Key Ideas
The book by Aten Boan provides significant guidelines for effective planning and implementation of disaster missions. In part 4 of the book, the authors highlight several vital pre-planning strategies in cases of unprecedented occurrences (Aten & Boan, 2016). The first approach is a congregational preparedness plan, which entails having summarized data about the entire congregation to have information about the total number of people in the church, names, addresses, and telephone numbers.
The second integral point explored is establishing a member’s disaster mission and mobilizing the congregants to volunteer resources to help the community recover when an emergency strikes (Aten & Boan, 2016). In addition, creating a practical budget for reconstruction and risk assessments are steps that help ascertain the team’s preparedness. The last strategy is the execution of the plan, which also entails evacuation to safety and establishing a recovery plan to return everything to normalcy.
Part 5 elaborates on the relevance of disaster spiritual and emotional care in rescue operations. The first argument illustrated is that individuals who have encountered a traumatic experience may have psychological and emotional problems like anger and apathy (Aten & Boan, 2016). Spiritual issues such as questioning God and withdrawing from religious practices can also occur. Therefore, creating a transcendent and expressive care practice may ensure a holistic approach to promoting wellness.
Adverse experiences can occur at any place, such as learning institutions. Kolski and Berghuis’s prepositions are that trauma can happen in college when a sudden injury causes disability or death of friends. Stalking and kidnapping are other forms of harassment that can cause distress among students (Kolski & Berghuis, 2014). When working with such clients, the long-term goal is to restore pre-crisis functioning, behavior, and sense of safety. The authors also elaborate that therapeutic interventions may include reassuring students of their safety, providing literature on coping mechanisms, and remediation to lead a life of satisfaction.
The Impact
The reading underscores the essence of preparing for adversities beforehand. This concept has reminded me of the need to set a procedure in a counseling setting to respond to catastrophic events. This approach also elucidates the necessity for a clear mission focus in therapy when working with trauma clients. The reason is that the consequences of traumatic encounters are different for each person, meaning that the intervention must be aligned to the distinct problem.
Through this rationale, I have discovered the need for procedures or using a methodological approach to patients who have experienced tragic problems to ensure holistic healing. In addition, I gained insight into how the procedural approach promotes mindfulness among patients, and this helps them meditate upon their inner strengths. Such techniques champion healing by encouraging activities like relaxation and creative actions such as painting or joining a religious denomination.
The readings also promote the advantages of integrating spiritual intervention into counseling. This factor elaborates that the church must be ready to cater to the needs of its congregants when a crisis emerges through an inclusive mechanism geared towards fulfilling emotive and devout needs. Through such incorporation, I now understand the requisite to preach the word of God and his power to my trauma clients, as this restores peace and a sense of belonging. In addition, the publications provide the need for long-term goals in promoting recovery. The reason is that the trauma symptoms may linger long, indicating that the therapeutic approach must be consistent until the expected objective is met. This information has helped me learn the relevance of ongoing client support and develop an individualized approach to satisfy the victim’s needs.
Christian Worldview Integrations
Aten & Boan illustrate the requirement for churches to plan for help missions when an unexpected phenomenon occurs. This idea portrays the church as a community of disciples mandated to care for one another. The concept of discipleship is engraved in Christian theology and emphasizes the relevance of mutual support and service for one another. These principles elevate the reason for community engagement, servantship, and fellowship in creating solutions. The reason is that a collective response to issues eases the burden and suffering for the multidisciplinary team due to diverse skills and resilience capacity. Therefore, maintaining an active volunteer team can enhance rapid reaction to situations, resulting in significant impact and benefits.
The Bible also illustrates discipleship as a forum for empowerment whereby Christians can access the teachings of Jesus Christ to enable them to cope with breakdowns brought by challenges. One strategy for ensuring this commitment is supporting fellowship, an act of worship through communal associations to enhance faith. This activity helps individuals connect to their creator and bring fulfillment, which cannot be achieved through worldly encounters.
Aten and Boan (2016) project the essence of preparedness for unexpected situations, demonstrating Christ’s second coming. The reason is that not much can be established on the precise coming of the Messiah, which means that the loyalties must be ready in spirit and in truth to meet their Messiah when that time comes (Aten & Boan, 2016). All these precepts can guide a Christian counselor to be prepared anytime for uncalled-for situations that may defy scientific understanding, considering that integration of biblical aspects can simultaneously work together in supporting the needed change.
References
Aten, J. D., & Boan, D. M. (2016). Disaster Ministry Handbook. InterVarsity Press.
Kolski, T. D., & Berghuis, D. J. (2014). Chapter 16: School Trauma (College). In R. A, Myer (Ed.), The crisis counseling and traumatic events treatment planner, with DSM-5 updates. (pp 112-116). John Wiley & Sons.
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