Disclaimer: This season is about trauma, and it might be difficult at times for some listeners. It’s not graphic, but each episode does cover sensitive topics.
You don’t need a degree to provide vital comfort and support for someone processing their suffering story. Yet many of us struggle to know how to help or we’ve misstepped in the past and fear another failure. In this episode, we offer advice on using the comfort God has given us in our own stories to comfort others.
As we explore a biblical framework for trauma, we need to recognize the mistakes we’ve made and the Church has made when supporting others who have been traumatized. Too often we have re-wounded someone who has disclosed a traumatic experience or experiences to us. In order to effectively support others that come to us for comfort, we must be willing to see how we’ve failed in the past and where we need to grow.
When we walk alongside others, we can shift the narrative that’s too often applied to trauma discussions. “What’s wrong with you?” can become “What happened to you?” As we recognize how trauma has distorted our creation desires, we can purposefully reinforce God’s original design for our desires by supporting agency and reminding the sufferer of their identity in the Father.
Resources:
S3 Ep. 7 / Miserable Counselors: Key Elements of Everyday Ministry
S1 Ep. 6 / Show Up, Shut Up, Speak Up
“When Your Counselor Makes Your Life Worse” by Bob Kelleman
“Suffering and the Heart of God” by Diane Langberg
Season 9 of Conversational Counseling on “Trauma.”
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Our theme music is by As Isaac.
This podcast is made possible by engineer and producer Shane Selby, executive producer Meleah Smith, and generous donors.
Known Ministries is Alex Kocher and Brenda Payne.