Christian Psychology and Trauma Recovery Efforts

Trauma is a hot topic these days. We live in a world where we are aware of terrible traumas happening around the globe in real time. We hear and see tsunamis unfolding, towns being flooded when dikes are breached, mass shootings, bodies strewn about due to ethnic conflict, houses destroyed by errant bombs, and gender violence in almost every corner of the world. While humanitarian efforts to respond to the physical needs of those in trouble are not new, there is a recent push to have charity workers become “trauma informed” so they can also address spiritual and psychological distress.   

Clinical Christian Psychology: Theory, Technique, or More?

For more than forty years, Christian mental health professionals have been writing about Christian psychology. Though these writers share many values and view points, there are significant differences amongst leading thinkers. (Most readers of this newsletter are well aware of the sizeable differences. If you are new to Christian psychology, you might try reading recent publications such as Eric Johnson’s Foundations for Soul Care or the edited volume, Christianity and Psychology: Five Views). If some of the variations in our core writings are the result of different views on ultimate reality, most are due to divergent definitions regarding the nature of problems and the subsequent path to healing. What should we make of these differences? Are these differences a tempest in a teapot? Are they real differences that influence how one might assess and intervene with a particular counselee?