Heather Gingrich

Why Did I Write Restoring the Shattered Self?

I didn’t seek out counselees who had experienced trauma, but they found me! Back in the early 1980’s, when I first started doing this work, very little had been written on trauma and I was floundering. I found a few people and a few resources that helped and over the years it has become a counseling and teaching specialization. Fortunately, more counselors these days are receiving training in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. However, many are still not adequately prepared to deal with the more complicated presentations of those who have experienced chronic, relational trauma and abuse.  While a few books have been written from a Christian perspective on how to help survivors of sexual abuse, virtually nothing more comprehensive exists for Christian helpers. So I wrote the book that I would have wanted to read after a busy day; a book that had a good theoretical base but was practical, with lots of case illustrations, and was not heavy academically. This is the result!

How can you benefit from reading Restoring the Shattered Self?
Christian Mental Health Professionals

In the book I walk you, step by step, through therapeutic work with survivors of complex trauma.


Lay Counselors and Prayer Ministers

Knowing your limitations is essential, but you can be a tremendous asset.


Pastors

You have wounded sheep in your congregations and you may be struggling to know how to best help.


Spiritual Directors and Mentors

Created in God’s image, our emotional/psychological selves and our spiritual selves are intricately intertwined.