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supposed to turn out.” It’s almost as if we are meaning in life, and normalizing the time ne-
surprised by the experience of the event(s) that cessary to grieve and heal.
are causing our suffering. Perhaps we might say Because we are dealing with trauma effects
that our Christian identity is impacted when on Christian identity, some of the interventi-
our self-identity is impacted. In Lenore’s case, ons I have found to be helpful with Christians
the cumulative experience of vicarious trau- struggling with identity include spiritually nu-
matization eventually led to her struggle with anced interventions. These are not at all exhau-
disillusionment. She began questioning if God stive. While we must be careful with these in-
was there and, if He was, why was He allowing terventions and how and when to apply them,
so much suffering. These were concepts that she I have found them to be helpful at appropriate
had worked through theologically many years stages of healing. The goal is to promote the ex-
ago, yet they were becoming unresolved as she perience of spiritual support not create a per-
experienced her client’s pain. As she thought formance hoop for clients to jump through. Ul-
through the more implicit and unconscious timately, the purpose is to help Christians bring
notions of her struggle she became aware of se- God into the healing process.
veral internal expectations she had about how 1. Conceptualize the grief response as a dark
God was supposed to show up in her life and night of the soul and to see this experience as
practice. She shared that she was surprised by a developmental phase which many times can
how much suffering was in the world. She sta- lead to a deeper more intimate walk with God.
ted, “The experience of my client’s suffering was The purpose of this is to normalize suffering
far greater than I had intellectually understood. and portray a sense of meaning to the experi-
It surprised me.” This led her to believe that she ence. The helpful part of this strategy is that cli-
thought she was in over her head and was be- ents are leaving behind a more simplistic and
coming ineffectual with her clients. She stated formulaic faith and moving toward one that can
that she had been able to reality test these fe- hold the reality that includes God being present
ars before, but she felt overwhelmed by them in pain and suffering. God is not seen as a fixer
now. A common symptom of identity loss in but instead walks with them through the pain
trauma, Lenore was struggling with the ability serving to increase a sense of Christian identity.
to engage in self-reflection. She wasn’t able to 2. Conducting a scriptural study on God’s cha-
fully believe and objectively see how her client’s racter can helpful. I usually emphasize the attri-
stories were legitimately affecting her, nor could butes of God’s love and goodness. Clients many
she see the positive impact of her clinical skills times end up re-engaging in a new way as they
on her client’s wellbeing. The inability to self- hang on to His character in the face of the pain
reflect of mentalize is a common symptom in they are confronting. Clients who do this often
trauma survivors. She also felt like a bad person report an increased sense that God is walking
for having to seek out help and that she was a with them through the process, increasing a
bad person for not being able to get over it. She sense of Christian identity.
lacked objectivity in what was happening to her, 3. The scriptural and Theological study of Chri-
the legitimacy of her symptoms, and optimism stian identity from a scriptural standpoint (John
about working through her struggle. 1:12, Ephesians 1:5, 1 Corinthians 6:17, Romans
Trauma and identity work in therapy benefit 6:6, 1 Peter 2:9, Galatians 3:27-28, Colossians
greatly from studied clinical strategies. These 3:1-3, and 1 John 3:1). This study addresses the
can include increasing safety, decreasing fee- issue of who we are in Christ while we experi-
lings of vulnerability by validating experience, ence suffering. Implicit beliefs that come to the
instilling a sense of control and empowerment, surface in suffering can reveal the idea that God
decreasing self-harshness and self-hatred re- is with us when we are happy or content and
sponses, and helping people challenge beliefs that He is not with us when we are suffering.
that they are unable to deal with things effec- This task can help correct the issue that God is
tively. Clients also benefit from working on with us in our suffering, thereby potentially in-
isolation tendencies, relearning to trust them- creasing a sense of Christian identity.
selves and safe others, rediscovering a sense of
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