Trauma-Informed Spiritual Care: Interventions for Safety, Meaning, Reconnection, and Justice

Trauma pervades every part of human existence. From birth to death, there is no moment in which a human being is completely immune, with experts estimating that a majority of people will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Danielle Tumminio Hansen offers a dynamic exploration of how trauma affects not just the physical and psychological lives of sufferers but also their spiritual well-being. Taking a feminist and intersectional approach, she considers how trauma challenges people both individually and collectively, while looking at tools spiritual caregivers can use to respond to it. Integrating theological wisdom with cutting-edge psychology, she offers targeted interventions to help trauma survivors restore their sense of safety, construct meaning, and reconnect with their communities. She also considers how restorative justice can be a tool to help trauma survivors voice their experiences and receive accountability in community. Tummino Hansen constructs a crucial resource, at once searingly honest and hopeful, that belongs on the bookshelf of every pastor, chaplain, and faith leader. Read more