Beads of Healing

Healing from trauma begins with the courageous act of telling your story.

Yet many survivors of trauma are afraid to tell anyone about their deeply painful and personal experience(s). Trauma survivors often feel shame, guilt, fear, and anger. They may also carry deep spiritual wounds, such as feeling abandoned or punished by God. They may wonder how they can ever trust God.

In Beads of Healing, Kristen Vincent shares her story of childhood trauma and how she eventually found God's peace, healing, and wholeness. She tells how, over 35 years after the trauma, she encountered God as never before in the presence of a Christian community. In this setting where she felt safe and loved, and through the help of spiritual practices like scripture reading, prayer, group sharing, and reflection, she finally found the peace she had been seeking since age 7.

Vincent models how to name feelings of grief, anger, abandonment, shame, and fear. She gives readers ideas for ways to use prayer beads as a safe way to enter conversations with God, to talk honestly with their Creator, and open themselves to God's love.

This powerful story of one woman's journey to spiritual healing offers hope for all trauma survivors, as well as those who have experienced loss, hurt, or other spiritual wounds. Each chapter includes

1. a scripture passage that supports the chapter theme
2. truth-telling (the author talks about the chapter theme from her perspective)
3. reflection questions
4. a prayer bead experience
5. a listening focus (a line to repeat with your prayer beads)
6. an opportunity to check in with yourself before moving forward

NOTE: The author recommends that readers study this book with someone: a therapist, pastor, spiritual director, or support group. Beads of Healing features a Leader's Guide with an outline for 16 sessions, links to instructions for making prayer beads, and a guide to using prayer beads.

This book will be a valuable resource for pastors, counselors, and others who provide support for trauma survivors.

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.