CCC 28-4_LR

PASTORAL CARE

For many trauma-affected people, lament becomes a bridge between psychological healing and spiritual forma tion. It allows clients to tell the truth about their suffering without abandoning faith. In doing so, they discover that faith is not the absence of pain but the courage to bring pain honestly before God. Yet trauma is only part of the story. The other part is resilience. Resilience can be understood as the capacity to main tain a God-centered self-direction. 2 Despite adversity, it is a refusal to bypass the insufferable pain. It is the ability to continue moving toward wholeness in the midst of hard ship. Throughout Scripture, resilience emerges through dependence upon God and connection with others. Joseph endured betrayal, slavery, and imprisonment. Ruth persevered through devastating loss. David trusted God while hiding in caves. Paul endured persecution, impris onment, and suffering while remaining anchored in Christ. Research consistently demonstrates that support ive relationships are among the strongest predictors of healing after trauma. Safe, attuned, and trustworthy relationships help regulate the nervous system and foster recovery. Long before neuroscience confirmed this reality, Scripture taught that human beings were created for con nection. Healing happens in relationships. This truth highlights the unique role counselors play. We provide more than interventions and techniques. We offer a therapeutic rela tionship characterized by safety, empathy, attunement, consistency, and grace. Within that relationship, clients often begin experiencing a different story—one in which they are seen and valued in their suffering. Christian counselors are uniquely positioned to inte grate the insights of trauma science with the hope of the Gospel. The Gospel never minimizes suffering. The cross stands as a declaration that God takes pain seriously. Yet the resurrection proclaims that suffering, trauma, and death do not have the final word. Gospel-centered trau ma care, therefore, holds two truths simultaneously: we acknowledge the profound impact of woundedness while

also affirming the possibility of healing and restoration. This hope is neither simplistic nor sentimental. It recognizes that healing is often slow and sacred work. It honors the complexity of trauma while trusting in God’s ongoing redemptive activity. As counselors grow in their understanding of trauma and resilience, we become more effective stewards of the stories entrusted to us. We learn to listen deeply, respond compassionately, and walk patiently alongside those who suffer. They create spaces where wounds can be named without fear and where resilience can emerge through the presence of God and the support of caring relationships. The goal is not merely symptom reduction or survival. By God’s grace, the goal is restoration and helping people increasingly experience the flourishing for which they were created. ;

Evan Marbury, D.Min., M.Div., M.A., LCMHC, serves as a licensed thera pist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as well as a Formation Pastor at Christ Central Church in Durham. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychol ogy from the University of Missouri Columbia before completing a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Counseling at Covenant Theological Seminary. Evan later received a Doctor of Ministry in Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his ministry expe riences include college ministry, Army Reserve Chaplaincy, adjunct professor, and community development.

Endnotes 1 Marbury, E.B. (2026). Understanding trauma and resilience: A guide for counselors, caregivers, and ministers. Baker Academic, 17. 2 Marbury, E.B. (2026). 172.

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