Trauma and Abuse

The event occurred in the past, possibly many years ago, but you still carry it with you wherever you go. Some days the memory keeps replaying over and over again in your mind. You feel angry, jumpy, maybe even guilty or ashamed. You want to move on with...

You married someone you trusted, and now you are facing unpredictable anger or outright physical abuse. This is betrayal at its worst. Most likely you are numb, scared, confused, and paralyzed. How do you take a step when you are so afraid?  Edward...

How is your church ministering to children in your congregation who have experienced sexual abuse? Jesus told us that whoever received a child in his name received him (Matt. 18:5). Is this the guiding principle that informs how your congregation cares...

Pastors and church personnel often struggle to apply intentional and appropriate doses of both biblical grace and stringent accountability to victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Churches can regularly be prone to turn the tables on survivors...

Sexual assault is an invasive event of traumatic evil. You were victimized, and now you are suffering. Whenever sexual abuse occurs, love is not part of the equation. Rather, the perpetrator uses power, domination, and control to injure innocent victims...

Are you ministering to someone whose trauma of sexual abuse has shattered their trust in God? Do you see them wrestling with the dichotomy between what they are told about God and the bitter facts of their wounds? If the abuse happened when they were a...

Children can experience trauma from a variety of experiences, including neglect, physical, sexual, or psychological abuse, death of a loved one, bullying, racial trauma, and more. Trauma occurs when children...

Do you suspect that you or someone you love is suffering from marital domestic abuse? Is there intentional harm happening to you in your home, whether physical, verbal, sexual, or emotional? What should you do? How do you seek help? Heather Nelson...

The damage you suffered may have been done in one terrible moment or over time. But the healing and the restoration will unfold at your pace, at a human pace. It unfolds as part of your story, and it unfolds over time. As a vulnerable child, instead of...

How do we protect the children in our Christian community from sexual offenders? We are becoming more and more aware of the prevalence of child abuse, both in society at large and in the church. We want to protect children in our community from abuse,...

Violence against women is a growing concern, both in America and around the world. We want to help, but the problem can seem too big, too complex, too overwhelming, or too far away to tackle. Christ calls us to help the helpless, but what can we do to...

When our children experience a traumatic event, we can feel powerless to help. We fear getting it wrong or reminding them of the hurt. Or we miss important cues that signal a child is in distress, leading us to address problematic behaviors with...