Elizabeth Powr,. M.Ed. of The Trauma Informed Academy (TIA), announces The Sacredness of Trauma (TSoT), and interactive online program for faith communities. TSoT helps people recognize that “what happened to you” instead of “what’s wrong with you” is the central question required for compassion and care.
This six hour program is offered as a five week series beginning August 18 and as a one day program on August 22.
“Trauma includes the separation from each other that accompanies COVID, the widespread social unrest, death, disaster, and more,” Power said. “How does the story of our faith relate to these events?”
TSoT helps faith communities do four things:
• Recognize the parallels between stories in scripture and traumatic events today.
• Understand how trauma is transmitted from generation to generation.
• Connect specific spiritual practices to current best practices in healing.
• Integrate more helpful, less stigmatizing responses to trauma in their ministries.
TSoT focuses on the impact of what happens rather than the name of the event. It considers the symptoms people have in response to overwhelming experiences “normal reactions to abnormal events.”
“Every ‘people of the book’ has strong stories across history,” Power said in a recent interview. “Whether it’s getting kicked out of the Garden, or what happened when the Prince who became the Buddha saw suffering for the first time, it’s traumatic.” Power finds the thread of trauma exists in all scriptures.
Power knows the how faith communities can harm or help heal. “I used to meet church people for the first time and tell them everything about my awful life. They would steer clear of me from then on. It was painful--and I see how painful it was for them as well as for me.” Power said. “TSoT helps folks learn a different way and why it helps.”
"This program has three basic norms--check your judgments and need to judge at the door; set aside dogma for six hours; and respect the space by not sharing stories of what has happened--this is learning and not support or therapy. "
The Sacredness of Trauma, from The Trauma Informed Academy, is a virtual training using Zoom. Materials are also available in written Spanish and written Somali.
The next public offering begins August 18 (5- week series) and the one-day event is August 22. Group rates available. Registration here.
Nashville TN-based, The Trauma Informed Academy offers virtual training and coaching worldwide on change, resilience, and alignment, including trauma-informed processes. Power is an adjunct instructor in Psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center, a graduate of Education for Ministry from Sewanee (The University of the South), and works with organizations worldwide. Her work is non-dogmatic, non-shaming, and helps people prepare sacred healing spaces where the stories can be witnessed and released.
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Contact
Elizabeth Power
info@thetraumainformedacademy.com
(615) 714-6389
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