Beads of Healing: Prayer, Trauma, and Spiritual Wholeness

The first step in healing from trauma begins with telling one's story. Many people are afraid to tell the story of their trauma; they may feel they can't even share their story with God. Survivors often carry deep spiritual wounds--thinking the trauma was God's punishment or that God abandoned them. They may wonder how they can ever trust a God who allowed something so awful to happen. Kristen Vincent shares her personal story of childhood trauma and how Protestant prayer beads helped her find spiritual and emotional healing. In sharing her own story, she models how to name feelings of grief, shame, and anger and engage in honest conversations with God. Once trauma survivors have named their feelings and learned to talk frankly with God, they can begin to hear God's words of healing and love. Beads of Healing offers practical ways for readers to use prayer beads to enter conversations with God, stay focused when their minds begin to wander, and sense God's presence.