Spiritually Oriented Psychotherapy for Trauma

Donald F. Walker, PhD, directs the Child Trauma Institute, an interdisciplinary research center devoted to understanding the role of religious faith in recovery from childhood abuse, treating survivors of child abuse, and training professionals in addressing spiritual issues in treatment.   Dr. Walker also teaches in the PsyD program in clinical psychology at Regent University. As a professor, he teaches courses on trauma and clinical child psychology and supervises students at all levels of the program.   He is a member of the APA Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) and 56 (Trauma Psychology).   He is also the founder and executive director of Tidewater Child and Family Behavioral Health Center, PLLC, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is a clinical child psychologist and treats children, teens, and families.   Christine A. Courtois, PhD, ABPP, is a board certified counseling psychologist in independent practice in Washington, DC, and national clinical trauma consultant at Elements Behavioral Health/Promises.   Dr. Courtois has published three books in conjunction with Dr. Julian Ford on the topic of complex trauma and its treatment. She lectures widely and is currently chairing a committee on developing treatment guidelines for posttraumatic stress disorder for APA.   She is the recipient of a number of professional awards, among them the APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Professional Practice and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Sarah Haley Award for Clinical Excellence.   Jamie D. Aten, PhD, is the founder and codirector of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute and Dr. Arthur P. Rech and Mrs. Jean May Rech Associate Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois.   Dr. Aten's interests include the psychology of religion and disasters, disaster spiritual and emotional care, and faith-based relief and development. He has received more than $2 million in external funding to study disasters, trauma, and faith issues around the globe and has been recognized with APA's Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) Margaret Gorman Early Career Award and Mutual of America Merit Finalist Award. He is also the coeditor or author of seven books.  

Contributors

Introduction 
Donald F. Walker, Christine A. Courtois, and Jamie D. Aten



Basics of Working on Spiritual Matters With Traumatized Individuals 
Donald F. Walker, Christine A. Courtois, and Jamie D. Aten
Spirituality, Religion, and Complex Developmental Trauma 
Stephanie Van Deusen and Christine A. Courtois
First, Do No More Harm: Ethics of Attending to Spiritual Issues in Trauma Treatment 
Christine A. Courtois
Religious and Spiritual Assessment of Trauma Survivors 
P. Scott Richards, Randy K. Hardman, Troy Lea, and Michael E. Berrett
Religion, Spirituality, and the Working Alliance With Trauma Survivors 
E. Grace Verbeck, Meline A. Arzoumanian, Jan E. Estrellado, Jillian DeLorme, Kristen Dahlin, Emily Hennrich, Heather E. Rodriguez, Jessica M. Stevens, and Constance Dalenberg
Spirituality and Making Meaning: Implications for Therapy With Trauma Survivors 
Jeanne M. Slattery and Crystal L. Park
Understanding and Responding to Changes in Spirituality and Religion After Traumatic Events 
Donald F. Walker, Kerry L. McGregor, David Quagliana, Rachel L. Stephens, and Katlin R. Knodel
God Images in Clinical Work With Sexual Abuse Survivors: A Relational Psychodynamic Paradigm 
Mary Gail Frawley-O'Dea
Providing Spiritual and Emotional Care in Response to Disaster 
Jamie D. Aten, Kari A. O'Grady, Glen Milstein, David Boan, Melissa A. Smigelsky, Alice Schruba, and Isaac Weaver
Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Within a Religious Context 
Heidi M. Levitt, Sharon G. Horne, Emily E. Wheeler, and Mei-Chuan Wang
Faith and Honor in Trauma Treatment for Military Personnel and Their Families 
David W. Foy and Kent D. Drescher
Responding to the Problem of Evil and Suffering 
Sue Grand

Afterword: Reflections and Future Directions 
Donald F. Walker, Christine A. Courtois, and Jamie D. Aten

Index

About the Editors