Strategies for Addressing Trauma in Ministry
Posted on: January 15, 2025
This article by Saint Luke Institute Director of After Care and Education, Stephen T. Carroll, Ph.D., L.C.P.C., appeared with minor adaptations in Horizon, the Journal of the National Religious Vocations Conference (NRVC), Volume 49, No. 4 (Fall 2024). NRVC has granted permission to reprint it here.
Practical Strategies for the Implications of Trauma on Community and Ministry Life
By Stephen T. Carroll, Ph.D., L.C.P.C.
“Trauma” and “trauma” are just trauma. Trauma does not discriminate. Trauma can equally impact a candidate or novice as a senior member of a religious community. It is critical for formators and community members to work collectively to monitor for the early signs of trauma symptoms. A candidate might share with formators that he or she experienced abuse in their childhood but believe it is behind them. People who are filled with passion for their new calling may have tendency to oversimply: “I spoke a counselor in college for three months” or “I went on a retreat and God healed me of the trauma.” It is critical to encourage the candidate to commit to a longer process of outpatient therapy of six months to a year to systematically address the defenses and negative core beliefs due to trauma. This article will address trauma broadly across the life span of a priest or religious, but it will emphasize the unique implications of trauma for people in formation.
More about Stephen T. Carroll, Ph.D., L.C.P.C.
