Page 206 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5

Trauma Recovery Training at a Seminary? Introducing Global Trauma Recovery Institute

“Emilia” would not speak of her experience in disrupts the false narratives that life is over af-
Srebrencia, Bosnia during a massacre (ibid, pp ter a trauma. Counselors make note of signs of
113-120). God’s protection, resilience, or growth despite
harm experienced. These evidences do not ne-
It was a year before Emilia broached the sub- gate losses but serve to remind the victim that
ject of Srebrenica, out of the blue, as if it were trauma and loss do not have the final word on
the most natural thing in the world. “I’m their life.
from Srebrenica. You know I lost my father,
my husband, brother, and uncle,” she said, as
if she had told him many times before. “Yes,” Case Study
7
he said. He waited several moments for her The following case provides a few examples of
to continue. But she did not go on. She just how a counselor uses the above guidelines to
looked at him, more intently than she ever manage the trauma telling within a counseling
had before. “You already know what happe- setting.
ned,” she said finally. And he did. Everyone Patience, a 23 year old woman, is a gradua-
in Bosnia knew….Again he waited for her to te student at an urban university campus. She
continue. But she sat back in her chair and was raped three months ago after leaving her
folded her hands in her lap. … “I am from friend’s house late one evening. She was not
Srebrenica.” That was the story, her whole
story, and her sense of relief was palpable. (p. able to identify her attacker. Her mother, an
117-118) immigrant from an African country told her
not to tell anyone about the rape for fear Pa-
Counselors do well to remember that there are a tience would be harmed by her own relatives
myriad of ways to communicate the trauma sto- who would now view her as impure. Patience
ry and its meaning, with or without words. The suffers with recurrent nightmares, avoids her
use of dance or movement, painting, pictures, boyfriend, and has begun refusing to leave her
music and other forms of symbolic expression home to go to class or other activities. Her fa-
may provide richer vehicles to process trauma ther, unaware of the rape, accuses her of being
stories. lazy and wasting precious family resources. A
friend advises Patience of a free and confidenti-

Identify New Perspectives. The ultimate goal al rape counseling service and convinces her to
of therapy is as much developing new meanings make an appointment. The counselor provided
in life as it is a reduction of trauma symptoms. Patience with some information about com-
As a client develops new perspectives, the coun- mon experiences after rape and typical goals for
selor provides reflections so as to emphasize the therapy but does not push her to tell her sto-
learnings. With each new perspective, the trau- ry. After developing a level of comfort with her
ma story may be told again from that new point counselor, Patience chooses to tell the story of
of view. For example, a client’s first accounting her rape and of her fear that she is no longer ca-
of child sexual abuse may include guilt for dis- pable of a career or marriage. Key symptoms of
rupting the family when the abuse was disco- her distress include chronic feelings of guilt for
vered. As the client perceives that it was the being out the evening of her rape. In addition,
perpetrator of the abuse who caused the family she wonders if God is punishing for rejecting
to dissolve, re-telling the story from that new her father’s advice to marry instead of pursuing
perspective may afford the client additional further education.
healing. Counselors note these new meanings During early sessions, the counselor notes that
and explore with the client how to create new Patience seems to “leave” sessions while talking.
reminders (“Ebenezers” or stones of remem- Her voice trails off as she seems to be remembe-
brance) to help solidify the proper telling of the ring or seeing things not in the office.
trauma story (see 1 Sam 7:12).
Besides seeing their story in light of the larger
story of God’s care for his children, victims of
trauma also benefit from finding evidence that 7 This case study is fictional, designed only to illustrate
the guidelines presented.

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