The Paradox of Trauma and Growth in Pastoral and Spiritual Care

Mary Beth Werdel’s book is a truly stunning work for at least 3 reasons. First, she has included and presented an amazing breadth of material in a way that is essential for the helping professional yet accessible to a general readership. Secondly, she brings to the surface material from both contemporary psychological research and the spiritual literature so, no matter what your background, there is still important new material from which to learn. Finally, there is a sense of humility in how she approaches trauma through the metaphor of “night blooming”. This is most important because when you take knowledge and add humility, you open the door to honoring new wisdom. And, when you take this very wisdom and add it to compassion toward yourself and others, you get love…and such a love is at the heart of a full life—especially when walking through the nights of life by yourself or with others. Such wisdom is also a key element in developing a healthy perspective toward life. This is also important because, in the end, it is not so much the darkness in the world around us or even ourselves that matters. It is how we psychologically and spiritually stand in that darkness that ultimately determines how we are able to help make meaning of it for ourselves and others who have experienced trauma or serious stress.

Robert J. Wicks, Loyola University Maryland

-- Robert J. Wicks, Loyola University Maryland

Mary Beth Werdel has provided a vital resource toward the paradoxic complexity of trauma, yet directs the reader toward the potential growth hidden in the trauma itself. In exploring these vital paradoxes of trauma, the reader is provided a subtle but distinct guiding light(s) to comfort, sustain, and consolidate the path of renewal

-- William Schmidt, Loyola University Chi