Classic Program: Starter Facilitator Handbook for Healing Groups

Introduction & Program Overview

This starter handbook is for facilitators to assist hurting people using Healing the Wounds of Trauma: How the Church Can Help. This is the classic Bible-based trauma healing program for adults. This diagram summarizes the process of trauma healing as experienced by participants.

TRAUMA HEALING EXPERIENCE ARC

Bringing pain to the cross

Lamenting

Forgiving

Grieving

Rebuilding

Being heard

Suffering

Resilience

When people experience suffering and loss, their hearts can be wounded. For these wounds to heal, people need to express their pain to someone who listens to them without causing further harm. They need to accept the pain of the loss and grieve so that those feelings are not buried alive inside them. They can express these feelings honestly to God in lament. Once identified and expressed, they can bring that pain to Christ, who died on the cross for sin and everything sin brought with it: death, pain, sickness, conflict, abuse, and so forth. As we experience Christ’s healing, we come to a place where we can begin to forgive those who have hurt us. We can begin to rebuild our lives and communities. We are better able to face suffering in the future. PROGRAM MODEL The Trauma Healing Institute program model usually uses the following stages: • Convening Session: The goal is to give top leaders enough of an exposure to trauma healing so that they can decide if they want to integrate it into

Introduction & Program Overview

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