Invisible Wounds: Healing from What No One Else Can See

What do you do when someone sitting across from you is hurting-but you can't see the wound?A church leader may be the first person someone trusts enough to tell the truth. But ministers, elders, and other church leaders are not therapists, and they don't need to become therapists to make a profound difference.Invisible Wounds is a practical, compassionate guide for Christian leaders who want to recognize emotional and mental-health struggles, respond wisely, and know when professional help is needed.Drawing on nearly three decades of clinical experience, Paul Greene explores the hidden wounds of anxiety, depression, trauma, shame, grief, family dysfunction, and the patterns that can keep people from healing. Along the way, he explains what church leaders may see, what they should-and should not-try to do, and how to create the kind of safe environment where people can begin to tell their stories.This book does not ask you to choose between faith and professional care.Prayer matters. Faith matters. Community matters. Professional care matters.They can work together.Invisible Wounds also addresses the questions church leaders often face but may never have been taught how to answer: - How do I recognize when someone may need professional help?- What should I say-and what should I avoid saying?- When does pastoral care need to become a referral?- How can I respond to trauma without causing further harm?- What does depression or anxiety actually look like?- How can I help someone who is hiding behind a mask?- How do shame, guilt, grief, and lament affect healing?- How can faith become part of healing without becoming a substitute for appropriate care?You don't have to have all the answers.You don't have to fix people.Sometimes the greatest gift you can give another person is a safe place to tell the truth.And when people are respected, loved, and empowered, they can do amazing things.