Making Meaning of Trauma

Catalog description

This course is about the suffering that may be caused by traumatic events, and the way that suffering is soothed through spirituality and faith. In this class students will: *explore the early history of religion and health, and through the benefit of a mind-body spirit approach to resilience; *learn about disaster impact - to a community, a family, and an individual - and the ways in which disaster recovery tests the human spirit; *learning the basics of stress and trauma from a clinical perspective, and from the perspective of the major religions traditions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, non-believers, etc.; *discuss concepts such as pain, suffering, despair, pleasure, joy, forgiveness, grace and transformation; *acquire skills (e.g., relaxation and stress reduction methods) that, when practiced regularly, will be useful when life takes a dark turn for you or someone you know; and *learn about trauma theory and religions traditions, and ways in which an integrated approach to trauma recovery may be transformative.