A PATHWAY TO HEALING
by Nicole Sotelo
Your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed…
(Mark 5:34).
Jesus shared these words with a woman who sought healing, and who discovered that her faith could help her heal. She is not alone. Today it’s estimated that one-third to one-half of women across the globe will experience abuse at some point in their lives. Many are seeking healing through faith like the woman in Mark’s gospel.
Although Jesus’ healing methods may not be those we use today, there are ways to integrate a Christian woman’s faith into her recovery process from abuse. Judith Herman, a well-known psychologist on the topic of recovery from trauma, notes that there are three stages through which people traverse when healing. These phases are labeled "safety," "remembrance and mourning," and "reconnection." For those of us in faith communities, we must be aware of the ways that women’s faith may be integrated into each stage of their healing process.
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