Page 107 - Biblical Counseling II

students shared stories of people in their communities who had experienced trauma from things like
witnessing violence, seeing a friend drown, rape, being in a serious car accident, the death of a parent, or the
death of a friend. Students shared how these situations of trauma had impacted them or those around them.
Trauma is a complicated, in-depth subject. It is one we could spend an entire course on. To summarize it into
one chapter was difficult for me. First, we need to understand what happens to the brain and body when
trauma occurs.

According to psychologist De. Odeyla Gertel Kraybill, a trauma expert, “Psychological trauma is a response
involving complex debilitation of adaptive abilities—emotional, cognitive, physical, spiritual, and social—
following an event that was perceived by our nervous system as threatening to oneself or others (especially
loved ones). Trauma can be a one-time event, a prolonged event, or a series of events. Trauma that affects a
community or a country is called collective trauma” (Kraybill, p. 1, 2019). (Collective trauma could occur after
a war or natural disaster.)

“Trauma shocks and changes all systems. These include:

1. Cognitive: The trauma affects the ability to process thoughts and make good judgments

2. Emotional: Looping with emotions of shame, guilt, fear, anger, and pain

3. Physical: It affects muscles, joints, digestion and metabolism, temperature, sleep, immune system, etc.

4. Spiritual: The trauma affects our worldview, the lenses with which we see reality (typically so we see it as
unsafe), our understanding and meaning of life, society, and the world

5. Social: The trauma affects relationships with spouses, family, friends, colleagues, and strangers (because it
affects so many so deeply, it affects structures of societies)” (Kraybill, p. 2, 2019).

“Developmental trauma occurs early in life and disrupts
normal sequences of brain development. As a result, other
aspects of development, such as emotional, physical,
cognitive, and social, are also impacted. In the first years of
life, the brain develops from the bottom upwards. Lower
parts of the brain are responsible for functions dedicated to
ensuring survival and responding to stress. Upper parts of
the brain are responsible for executive functions, like
making sense of what you are experiencing or
exercising moral judgement” (Kraybill, p. 2, 2019). (photo:
sciencedaily.com)

“Development of the upper parts depends upon prior development of the lower parts. In other words, the
brain is meant to develop like a ladder, from the bottom up. So when stress responses (typically due to
persistent neglect or abuse) are repeatedly activated over an extended period in an infant or toddler or
young child, sequential development of the brain is disturbed. The ladder develops, but foundational steps
are missing and many things that follow are out of kilter” (Kraybill, 2019). Look at the chart below to see
how trauma can impact a child.

105