Become a Safe Harbor for Victims of Emotional Abuse
Among Christians, the first place most couples go for help when their marriage is in crisis is a pastor. Unfortunately, few couples receive the care they need to confront and address the harm caused by emotional abuse.
There are two main reasons the church has not been a safe harbor for victims of emotional abuse:
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Few pastors, and even professional counselors, are trained to properly diagnose and treat emotional abuse, especially covert abuse.
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The real issues are overlooked or misdiagnosed as communication problems, or other surface issues. The abuse is not addressed, further endangering the marriage.
The result is secondary harm to the victim: more confusion, despair and a turning away from their faith, God and the church.
Gain the Knowledge & Tools to Help Navigate Couples to Safety
Part One: Understanding Emotional Abuse
Gain a deeper understanding of what emotional abuse is, how it presents itself in the context of marriage, and how to watch for signs of power and control dynamics – a key marker of emotional abuse. Learn how to decipher what is really going on underneath the surface, and how use of language can reveal much more than the words themselves.
Part Two: Guarding Against Secondary Abuse
In Part 2, we share with you the methods that we have found to be the most effective in confronting and addressing emotional abuse. You will learn how to utilize these same approaches to bring clarity and safety to an otherwise chaotic and destructive situation. We talk about secondary abuse and why this is such a rampant problem.
Part Three: The Road To Recovery
In Part 3, we wrestle through complex issues that are not so black and white when viewed in the context of emotional abuse. Topics such as spirituality, sex, separation, forgiveness, and reconciliation. We look at what successful follow-up care looks like, and how we can partner with you to provide continuity of care for couples on the road to recovery.