Over the years I have promoted the trauma healing curriculum run by the American Bible Society. Now that I am on the Mission Trauma Healing training team of the Bible Society, I will be letting you know of our upcoming local trainings. Whether or not you are local, you can always find out the trainings being offered around the world by us or our alliance partners here.
For those of you who might be new to the Healing the Wounds of Trauma curriculum, it is participatory/experiential healing group model where participants engage Scripture and trauma and explore a healing arc beginning with suffering, lamenting, grieving and talking to God about our pain. It is founded on mental health best practices by designed for lay leaders to learn and then pass on to others in a train-the-trainer fashion.
Currently the materials are contextualized and translated into 60 distinct languages with many more underway. Some 6,000 facilitators have been trained in the materials.
Why get trained? Here are some reasons:
- You want to better understand how to put faith and trauma recovery together in the same sentence
- You want to become equipped to lead others in a healing process
- You already know a lot about trauma but know that the needs are great enough that you want to have a part in raising up an army of well-trained helpers beginning the conversation about God and trauma
- You already completed the initial equipping training, have led a healing group and now want to come back for the advanced training to become certified as a training facilitator.
When is it? October 13-16 at Mother Boniface Spirituality Center in Northeast Philadelphia?
Details on cost and registration link? This link will get you to the details page and will give you the link to register. The price is ridiculously low for the training.
Musings on Faith and Psychology 
I want to learn how to help people in trauma but I’m in the process of going to counseling. Would you advise me to wait until I have completed my own counseling before going?
On Aug 28, 2017 16:11, “Musings of a Christian Psychologist” wrote:
> Phil posted: “Over the years I have promoted the trauma healing curriculum > run by the American Bible Society. Now that I am on the Mission Trauma > Healing training team of the Bible Society, I will be letting you know of > our upcoming local trainings. Whether or not you ” >
This is a great question that many have. One does not need to be “all better” (whatever that is) or a counselor to be an effective trauma healing group leader or facilitator. However, it is good to be spiritually and emotionally prepared to hear very difficult things. The lessons and the stories of the attendees often wade into very painful topics–abuse, trauma, rape, violence, death. These topics are hard for everyone but consider how prepared you are to listen well to these things and to continue to be helpful to one you are listening to. It may be helpful to ask a close friend, mentor, counselor for their opinion on how ready you might be to undertake this work. If you have not done any kind of healing work or counseling after a significant trauma, it can be helpful to go through a group first.
Thanks, Phil, for the information. I recently attended the one in Memiph, TN and it was great. I’m presenting the material to my leaders to review because they are unfamiliar with American Bible Society. I want them on board when I’m ready to facilitate the class. Another church in my area is going to take a look at the material also and decide if they want to host a class too. It can be tricky introducing new material/ideas to a church, so all prayers are welcome. Even though we are a small area, the need is there for this. God Bless
Excellent, prayers for you and the church leaders. You are right to involve the leaders so as to get them on board. No area is too small!
Hello Phil,
It’s been a few years since we’ve spoken. I used to work at Christian Counseling Center of Bucks county and conferred with you on occasion prior to our leaving to serve in Alaska from ;05 to ’13.
I was just sent this trauma healing training you are doing in October and would be very interested in signing up for that for both personal and professional reasons. I have done a couple of seminars over the past few years regarding PTSD trauma issues and have a heart for those wrestling with such. I myself have experience with this since my wife’s disabling TBI injury back in ’08 and though doing well am always seeking to grow and learn till till “He calls us Home”.
I am also developing a ministry, which awaiting state approval, to support families dealing with disability issues through counseling, networking, referral and training/educating churches and lay leaders how to embrace families dealing with a variety of disability issues. I plan on working closely with other disability ministries as a support and consultant as they have need.
If this seminar is not something you think appropriate for me, I’d still love to meet sometime to catch up with you and you expanding ministry.
By His grace,
Bob Wendt
Bob, it could be very useful to you. Happy to talk with you further. I’ll write you privately.