Healing the Wounds of Trauma

4. How can we help people heal from the wounds of their heart? ❂❂ EXERCISE

Do a skit that shows someone listening well to another person, and one that shows someone not listening well. Discuss what you observe. One way people get pain out of their hearts is by talking about it. Usually people need to talk to another person about their pain before they are ready to talk to God about it. If they are able to talk about their bad experiences, then after a while their reactions will become less and less intense. But if people are not able to talk about their pain, and if there is no one to help them, these reactions may continue for months and even years. This talking can be done one on one or in a small group. The group should not be more than ten or twelve people, so that everyone has a chance to speak. The group could be married couples, a family, or people who experienced a painful event together. If some people do not want to talk about their problems, they can be invited to listen. In time, they may be ready to share, too. It’s important to find a safe and quiet place so that people can talk freely. Babies and small children should be cared for so parents can talk without being distracted by them. The group will probably need to meet more than once. A. What is the goal of letting people talk about their pain? By giving people the opportunity to talk about their pain, they can: • Gain an honest understanding of what happened and how it has affected them. • Accept what happened. • Be able to trust God, rest in him, and let him heal them (Ps 62.8; 103.3).

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How Can the Wounds of Our Hearts Be Healed?