health Addresses how trauma is diagnosed and treated with both conventional and alternative approaches Covers posttraumatic growth, multiple traumas, and caregiver issues such as burnout and self-care Includes plentiful firsthand accounts from trauma survivors The Psych 101 Series Short, reader-friendly introductions to cutting-edge topics in psychology. With key concepts, controversial topics, and fascinating accounts of up-to-the-minute research, The Psych 101 Series is a valuable resource for all students of psychology and anyone interested in the field.

All royalties from the sale of this book are being donated to Warfighter Advance, http://www.warfighteradvance.orgMoral Injury has been called the "signature wound" of today's wars. It is also as old as the human record of war, as evidenced in the ancient war epics of Greece, India, and the Middle East. But what exactly is Moral Injury? What are its causes and consequences? What can we do to prevent or limit its occurrence among those we send to war? And, above all, what can we do to help heal afflicted warriors? This landmark volume provides an invaluable resource for those looking for answers to these questions. Gathered here are some of the most far-ranging, authoritative, and accessible writings to date on the topic of Moral Injury. Contributors come from the fields of psychology, theology, philosophy, psychiatry, law, journalism, neuropsychiatry, classics, poetry, and, of course, the profession of arms. Their voices find common cause in informing the growing, international conversation on war and war's deepest and most enduring invisible wound. Few may want to have this myth-challenging, truth-telling conversation, but it is one we must have if we truly wish to help those we send to fight our wars.