Healing the Healers - Series 1:
Communal Trauma Testimonials

The Healing the Healers series of documentaries on the interfaith response to the shootings in Newtown, CT, are an invaluable resource in theological education. They delve into the lived experience of clergy on the ground, in a respectful, compelling, and informative way, which enables the future clergy to learn from those who have walked this path before. This window into the valley of the shadow of death is a sacred witness to both the pain and grace of being at the site of a disaster. Thank you, Odyssey, this is a resource I cannot recommend enough.

—The Rev. Dr. Storm Swain, Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Theology United Lutheran Seminary Gettysburg + Philadelphia

This series is phenomenal! Thank you for making it possible for us to hear these stories (and raw emotion) that we wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

—Calvin Theological Seminary Student

I really appreciated this resource in my training as a Pastor. And I appreciated the hope this series provided.

—Calvin Theological Seminary Student

This project is an exceptional resource for caregivers, faith communities, and theological education, and is long overdue. It provides deep insight into the pain incurred by pastors as they endeavor to care for the broken and wounded. This documentary gives pastors permission to hurt, cry, and seek healing for themselves.

—Dr. Danjuma Gibson, Associate Professor of Pastoral Care, Calvin Theological Seminary, Graduate Pastoral Care Class, Pilot screening Fall 2018

The conversation is touching, very real, intimate and offers the honest feelings of local clergy after a disaster. I think the presentation was enhanced by [the] short videos. I can see these videos in Seminary Power Points, Clergy support groups, counseling centers, disaster response, FEMA and clinical education.

—Rev. Dr. Willard Ashley, Sr., Vice President of Community Relations, Director of the Center for Clergy Care, Associate Professor of Practical Theology, New Brunswick Theological Seminary

It really hit me when the Pastor said, “We have to be brave enough to show we break, too.”

—Calvin Theological Seminary Student

Healing the Healers - Series 2:
Domestic Violence Testimonials

With the rise of domestic violence during the pandemic, this series meets an urgent need to break the silence about violence. Rev. Tawana Davis, herself a survivor, speaks with faith leaders who tell compelling stories from the heart of their faith about why and how they create safe sacred spaces that help victims become survivors. They witness to the power of connecting faith communities to wider networks that provide safe shelters and hold abusers accountable.

—Carrie Doehring, PhD, Clifford Baldridge Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Iliff School of Theology

This is an exceptional resource for caregivers, faith communities, and theological education, and is long overdue. It provides deep insight into the pain incurred by faith leaders as they endeavor to care for the broken and wounded.

—Dr. Danjuma Gibson, Associate Professor of Pastoral Care, Calvin Theological Seminary

For faith leaders who want to deepen their understanding and more adequately respond to the complex reality of domestic violence in their midst, Healing the Healers: Domestic Violence Series is an invaluable resource.

—Sally MacNichol, Former Executive Director, CONNECT – Safe Families, Peaceful Communities

As a police officer, a pastor, and a survivor of domestic violence, I believe it is crucial that faith leaders are equipped to respond to signs of violence, and to work together with community partners. Faith leaders are on the front lines of this crisis, and this film series moves us toward safety for all.

—Officer Bill Stanley, Cocoa Beach Police Department

Healing the Healers - Series 3:
Youth Mental Health Testimonials

We faith leaders must face these mental health concerns directly and honestly in order to help stop deaths by suicide, to provide appropriate pastoral care to those who experience a mental health crisis, and to support families who need encouragement, a listening ear, and clear direction to find best practices in mental health services in the church and community.

—Rev. Dr. Scott, Weimer, Pastor Emeritus, North Avenue Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, Georgia and Executive Director, JLW Foundation

The Chaplaincy Innovation Lab is grateful for this timely, accessible, and thought-provoking entry in the Healing the Healers series. By capturing compelling encounters among professionals, Odyssey Impact helps do the vital work of bridging the gap between spirituality and mental health, illustrating well why these two components integral to human flourishing must be considered jointly. With the enormous social interruptions created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, attention to the mental health of our communities’ youth is needed now more than ever.

—Michael Skaggs, Ph.D., Director of Programs, Chaplaincy Innovation Lab