The Pastor and Trauma Counseling: A Middleware for Shepherds

With the proliferation of good material on trauma, better diagnostic tools, and well-trained professionals in the counseling field, pastors have reason to be both encouraged and overwhelmed. Should we be up to speed on all the latest research? How and when should we refer congregants to counseling and medical professionals? Are there tools available from within the classical pastoral tradition that can help us answer these questions? This workshop seeks to provide a simple diagnostic tool for pastors as well as tangible ways forward in partnership with professionals as we seek to be part of helping congregants heal. I present a model which I call “Trauma-Conversant Pastoral Counseling.”