Summary:
We have all heard the nursery rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It is a lie. The Bible says that words harm people and that reckless words pierce like a sword. Current research agrees that emotional abuse can harm a person’s mental health in many ways. However, the Christian community has been slow to recognize and validate the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual impact of emotional abuse. A black eye or fractured arm can be obvious evidence of something very wrong, but a broken spirit is more difficult to detect but every bit as real and painful. In this workshop, licensed mental health professionals, medical professionals, and ministry leaders will learn how to identify emotional abuse and the damage it does to the individual and the relationship. This workshop will answer the following questions that many clinicians and ministry leaders have: Where is the line crossed? Do I stay neutral? What is the treatment protocol to rebuild emotional safety and trust? What if the abuser is unwilling to get help or change?
ASWB, NBCC, IBCC, Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling