Reflective Practice - Formation and Supervision in Ministry (E-Journal)

Morris, Joshua T.

Post-Traumatic Jesus: A Healing Gospel for the Wounded, by David W. Peters, Reviewed by Joshua T. Morris

Introduction to Section 2 which focuses on ATFE and ARPTE - Members Engaging Marginalit

Floding, Matthew

SECTION 2 - ATFE and ARPTE: Members Engaging Marginality

Swain, Angela L.

Book Reviews 10Rethinking Normalcy: A Disability Studies Reader. Edited by Tanya Titchkosky and Rod Michalko, Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press Inc, 2009, 344 pps.An eye-opening exploration of disability studies that challenge our deeply ingrained societal norms, the book takes us on a journey through the complex and multifaceted world of disability, urging us to question these norms along the way.Part 1 (pg 15) the authors introduce the Social Model of Disability in Chapter 1, a groundbreaking perspective that challenges the traditional view of disability as a personal tragedy. Instead, it argues that disability is a result of society's failure to accommodate and include individuals with impairments. This sets the stage for a deeper understanding of disability as a social construct and invites readers to reevaluate the norms we often take for granted.Titchkosky and Michalko delve into the historical development of disability studies as an academic discipline, emphasizing that disability studies didn't emerge in isolation but evolved in response to shifting societal attitudes towards disability.Moving forward, Chapter 3 challenges conventional sociological perspectives on disability. Tanya Titchkosky introduces the concept – of disability as a "liminal space" between normalcy and abnormalcy. This perspective encourages us to explore the hidden meanings of normalcy and offers disability studies a unique vantage point to dissect societal norms. The concept of the "normate" by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson – a socially constructed idea of a "normal" body, senses, mind, and emotions is then introduced. It highlights how the normate and normate culture shapes society's perception of disability and encourages readers to critically examine their understanding of normalcy.Chapter 5 focuses on validating disabled individuals' lived experiences. It discusses how disability characteristics are often perceived through their bodies and emphasizes the need for an "equality of condition" that validates disabled embodiment and sensibility.In Part 2 (89) of the book, the authors delve into the profound connection between disability and suffering, a connection that is often so normalized that we rarely question it. Chapter 6, explores this connection, drawing from the works of Emmanuel Levinas. It asks whose suffering we truly confront when encountering disability and raises thought-provoking questions. “Nondisabled people are disturbed by disability. It reminds them of the fragility and vulnerability of their existence and reminds them of their morality as well. Furthermore, nondisabled people are often very uncomfortable in the presence of those of us who are disabled.” (100) Chapters 7 and 8 continue this exploration by delving into the lived experiences of disabled individuals like Diane Diedger, who showcases how such experiences can lead to disability activism.  Part 3 (p.133) shines a spotlight on how institutions shape perceptions of disability. Chapter 9 critiques charity fundraisers that frame disability as a tragedy, perpetuating moral narratives that impact the lives and identities of disabled individuals. Chapter 10 explores the intersection of work and mental illness, highlighting how institutionalization can shape societal perceptions of normalcy and abnormalcy.Part 4 (p.197) examines the role of law in shaping social spaces and reinforcing normative conceptions of disability. Chapter 12 focuses on the struggle for disability rights and advocates for viewing disability as a human rights issue, emphasizing the importance of social justice. Chapter 13 delves into the concept of "legal peripheries," where the discourse about law differs from how law is experienced. It underscores the need to consider the intersection of law, space, and disability within these peripheries.Part 5 (227) explores the impact of education, technology, and work on disabled individuals. Chapter 14 challenges conventional notions of literacy by exploring American Sign Book Reviews 11Language (ASL) as a distinct language and culture, emphasizing the importance of embracing diversity in education. Chapter 15 delves into the experiences of disabled students at a Canadian university, highlighting the challenges they face in navigating an educational system designed without their needs in mind.In the final Part of the book, Part 6 (285), insights from Carla Rice, Hilde Zitselsberger, Wendy Porch, and Esther Ignani, the focus shifts to women with facial and physical differences. They emphasize the importance of community-based research that responds to the specific needs of these communities, highlights the pervasive normative conceptions of disability, and advocates for the construction of alternative narratives and embodied selves.In Chapter 18, Corbett Joan Otoole raises important questions about sexism and racism within the disability movement. It encourages us to recognize the diversity within the movement and calls for inclusive analysis that considers the complex intersections of identity.  Anita Ghai niches down and sheds light on the absence of disabled women in Indian feminism and disability movements.In the last chapter, they delve into the intricate realm of identity. Robert McRuer challenges conventional notions of identity politics, suggesting that certain identities, including disability and queerness, are simultaneously forming and deconstructing.This book leaves us with a resounding call to action - to continue challenging the norms that have shaped our understanding of disability, paving the way for a brighter, more inclusive future.Angela L. Swain Catholic Theological UnionChicago, Illinois

English

Rethinking Normalcy: A Disability Studies Reader, Edited by Tanya Titchkosky and Rod Michalko

Poem about when feeling discourged and frustrated, remind oneself of all that is inspiring and affirming. Existence included affirmations alongside daily challenges

Heeter, Chris

Heeter 1We are hereChris HeeterWhen all you can see is a world relentless in its harshnessmay you be wrapped in the beauty of a gentle autumn day.When it feels like we shall never find understandingmay you lay down upon this earth, on soft, solid groundlook up at a sky filled with wonderfeel the ground beneath youand recall how wholly and completely we are all connected.When you are wrung out, done, capable of no moremay you rest deeply and let yourself dreamknowing that this is the very best, most important thing you could do.And when you dare to feel joy,the bone-deep, belly-laugh, open your arms to the world elation,may you feel it, may you know it,and may you hold it with an open hand, delighted.For we are all joyful.We all feel despair.This is living.This is it.You haven’t missed anythingdone it wrongor lost the manual.We are here to experience.We are here to love.We are here to hold joy and grief with one another.And we are here to engage with all of it.Read more of Chris Heeter’s poetry and subscribe at:https://thewildinstitute.com/category/wild-poems/

We are here

LOOKING AHEAD: THEME FOR VOLUME 45 THE 2025 ISSUE

The role that self identity, self care, wounded healers, and wrestling with ones own beliefs inform growth and effectiveness as Black pastoral ccaregivers

Melton, Melanie

Melton 1The Psychology of a Wounded Healer: Exploring Key Considerations to Foster the Growth and Effectiveness of Black Pastoral CaregiversMelanie Melton*IntroductionIt was nearing 9:00 p.m., and I found myself contacting my pastor for encouragement. It was in the middle of my first 24-hour on-call shift of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in a local hospital. The pager had gone off before my CPE group could pray over me and my shift. From 7:35 a.m. that morning to 7:30 a.m. the next, the pager rarely stopped alerting me of families in need of my support. I contacted my pastor as throughout the day I had the experience of being “baptized in death,” with page after page being a person actively dying or having just died. Did my CPE and other clinical education equip me to be an active listener, validate emotions, and be a supportive presence for families in need? Absolutely. However, those skills did not help me address being “baptized in death” nor prepare me for the remainder of my shift. Instead, my awareness of who I am as a Black woman and of my emotions, triggers, theological wrestling at work, and self-care were the essential tools for that moment. I reached out to my pastor, which I knew would be an act of self-care as he was someone who would understand my triggers and how to encourage me while not dousing me in scripture or a sermonette.The preparation of clergy to engage in effective pastoral counseling, includes educators teaching counseling skills, ways of connecting, and how to access resources for those seeking support. Yet, to provide effective pastoral counseling, one must also understand one’s own identity, struggles, and beliefs concerning God, healing, pain, and wellness. According to Lifeway Research’s 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study, 63 percent of pastors ranked stress as their top mental challenge.1 Therefore, incorporating self-care, which includes stress management, within a pastoral caregiver’s education is also critical to position the caregiver to implement effective caregiving. This article explores specific areas that address the psychology of Black pastoral caregivers, or what some call wounded healers.It is important to first set the foundation. According to Howard Clinebell in Basic Types of Pastoral Care & Counseling, pastoral care and counseling is one of the most effective ways that the church supports its congregation.2 He specifically notes that caregiving can help save the broken, allowing them to have the space to receive the gospel as good news, leading to healing and wholeness.3 Clinebell posits that through * Melanie Melton is an ordained minister, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and an author who lives in Durham, North Carolina. Email: bookmelaniemelton@gmail.com.Melton 2effective pastoral caregiving, a caregiver who is functioning as a healthy person can cultivate healing and growth.4Pastoral caregiving is one way in which a clergyperson may provide help for people going through times of physical, mental, spiritual, and relational stress.5 Pastoral counseling is a form of pastoral caregiving provided by a clergy member who has been trained to provide pastoral counseling for individuals or families.6 In this article, I will use the terms ‘pastoral counseling’ and ‘pastoral caregiving’ interchangeably to indicate the actions of a clergyperson who has completed specific training to provide effective counseling and clinical support to others in need.SELF-IDENTITYIn dealing with the psychology of Black pastoral caregivers, it is necessary to present areas of Black identity that the caregiver should explore. How can the caregiver help anyone else if they do not know who they are? In his book Biblical Counseling with African-Americans, Clarence Walker helps readers to understand the many areas to explore within the identity of Black pastoral caregivers.7 Walker lists several identity-related issues that caregivers must explore as they seek to provide counseling to Black counselees, including ethnicity, gender, sexual, power, and religious issues.8 Of these issues, I will elevate one key consideration within the ethnicity context: self-concept.Walker incorporates self-esteem and self-identity within the topic of self-concept. He shares that the primary areas that create self-concept issues for Black people in America are residuals from Africa; adjustments and responses to long-term systematic victimization as a result of racism, poverty, and oppression; and attempts to identify with mainstream Americans. He offers that Black people cope in one of three ways: creating an isolated subculture; solely identifying with American culture; or attempting to integrate the two worlds. He connects Black people’s low self-esteem and lack of self-love to the systemic isms that they experience daily, including the dangerous skill of compartmentalizing, or shutting down parts of oneself, to fit role expectations.Feminist bell hooks suggests ways Black people can repair and heal their self-esteem in her book Rock My Soul.9 hooks articulates the necessity of healing self-esteem, including by living consciously with awareness of self, others, and the world, and accepting responsibility for oneself.10 Clinical psychologist Na’im Akbar argues that a Black person’s self-acceptance must include acknowledging one’s slave mentality, which means also owning the necessity of freedom and healing.11 He cautions that the healing journey will take a significant amount of faith and require one to accurately relearn about the Black experience and Black history, celebrate one’s self, celebrate being Black, and engage in healing within the community.12As Walker postulates, when counseling a Black person, it is important to help them explore and understand their history accurately, help them see their value, and raise their self-love and self-esteem.13 Therefore, who the Black pastoral caregiver is, Melton 3their history, and the traumatic events they have experienced need exploration so they can understand themselves better as well as those they serve. This identity and self-work are critical for Black caregivers. As licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor Jessica Young Brown argues, “As black Americans, and particularly as black church folks, we hold secrets about our mental and emotional troubles.”14 When a caregiver ignores these historical implications, internal wounds, and identity confusion and attempts to educate people solely about Jesus, the pastoral caregiver can unintentionally inflict pain and create a barrier between them and the person receiving the care. Before providing pastoral care to others, pastoral caregivers should embark on their own personal healing journey, including receiving counseling from a licensed mental health provider.WOUNDED HEALERSThe insight provided by Walker, which includes possible self-identity and self-esteem challenges of Black pastoral caregivers as they exist in the United States context full of systemic ism’s, demonstrates that caregivers do indeed bear their issues and pains. As Henri Nouwen states, “Nothing can be written about ministry without a deeper understanding of the ways in which ministers can make their wounds available as a source of healing.”15 This stance of using one’s wounds and pains to help others is what Nouwen calls being a “wounded healer.”16Nouwen shares that serving through pastoral caregiving requires the willingness “to enter into a situation complete with all the vulnerabilities one human being has to share with another.”17 He also contends that when a minister is unable to be in touch with and share their own emotions of affection, sympathy, or even anger and be vulnerable, they cannot help another.18 As Brown notes regarding the lack of emotional and mental wellness in the Black church, “Healing requires that they [Black people] acknowledge their woundedness.”19 These insights help us to understand why Black pastoral caregivers must get to know themselves and pursue their healing to provide caregiving. Nouwen also cautions that this is not a call for the caregiver to share their secrets, nor to ignore their pain, but rather to keep their experiences in mind as a source of compassion, empathy, and healthy ways to help. Nouwen sums it up this way: “For a deep understanding of our own pain makes it possible for us to convert our weaknesses into strength and to offer our own experiences as a source of healing to those who are often lost in the darkness of their own misunderstood sufferings.”20 Thus, it is vital for pastoral caregivers to be responsible and to unmask and allow the healing of their pain.BELIEFS TO WRESTLE WITHTo follow Nouwen’s prescription that the pastoral caregiver should offering their past sufferings as a way to help others heal, the caregiver must deal with their pain, engage in counseling with a licensed mental health professional, and heal in Jesus. Melton 4Then, they can walk out their testimonies. Testimonies are gifts from God that allow pastoral caregivers to teach others about Jesus while glorifying God by sharing how the Lord brought them through or supported them within life’s challenges. Testimonies and the sufferings that birthed them are a major element that develop one’s beliefs, including one’s beliefs about God, healing, suffering or pain, and wellness.Oftentimes, clergy serve without considering what they believe regarding healing, suffering, pain, and wellness. They may shout, “Jesus heals!” yet have not explored what they think that means, who it applies to, whether it can occur now or only in heaven, and other theological wonderings. Counselees will surely come to pastoral counseling with deep questions as they struggle to make meaning of their situation. Thus, pastoral caregivers must do this belief wrestling as well.Clinebell highlights the importance of doing theology in pastoral caregiving. He argues that in this theological wrestle, one breaks from tradition as one challenges and reinterprets the biblical text. As a person engages in reinterpretation of the biblical text, new understandings of healing and pain will shape them and the ways they assist others in pastoral caregiving.21 The pastoral caregiver views life differently as a result of their experiences, which supports the need for them to revisit their current thoughts on God, life, suffering, pain, healing, and wellness and to be open to receiving new revelations. Not engaging in this theological wrestling can lead a pastoral caregiver to share ill-fitting scripture or biblical narratives that can be harmful when they have not thought through the layers of meanings and implications in the context of the suffering person seeking help.WOUNDED HEALERS WHO DO NOT NEGLECT SELF-CAREEngaging in theological wrestling, self-identity exploration, and healing is strenuous work. So is providing pastoral caregiving, particularly when a pastoral caregiver serves without sufficient self-care. God is all-powerful and can seem superhero-like, yet no human is God or a superhero. Thus, it is vital to engage in ongoing self-care.Clinebell has helped clergy over the years deal with a loss of excitement, motivation, and zeal as they deal with burnout, which at times results in depression and distress. He shares that this is usually related to too-busy schedules and neglect of self-care.22 Clinebell elaborates on and shares the strain on clergy who are called on to care for dependent congregation members.23 Yet, pastoral caregivers are not without sources of help. Clinebell offers clear options, such as setting healthy and clear boundaries, engaging in additional training to be equipped for their role, and getting enough sleep.24Referring a person to receive care from a licensed mental health professional is also a form of self-care; this is essential if the person is suicidal or homicidal; expresses unusual sensory experiences or beliefs; engages in serious substance abuse, domestic Melton 5violence, or any other form of abuse; or has symptoms that prevent them from performing daily tasks.25 It is a form of self-care to refer a person, even when their care would be within the caregiver’s scope of practice, if the caregiver is overloaded, overwhelmed, and/or not available to address the person’s needs. As pointed out by Brown, “A referral to someone outside the church is not an indication that we don’t believe in the power of God to heal and deliver. It is our affirmation that God works through people, systems, and even medications to provide healing.”26There are hundreds of other types of self-care to consider, ranging from dancing, singing, painting, and walking to seeking counseling for oneself. Rest is one noteworthy form of self-care. As emphasized by theologian and founder of the Nap Ministry, Patricia Hersey, “Grind culture . . . is killing us physically and spiritually. Sleep deprivation is a public health issue and racial justice issue.”27 She helps us understand the necessity of resting daily and argues that rest can take many forms, including taking a long shower in silence, praying, regular breaks from social media, intentional listening to music, laughing heartily, going on a prayerful or meditative walk, and drinking warm tea before bed.28 The understanding that lack of self-care can lead to burnout, which can lead to depression, should raise enough alarm for all pastoral caregivers to commit to better self-care. Therefore, it is essential for Black pastoral caregivers to include a commitment to consistent self-care as an essential part of their ministry.This article has described the importance of self-identity and self-esteem work, the intentional pursuit of healing from wounds and past traumatic events, theological wrestling, and incorporating self-care in the ongoing ministry of Black pastoral caregivers. It has noted that if the Black pastoral caregiver does not engage in self-work, healing, and theological reflection, they may harm those they desire to help. Through the suggestions provided in this article, Black pastoral caregivers can grow to become even healthier healers.NOTES1 Lifeway Research, The Greatest Needs of Pastors Study, 2022, https://research.lifeway.com/greatestneeds/.2 Howard Clinebell, Basic Types of Pastoral Care & Counseling (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2011), 2.3 Clinebell, Basic Types of Pastoral Care, 2.4 Clinebell, Basic Types of Pastoral Care, 7.5 Clinebell, Basic Types of Pastoral Care, 8.6 Clinebell, Basic Types of Pastoral Care, 9.7 Clarence Walker, Biblical Counseling with African Americans (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992), 5–6.8 Walker, Biblical Counseling, 5–6.Melton 69 bell hooks, Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem (New York: Washington Square Press, 2004), 76–81.10 hooks, Rock My Soul, 76–81.11 Na’im Akbar, Breaking the Psychological Chains of Slavery (Tallahassee, FL: Mind Productions, 1996), 46.12 Akbar, Breaking the Psychological Chains of Slavery 34–46.13 Walker, Biblical Counseling, 18–19.14 Jessica Young Brown, Making SPACE at the Well: Mental Health and the Church (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2020), ix.15 Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer (New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2010), 4.16 Nouwen, The Wounded Healer, 4.17 Nouwen, The Wounded Healer, 83.18 Nouwen, The Wounded Healer, 77.19 Brown, Making SPACE at the Well, ix.20 Nouwen, The Wounded Healer, 93.21 Clinebell, Basic Types of Pastoral Care, 45.22 Clinebell, Basic Types of Pastoral Care, 461.23 Clinebell, Basic Types of Pastoral Care, 461.24 Clinebell, Basic Types of Pastoral Care, 461–64.25 Brown, Making SPACE at the Well, 41.26 Brown, Making SPACE at the Well, 43.27 Tricia Hersey, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto (New York: Little, Brown Spark, 2022), 54.28 Hersey, Rest Is Resistance, 85–86.

The Psychology of a wounded Healer: Exploring Key Considerations to Foster Growth and Effectiveness as Black Pastoral Caregivers

Learning about, understanding, developing Emotional Intelligence. The role Emotional Intelligence plays in being an effective clergy person. How Emotional Intelligence can be developed and utilized in effective ministry

Langstraat, Kristin

The Development of Emotional Intelligence in United Methodist Clergy

Chen, Lilu

Book Reviews 14one long listening: a memoir of grief, friendship, and spiritual care. By Chenxing Han, Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2023, 304 pps.Chenxing Han’s memoir offers a valuable window into caring for people of diverse linguistic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Readers follow Han on her journey to healing as she processes the grief of her friend’s death. The book is written in a non-linear fashion, in what Han calls “a mala bracelet of rumination-worn beads” (p. xvi). Organized thematically around aphorisms from the Chinese and Japanese languages, Han weaves together different pieces of her life as she finds healing in words and rituals. Bit by bit, readers get to know Han’s college roommate Amy, whose exuberant life and early death have a profound impact on Han. As Han remembers their friendship, we accompany her on international travels to a Taiwanese Buddhist University, urban apartment in Cambodia, and pilgrimage to Ireland where she scatters Amy’s ashes. Interspersed in this are flashbacks to Han’s childhood and complicated relationship with her parents as they experience the intergenerational effects of immigration and separation.Chaplains and clinical supervisors will benefit from Han’s depictions of her CPE experience at a San Francisco Bay Area hospital, where she documents with loving detail the people she encounters and how they impact her. Han is candid and does not gloss over the exhaustion and mental toll of the CPE residency. She shares her highs and lows, noting personal insights along the way as she strives to offer what she can to patients—be it comfort, presence, or the companionship of a shared cultural background.I appreciated the use of original Chinese characters (along with Thai, Khmer and Japanese) throughout the book. Han’s choice not to translate non-English terms is a bold and welcome one. While this may make it more challenging for those unfamiliar with the languages to follow along, it is well worth the struggle. In leaving words the way they appear in her own mind; Han ingeniously invites us into her worldview. The play on language mirrors Han’s own struggles feeling at home in different contexts as others try to reconcile her speech and physical appearance. Throughout the book, Han’s voice rings through beautiful and clear. At times she is solemn, confessing her wounds and speaking frankly of her internal suffering. At other times she charms readers with humorous asides and funny observations. Particularly noteworthy are Han’s descriptions of her friend Amy’s ability to embrace life even in declining health. This is a book that affirms the wonder of life and inspires us all to love more deeply in the midst of grief. It is a commendable contribution to the spiritual care field and will be enjoyed by clinical supervisors, field educators, and chaplaincy professionals alike. Lilu ChenInstitute of Buddhist StudiesBerkeley, CA 94704

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