Michele Smith, LFMT, PhD
Michele Smith received a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy/Child and Family Development from the University of Georgia and completed a doctoral internship in the Family Medicine Residency at Duke University, completing research in pediatric oncology and family effects. She has worked as behavioral health faculty in FM residency programs at Emory University, the University of California, San Diego, and currently at Wellstar Health System in Atlanta, Georgia where she provides trauma-responsive training for physicians. Dr. Smith also taught in MFT programs at the University of San Diego, CA, and Mercer University, Macon, GA. Her work focuses on trauma recovery along with the treatment of anxiety, depression, life disruption/transitions, and the effects of health conditions on individual/family roles and expectations.
When Pain Spills Over: Being a Trauma-Responsive Church
We’ve all seen it. People who have challenges in relationships. Maybe they respond too strongly to a comment. Or come off as rigid, inflexible or untrusting. Perhaps they are disconnected, or overly connected, or have difficulty feeling connected. Trauma is a heavy burden to carry, and most of the time, those who are carrying it did not have it placed on them willingly, but found it thrust upon them. Estimates set the number of people in congregations who have experienced some kind of trauma at between 40 and 70%. This means that many in our congregations are dealing with experiences that makes certain interactions difficult. Being effective ministry leaders, professionals, disciples, and friends means recognizing the signs and being willing to respond appropriately. This presentation will highlight some ways our churches can be more trauma-responsive and create environments where it is safe to have meaningful conversations about hard things – those that happen in families, in our communities, in our country and our world.