Tagged With "Trauma-informed Lord's Prayer"
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Building Trauma Informed Church (Phoenix Arizona)
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Building Trauma Informed Church (Phoenix Arizona)
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RESPITE Conference
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The 2nd Annual Resilient Church Conference (Glendale AZ)
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Traumatic Incident Reduction Facilitator Training
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25 Symbols of Christmas: A devotional and family activity book for Advent based on the tradition of the Chrismon Tree
When it comes to being trauma-informed in ministry settings, one of the joys I find in the process is that “everything old is new again,” in the sense that many of the structures and patterns that are a part of traditional worship styles can be very grounding and helpful for those working through past trauma. For instance, the reassurance of the liturgical calendar and its various seasons is very comforting to my family, and each of us have trauma or adversity in our past. Knowing that every...
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5 Ways to assist a child with a broken and hurting heart
The January/February 2017 cover of Children’s Ministry Magazine says, “How changed hearts, change hearts.” I love this phrase. It is what I’ve touted for years, except I have left off the word “how” and simply said, “Changed hearts, change hearts.” In the article “How to transform the heart of your ministry from perfect programs to rooted relationships,” author Dan Lovaglia talks about the importance of developing relationship with the kids in your community rather than developing programs.
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A call for help: suicide in children
This is the second in the series on children and suicide. The first post asked the question, “Do elementary age children seriously consider suicide?” It is important to understand all you can about suicide in young...
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A New Documentary About Breaking the Cycle of Trauma is Launching This Fall!
We are thrilled to announce the premiere of Wrestling Ghosts , a documentary about breaking the cycle of trauma, at the LA Film festival on Sept. 27th. “Incredible. Haunting and strange and beautiful and incredibly moving.” -Dan Cogan, Founder Impact Partners Wrestling Ghosts follows the epic inner journey of Kim, a young mother who, over two heartbreaking and inspiring years, battles the traumas from her past in order to create a new present and future for her and her family. In this...
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A New Resource on ACE
While research shows that being a part of a faith-based community increases emotional and even physical health, church members are neither exempt nor automatically healed from the impact of childhood and adult adversity. I have written an new book, Break EVERY Stinking Chain! Healing For Hidden Wounds , available on Amazon.com which discusses ACE in detail and integrates Christian scripture and faith as a means of recovery. It is currently available as an ebook and in paperback. I have been...
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A "Trauma-informed Lord's Prayer" by & for children, written in chapel at Intermountain
In a previous post , I explained that this fall I worked with the children on understanding and interpreting the Lord's Prayer. The Lord's Prayer, or "Our Father," posed many interesting opportunities to discuss themes that each and ever one of us struggle with. It was a challenge preparing a lesson for children with emotional disturbance dealing with complicated teachings in scripture. It was an exercise in combatting "Christian-ese" and the simple Sunday school answers (you know... when in...
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ACEs & African Americans Community on ACEs Connection
ACEs Connection envisions a resilient world where ALL people thrive. We are an anti-racist organization committed to the pursuit of social justice. In our work to promote resilience and prevent and mitigate ACEs, we intentionally embrace and uplift people who have historically not had a seat at the table. ACEs Connection celebrates the voices and tells the stories of people who have been barred from decision-making and who have shouldered the burden of systemic and economic oppression as the...
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Adult Sunday school curriculum exploring trauma-informed ministry now available!
UPDATE! As of 3/27/17 all copies of the first run of this curriculum have been purchased or reserved. We hope to have a second printing/production run done soon, though the budget to provide free copies has been exhausted. Those requesting the materials from this point forward will need to submit the $60. required. I have also had some requests for a "preview" of the curriculum in order to see if it is appropriate for your ministry setting. I have attached the print portion of Week 2 so you...
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Advocating for Rachel, Part One - insights from Intermountain Board member and friend, Crystal Amundson
Note: Crystal Amundson LCPC, RPT-S runs a private practice in Helena, Montana, where she works as a child play therapist. Crystal specializes in Play Therapy, working with children ages 2-12, alongside their caregivers. She is a previous employee and current board member at Intermountain. Her passion and expertise is in the field of early childhood mental health. Crystal prepared this case study with accompanying prompts for action by faith-based groups and community groups that hope to make...
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At Border, San Diego Bishop Offers Prayer of Hope, Defiance (timesofsandiego.com)
Recalling Mary and Joseph as “illegal immigrants” seeking shelter, San Diego’s Roman Catholic leader made a pilgrimage to the border Saturday to share words of hope and solidarity. “We are praying and hoping that the policies which emerge from the new administration will be focused upon deporting those who have committed crimes,” Bishop Robert McElroy said, “and that they will not begin mass deportations of young people that have lived their lives here and know nothing other than that.”...
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Author of "Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks" study connects with the Arizona Trauma-Informed Faith Community
I was pleased to be able to connect with my friend and colleague in trauma-informed ministry, Sanghoon Yoo (@thefaithfulcity), a few weeks ago to present insights into how trauma-informed care connects with the heart of the Christian gospel. God is continuing to work through the amazing churches, pastors, ministry leaders, and participants in the Arizona Trauma-Informed Faith Initiative, and it was encouraging to see how many were able to turn out, even on a busy Monday afternoon. We...
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Building community by facing collective trauma with hope
It was a sunny fall afternoon a few years ago. A friend posed a very interesting question as we ate our dinner on the deck at a local restaurant. “What do you think, Chris, about the possibility of a whole group of people experiencing a reaction to trauma? Like, maybe our whole nation is still traumatized from 9-11-01, or Katrina, or maybe just a whole host of cascading traumatic events?” We spoke at some length about what a reaction to trauma would look like in a society at large, and it...
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Can kids in single parent homes become successful contributing adults to society when they grow up?
There are a lot of negative statistics about children in divorced homes. While these stats may be true, they may lead you to conclude that the children who come from these homes are set up for failure. It doesn’t have to be that...
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Caring for Trauma Survivors and Caring for Yourself in the Process: Everyday Tips for Non-Professionals [PsychCentral.com]
Elise just told me about her past. I knew she had been through a lot, but not all that. She said her mom hit her and left bruises when she was a kid, her neighbor touched her where she didn’t want to be touched, and I guess her brother was alcoholic. There was a lot of other stuff, too. It has gotten better in the last couple years so that is good. I have known their whole family for a long time and never knew any of that. What do I do now? I want to help somehow, but is there anything to...
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Catholic Schools And Parents Grapple With Whether To Address Abuse Report [npr.org]
During the first Mass of the school year, two students at St. Bernard Elementary School in suburban Pittsburgh stand in front of the congregation and lead their classmates in prayer. They pray for the leaders of the world, for the sick and suffering, and for the victims of abuse in the Catholic Church. It is the only time clergy abuse is mentioned during the service. It might be the only time it's mentioned in the school. Principal Anthony Merante says he wants to leave that conversation up...
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Chalk and Rain: Repaving the Path of Discord with Messages of Indelible Hope (hopematters.org)
The Metro guard told me he’d never seen anything like it in all his years working for DC’s Metro system, people chalking love, togetherness, inclusion messages just off the top of the escalator at the Foggy Bottom Metro stop, the place where the white nationalists will step when they get off the metro, and where they’ll begin their march to Lafayette Square across from the White House Sunday at 5:00. We – people from various faith communities – gathered the night before at Western Ave.
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Chaplain Chris Haughee Interview
To quote a friend who just gave her testimony at our church about her own struggles with mental health misdiagnosis and recovery, she was told after her first hospitalization, “This won’t be the first time you deal with this.” Our trauma is always with us.
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Clergy embrace trauma informed training in Greater Philadelphia region
An exceptional all-day “Trauma-Informed Training for Clergy” event was held in Philadelphia in May 2017, organized by JSR Educational Enrichment Strategies, Inc. Founder and President Doris Smith-Ribner, Retired PA State Appeals Court Judge. Judge Smith-Ribner recognized the need for this training particularly for those on the front lines of dealing with the impacts of trauma and its prevalence within Philadelphia—the Clergy. Here is her report from that meeting. Highly-regarded trauma...
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Coming back to ‘The Wall': building resilience by learning to trust
Recently, we did an object lesson as part of our Resilience-based series that I call “the Wall.” We talked about how bad things happen in this world despite having a loving God that looks over us. We make bad choices at times that hurt us, and others make bad choices that hurt us. In general, there is a lot of brokenness in relationships that causes a lot of damage. So, I told the children, we learn how to protect ourselves. Just like castles have BIG walls or our cottages on campus have...
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Covenant Pastors Collaborate to address Mental Health, ACEs
I couldn't be prouder of my home church, Headwaters Covenant Church in Helena, MT. Throughout the fall, we have been purposefully and carefully addressing subjects that the church often avoids. Among these topics are the family dysfunction that results from generational trauma, the prevalence of adversity in childhood within families in Montana, training in suicide awareness and prevention, and moral injury (especially among our veterans and service men and women). Just this last Sunday we...
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Developing compassion for our neighbors and ourselves: trauma-informed faith
Even when we feel like God doesn’t hear us, he can guide our path to people and ideas that will resonate with our spirits and bring healing... The process of becoming trauma-informed can help us to develop compassion. We can overcome personal barriers that prevent us from reaching out to others in loving ways. We will be able to feel and share more of God’s love.
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Do You Need Spirituality to Recover from CPTSD?
During a break in taping my new course on dating and relationships, I recorded this story about how hard it can be to change the self-defeating patterns that so often flow from Childhood PTSD. I talk about one summer when I was working hard to get through a dark time, and then a miracle took me by surprise. You can learn the writing/meditation techniques I mention as a source of daily healing, here . You can access my articles, courses and resources for people with Childhood PTSD on my blog,...
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Elevate Montana - Helena Affiliate and "trial run" of new trauma-informed curriculum for churches
To date, over 80 copies of the curriculum Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks: a six week study of trauma-informed ministry and compassionate care for children from hard places and situations have gone out around the country. Released this past spring, most have ordered it to preview the materials prior to utilization this coming fall. So, while feedback has been positive, there have been few users with specific comments related to how their teaching experience has gone (because, well... they...
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Faith and Mental Health: Creating a culture of encounter and friendship
My article “Faith and mental health: Creating a culture of encounter and friendship” has been published in the May issue of Review & Expositor: An International Baptist Journal. Article introduces the Mental Health and Faith Community Partnership which the Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition helped launch with the American Psychiatric Association and focuses on how congregations and faith leaders can work with psychiatrists and the mental health community to reduce stigma and...
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Finding healing after trauma: Elizabeth Smart (courtesy of Goalcast)
One of the most common questions I get from the trauma-affected children I serve is, "Why did God allow [insert really awful, tragic experience] to happen to me?" I imagine it's a question that most pastors, ministers, chaplains, and those Christians who share their faith with others face. It's fundamentally a relational question, not a theological one... and that's important to remember. The question is seeking the reason why a God who is Love could allow something that is experienced as...
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Finding Spirituality and My Own God In Recovery From Drugs
Finding spirituality is something I had to find through pain and suffering emotionally. I grew up without much of an idea of god, my parents didn't force it on me. When I was a teenager however, I climbed on the soapbox of thinking people who had faith in god were weak and fools for doing so. My ego was in full force during these times, the transformation that has taken place since then is nothing short of amazing and shows off not only the power and grace of god, but the love. I was someone...
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Finding Spirituality and My Own God In Recovery From Drugs
Finding spirituality is something I had to find through pain and suffering emotionally. I grew up without much of an idea of god, my parents didn't force it on me. When I was a teenager however, I climbed on the soapbox of thinking people who had faith in god were weak and fools for doing so. My ego was in full force during these times, the transformation that has taken place since then is nothing short of amazing and shows off not only the power and grace of god, but the love. I was someone...
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Five things your congregation can do to support criminal justice reform [afsc.org]
The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world, with over 2.4 million people currently behind bars. Poor people and people of color are incarcerated at vastly disproportionate rates. Many prisoners are held in solitary confinement or denied adequate medical care and educational opportunities, and few resources are invested in reentry or community programs. AFSC works to end mass incarceration, improve conditions for people who are in prison, stop prison...
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For those that ordered... the trauma-informed curriculum for churches is headed out the door this week!
It's been a labor of love more than a year in the making, and it is exciting to see the curriculum come together and head out to those that will give this first version a "test drive" this spring and (hopefully) give me some great feedback so I can make improvements over the summer and make the curriculum better! It is called "Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks: a six week study of trauma-informed ministry and compassionate care for children from hard places and situations." The study is...
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Free Resource! A "Trauma Informed" Jelly Bean Easter Poem
First thing you may ask is What?? and then, perhaps, Why?? Well... The story of Jesus’ arrest, trial, death, burial and resurrection can be difficult for many people, but none more so than the victims of abuse or neglect, or for anyone especially affected by violence. We want to be sensitive to the special needs of those that have endured trauma, but still remain truthful to the gospel. So, what is a parent, children’s minister, or pastor to do around Easter? It’s a tough situation. If you...
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From suffering to triumph... learning through adversity during Lent
My approach to my own personal adversity and trauma has been deeply shaped by my spirituality. I grew up in a liturgical church, which means that we kept to something called the "Church calendar" which had seasons built into it for various readings, celebrations and observances. Every late winter brought with it the experience of "Ash Wednesday" that led into Lent, a time of self-examination, observance of disciplines and practices that framed human suffering into a larger context, a grand...
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From Trauma-Informed to Asset-Informed Care in Early Childhood [brookings.edu]
By Ellen Galinsky, Brookings Institute, October 23, 2019 The focus on “toxic stress,” ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and trauma-informed care have been game-changers in the field of early childhood development. They have helped us recognize the symptoms of trauma, provide appropriate assistance to children, and understand that prolonged adversity in the absence of nurturing relationships can derail a child’s healthy development. Just look at the media’s and the public’s reaction to...
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GABOR MATÉ JOINS EP. 3 on May 21 with Darrell Hammond and Filmmaker Michelle Esrick. [crackedupmovie.com]
CRACKED UP THE EVOLVING CONVERSATION TRAUMA AS THE ROOT CAUSE OF ADDICTION With DARRELL HAMMOND DIRECTOR MICHELLE ESRICK and RENOWNED TRAUMA AND ADDICTION EXPERT GABOR MATÉ, M.D. author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction MODERATED BY JANE STEVENS, FOUNDER OF ACES CONNECTION Hosted by ACES Connection Thursday May 21st at 2pm PDT / 3p MT / 4p CT / 5pm EDT FREE FOR ALL WHO REGISTER! IF YOU REGISTER, BUT CAN NOT ATTEND, YOU WILL RECEIVE A RECORDING WITHIN ONE WEEK.
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Ground-breaking Bible study on trauma-informed ministry/ACEs now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble
I've been busy trying to make the study as accessible and available to those interested in sharing trauma-informed principles within their churches and fellowships, and I am pleased to announce a few new developments: First, the study is available as an e-book on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. In fact, to celebrate the release of the book on Barnes and Noble, you can get the study for half price through June 15. Just use the code BNPCHRIS50) at check out! Click HERE to go directly to the...
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"Helping Kids Heal" Five Minutes with Chris Haughee from Covenant Companion
Five Minutes with Chris Haughee: Helping Kids Heal covenantcompanion.com /2018/04/16/five-minutes-with-chris-haughee-helping-kids-heal/ By Guest Author April 16, 2018 Chris Haughee Chris Haughee is a Covenant chaplain working at Intermountain Residential, an intensive residential program for children who demonstrate behavioral challenges with campuses in Helena and Kalispell, Montana. Chris and his family attend Headwaters Covenant Church in Helena. He writes about the ministry at...
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How do you cope? Self-regulation "favorites" from our children! (video)
In a recent chapel time, our children were given the opportunity to "pay if forward" by helping create the video below. You see, part of the lesson was about thanksgiving and generosity, and that generosity is NOT just about sharing money. It's about being the type of people who share compassion and the wisdom that has been gained through difficulty. The children were encouraged to know that they could help other children handle their big feelings in healthy ways by sharing what they had...
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"I stay near the pit," my reason for engaging in trauma-informed ministry
I stay near the pit (inspired by Rev. Samuel Shoemaker’s poem, “I Stand by the Door,” and Psalm 40) © Chris Haughee, 2018. All rights reserved. I stay near the pit. My cry was heard and I was lifted from it. And while my feet are steady on the Rock and the path is laid straight before me I was not alone in that pit. There were many others with me, stuck in that mire. So, I stay near the pit. I had tried for a long time—such a long, long time— to make my way out, to find myself planted firm...
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Intermountain hosts trauma-informed ministry training and workshop
Chaplain Chris Haughee of Intermountain's Residential Services in Helena, Montana, hosted an all-day training and workshop on trauma-informed ministry on September 15th, 2016. The day started off with introductions and then it was time for Brie Oliver, ACE Master Trainer, to give the group the basics in adverse childhood experiences, the science behind life-long health effects from childhood trauma, and share the possible ways faith communities could help build resiliency in children and...
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Intermountain Video Podcast: How Kids Navigate a Pandemic
Meegan Bryce, MSW, began her work at Intermountain with children and families as a Direct Care Counselor in 2004. She has since been a Cottage Supervisor, Child and Family Therapist, the Residential Manager and now serves as the Residential Director. Meegan is a Montana native and enjoys all the outdoor activities that Montana has to offer, especially river rafting. In this video podcast, she speaks with Development Officer Tyler Zimmer about how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the...