The Healing of Christ for a Traumatized World : How Christ and Psychology both treat Trauma

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to establish the place of Christ in the therapy process. It asserts that when Christ is barred from the psychologist’s office, the therapy process incurs a significant disability. Not only do most mental health concerns have an underlying spiritual reality, but the nature of healing itself does as well. This essay will develop the following understanding: There is a parallel between what psychology says about trauma and what the Bible says about sin. If this is true, then Christ can provide healing from trauma. Therefore, it is the mission of the church to engage in trauma-healing work. In each section, we explore a question related to this process. The first section asks, “What does psychology say about trauma, and how does this compare to what the Bible says about human nature?” Then, the second section considers application, asking both, “What is the mission of the church in regard to trauma theologically?”, and “How can Christ and the church help people with trauma psychologically?” In this article we answer each of these questions, seeking to establish the place of Christ in the professional healing of the traumatized.