Arts in the Trauma Healing Process Training

This basic training course (Cycle 1) teaches a holistic and interactive approach to engaging Scripture and relevant arts in the healing process for people who suffer from the mental, emotional, and spiritual effects of trauma. The course combines biblical truths with basic mental health principles expressed in ways that can be easily applied in many contexts. Participants learn to address both beliefs and emotions damaged by trauma in their own lives and in the lives of others through participatory learning methods as well as through engaging with their fellow participants in a small group context. In particular, this course will emphasize the importance of expressive arts in trauma healing. Participants will understand and be able to articulate and demonstrate the role, value, and effectiveness of using relevant arts in trauma healing from a historical and contemporary perspective. Participants will be able to promote emotional and spiritual healing in traumatized communities through the use of local expressive arts existing in those communities. Expressive arts: Music, dance/movement, drama, visual arts, oral verbal arts, etc.

In this cycle, the participants explore the Trauma Healing Institute’s six core lessons (Suffering; Healing Wounds; Listening; Grief; Taking our Pain to the Cross; and Forgiveness). In addition, they experience the integration of arts into these lessons and the co-journeying lesson plans. They also learn about the theoretical and theological foundations for the application of arts within co-journeying experiences.

The ATHP course is offered in collaboration with the American Bible Society’s (ABS’s). Trauma Healing Institute (THI) and the Trauma Healing Alliance (THA). The overall ATHP training progression involves attending four cycles and pursuing practicum application of the materials with a certified ATHP Training Facilitator and Mentor. This ATHP Basic Training is Cycle 1 of 4 cycles and requires a practicum in order to progress in qualification and certification. Progressing beyond the second cycle will not be possible if the participant is not applying the material and leading co-journeying/healing groups. Participants are required to facilitate at least 2 co-journeying/healing groups where they invite 1 to 3 people to go through the ATHP six core lessons together. For those cojourneying experiences, they need to prepare basic plans and conduct overall self-reflection which they report to their Mentor and Training Facilitator. After completing the practicum (facilitating two co-journeying groups) the participant can earn a Basic Arts in Trauma Healing Certificate. Participants who demonstrate readiness on completion of this course will be invited to consider further training in advanced ATHP cycles and be certified as an ATHP Apprentice Facilitator.

You will be assigned a mentor following the training experience. If the mentor and the main trainers agree, you may begin facilitating an ATHP co-journeying group (like a healing group). You will be mentored and supported through the sessions. Of course, some people decide that they do not want to continue on the ATHP training pathway. If you choose this, then, you can integrate what you have learned as God leads you, but without the ATHP certificates.

Addressing the impact of trauma is fast becoming one of the most urgent human needs in the world. Trauma isolates people from one another and God, and so constitutes a significant underlying barrier to Scripture engagement and shalom.

The skills learned in this training can be practically applied to life experiences. They may be used outside of using the full six lessons. For example, one youth group leader said that after going through the sessions on Heart Wounds and Listening, he responded to his youth group differently — making space for them to share their struggles and challenges. This position of listening to them opened up great discussions. Then, he tried an art activity to open up their expression even more. He found it very helpful and effective.

A co-journeying/healing group is where a facilitator walks alongside those who are suffering mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically from the wounding they have experienced in their life journeys. Together, they will go through the ATHP six core lessons (Suffering; Healing Wounds; Listening; Grief; Taking our Pain to the Cross; and Forgiveness) in Biblebased healing sessions with expressive arts integrated into these lessons, to help the person learn to self-regulate through expressive arts.

After completing this course, participants will be able to: ● Apply knowledge of the scope and impact of trauma to their own personal and/or work experience. ● Create basic, culturally appropriate approaches for trauma healing. ● Create appropriate materials and facilitation approaches for basic trauma care in a healing group. ● Create relevant research designs and contextualized trauma healing approaches for empowering communities in discovering effective uses of their art forms in the trauma healing process.