I know you probably have lots of questions such as, 

• Is this really for me? 

• What if I fall apart in front of strangers? 

• Do I have to share everything about myself?

•  What if it's just all too overwhelming?

• What if this brings up more than I can handle right now?

 

I want to assure you that as a trauma healing facilitator, I am very aware of these, and other, concerns. I am prepared and trained to help walk alongside you through anything that may come up during our time together. The purpose of a healing group is not to rehash loads of painful traumas, but to acknowledge wounds that have been simmering underneath the surface of your heart keeping you stuck in your daily life and stealing your joy in living fully alive in Christ. It is true that walking towards our pain usually brings awareness of deeper pain, but this is not to be feared- it is part of the process and we have the Ultimate Comforter and Healer with us every step of the way. 

 

If you are feeling uneasy not knowing exactly what to expect, I promise you are in good company! =) I am confident in God's sovereignty, His design, and the resources available throughout our time together and have seen Him faithfully lead each participant/group I've led thus far. In the case of discovering that you need further support and counsel beyond what the group can offer, we can confidently cross that bridge together, outside of the group, and I can get you to the support that best fits your individual needs. 

 

Here is our confidence & comfort:

For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; is it I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you.' (Isaiah 41:13)

 

You make known to me the path of life;

In Your presence, there is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11a)

 

God is for you! (Ex. 2:23-25, and others) He wants you to experience His healing and no matter where you are starting from, I know He will bring you to a greater place of peace, rest, and joy in Him. 

 

How to prepare for our meetings:

1. Prepare a special, quiet, distraction-free place where you can join our meetings as much as is possible for you. (a bedroom, an office, a quiet corner in the kithcen=)

2. Be sure to bring your Bible, and a variety of art supplies - colored pencils, crayons, or markers and even playdough is welcomed and recommended.

3. The PDF Journal and Zoom link will be sent week-by-week the evening before each session. This is sent weekly for your benefit, as per suggested by previous participants. Trust them, trust me, trust the process. (At the end of class, you'll receive the full PDF altogether to keep for future reference/use.)

4. Please check your email each week the evening before the session for the latest info and right before the session in case of any specific updates, etc. 

5. Always feel free to email with questions, concerns, etc. I'm available to answer anything during our time together.

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What to expect:

1. The first week or two can be especially difficult emotionally. This is because you may very well never have addressed emotional wounds in any setting and your body may be surprised at how it feels because it's new. Doing so may leave you feeling more tired than usual that day. Please plan a gentle day for yourself afterward, if at all possible. You may even find it helpful to let your spouse know you might need some extra space and support that day. A nap may be in order in the afternoon and other participants have been grateful they had a crock-pot meal or takeout planned for their dinner that night.  

2. Each session will include some order of these elements: a) a story b) studying God's Word c) an activity (e.g. body-oriented activities like art therapy, breathing, or journaling) and sometimes d) small group break-out sessions. 

3. Breakout sessions: There are a few times throughout the 6 weeks we will break up into smaller groups to discuss a question or two. You are never pushed to share anything personal if you don't want to and we will NOT break up into smaller groups our first week. 

4. To any ministry leader attending: As a ministry leader, you may be tempted to come in with an eye towards who else in your life needs this small group, the potential to give advice for others in the group, or even thoughts of how you'd lead the group. That's totally understandable. However, this group is for your own healing so I encourage you to set aside any of these distracting thoughts and fully enter into this experience focused solely on yourself. (We're not used to that!=) Towards the end of our time together, we'll begin to talk about some of the leadership lessons we learn along the way but, for now, I want this to really be a place where you can take off your pastor's wife or ministry leader hat and just be you - no expectations, nothing to prove, and no particular face to put on for others. 

 

A final word:

One question that is often asked is, "What if I just get overwhelmed emotionally?" 

 

This might happen. In this case, it is perfectly acceptable to turn your camera and sound off at any time to sit with your pain, to use the restroom, to just take a break if needed, etc. When you are ready to rejoin the group, turn your camera on. There's no judgment at all. Our first week is really a lot about emotions and one of the takeaways (spoiler alert) is that emotions MUST BE FELT in order to begin to heal. So, yes, it can be scary to feel uncomfortable emotions, but if you didn't feel anything at all this would be an indicator of needing deeper work. You are free to care for yourself as needed. (One tip: an ice pack is the number one way I suggest dealing with overwhelm. Especially in the case of panic attacks, place an ice pack on your chest and sit for 5 minutes. This resets your vagus nerve and will calm your body down naturally.) We will begin our time together with a few other practical tips on what to do if you feel increasing panic so you'll have the tools you need to help support yourself should overwhelm occur. 

 

That's it! I know it's a lot of information, but I hope it was all helpful. I am always available to you throughout our 7 weeks via email or text (714.920.0191). In fact, I suggest saving my number in your phone now so if you ever need it, you don't have to search your email inbox to find it! You are welcome to send questions to me at any point and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able.

 

See you soon!

Pastor Collece