Professional Dissertations DMin

A Theosomatic Treatment Program for Healing the Wounds of Trauma in Rwanda

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Bruce L. Bauer

Second Advisor

L. Ann Hamel

Third Advisor

James J. North, Jr.

Abstract

Problem

Fourteen years after the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the people of Rwanda are making collective efforts to recover and heal from what happened. However, many Rwandan survivors are still coping with the genocidal trauma. Given the limited mental health resources of the country, it is practically impossible to meet all the needs of the traumatized. There is, therefore, a pressing need for an inner healing program and more trained therapists to heal the wounds of trauma in Rwanda, for unresolved trauma can be transmitted across generations.

Method

The method used to complete this project was to look at the current literature and information on-line related to the problem. Books, articles, encyclopedias, Scriptures, movies on pastoral counseling, and strategies to develop an effective trauma treatment program were reviewed. Sessions including lectures, training of pastors, small groups for sharing personal traumatic experiences and discussions were developed. Factors contributing to the ethnic Rwandan divisions and the genocide were also investigated.

Results

A theosomatic treatment program was selected and developed as a treatment program to contribute to the emotional healing for the people of Rwanda. This program will emphasize six major phases which are discussed in chapter four of this project.

Conclusion

The theosomatic treatment program developed in this work will help me and the therapists trainees to develop skills for inner healing. It will provide strategies for pastors to train and equip other pastors or church laymen to be used to help others find emotional healing. It will help the Rwandan Union Mission and the country in general to decrease the number of traumatized people and will facilitate reconciliation and social reconstruction.

Subject Area

Genocide--Rwanda; Rwanda--History--Civil War, 1994--Atrocities; Massacres--Rwanda; Genocide survivors--Rwanda--Counseling of

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dmin/609

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