Why Pursue a Trauma Certificate?
The Trauma Certificate offers trauma-informed training for mental health and humanitarian aid professionals from a Christian worldview.
The nine-credit graduate Trauma Certificate equips practitioners to work with individuals who have been impacted by a wide array of traumatic experiences on a global scale.
The Trauma Certificate may be pursued by current students and alumni of the School of Psychology, Counseling, and Family therapy and the Humanitarian Disaster Leadership graduate programs. Additionally, currently-practicing providers in mental health related disciplines, pastors providing counseling and care, and humanitarian aid professionals are encouraged to consider adding this valuable Trauma Certificate to their credentials.*
Overall, this certificate program will help prepare Christian professionals to provide care to a hurting world in service of Christ and His Kingdom and the global church.
* non-Wheaton student enrollees must have at least a master's-level education to pursue the Trauma Certificate.
Coming in March 2025
Freedom to Heal: A Christian Clinician's Guide to Treating Child Sexual Abuse
by Tammy Schultz, Hannah Estabrook, and Adam David Dell
Information on this book from the publisher.
Questions about the Trauma Certificate?
We have all the information you need to answer your questions about the Trauma Certificate.
Trauma Certificate Requirements
An introduction to interpersonal trauma, crisis counseling, and models of resiliency. Emphasis on providing evidence-based clinical interventions in interpersonal trauma and crisis situations, including emergencies requiring advocacy, intervention, and support. Topics addressed include sexual trauma, domestic violence, vicarious trauma, psychological first aid, suicide prevention models, and community based prevention and intervention strategies. Counselors’ roles and responsibilities during crises and counselor self-care strategies will be explored. (3 credits)
*Please note that each course description provides only a few examples of what will be covered in each class. Overall, the certificate curriculum will introduce students to a wide range of diverse trauma treatment approaches, modalities, and interventions. Each course will provide in-depth clinical application and examples. For each approach, students will also examine both the possible strengths and limitations of current trauma treatments and learn how to critically evaluate interventions from an evidence-based and integrative perspective.
This course covers advanced assessment and therapy skills related to trauma-related sequelae. The emphasis of the course will center on the development of skills in conducting evidence based practice including trauma assessments, phase-oriented treatment models, neurobiology of trauma sequelae, as well as clinical insights, case studies, and a systematic review of numerous evidence-based psychotherapy approaches such as: Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Written Exposure Therapy, and Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Students will be exposed to therapy considerations in the selection of particular trauma-informed approaches in addition to clinical considerations related to therapy with clients who have co-morbid disorders. Additionally, students will be introduced to key ingredients in evidence-based therapies and will both learn and demonstrate essential therapy skills inherent to many evidence-based approaches to PTSD (e.g. clinical explanation of PTSD to include potential costs of avoidance, informed consent regarding range of possible treatment options, relaxation exercises).. (3 credits) (Prerequisites: TRMA 632)
*Please note that each course description provides only a few examples of what will be covered in each class. Overall, the certificate curriculum will introduce students to a wide range of diverse trauma treatment approaches, modalities, and interventions. Each course will provide in-depth clinical application and examples. For each approach, students will also examine both the possible strengths and limitations of current trauma treatments and learn how to critically evaluate interventions from an evidence-based and integrative perspective.
This course is designed for clinicians and presents an overview of evidence-based and informed psychosocial care and mental health interventions for disaster and trauma survivors. The course will explore topics such as cognitive, affective, behavioral, and neurological effects associated with trauma; brief, intermediate, and long-term care approaches; assessment strategies for intervention for individuals affected by crises, emergency, or disaster. Human suffering of mental illnesses will be examined through a biblical lens, and students will have the chance to analyze and facilitate evidence-based interventions with a culturally-informed perspective. (3 credits)
*Please note that each course description provides only a few examples of what will be covered in each class. Overall, the certificate curriculum will introduce students to a wide range of diverse trauma treatment approaches, modalities, and interventions. Each course will provide in-depth clinical application and examples. For each approach, students will also examine both the possible strengths and limitations of current trauma treatments and learn how to critically evaluate interventions from an evidence-based and integrative perspective.
/prod02/channel_1/media/humanitarian-disaster-institute/Disaster-rubble-2-760X507.jpg)
Because trauma-informed care is one of the most necessary components of humanitarian and disaster response, the School of Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy has partnered with the Humanitarian Disaster Institute's (HDI) M.A. in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership (HDL) to offer the Trauma Certificate in a specialized track specifically tailored to humanitarian and disaster responders.
Class Offerings
2025
(Specific information regarding synchronous and asynchronous portions of the class will be indicated in the syllabus)
Spring 2025: On-Campus - TRMA 632 - Intro to Trauma & Crisis Counseling (3)
Instructor: Dr. Tammy Schultz
Spring, 15-week On-campus: Course Start Date: Monday- 01/13/25
Course End Date: Friday - 05/08/25
Spring 2025: Hybrid - TRMA 635 - Advanced Trauma-Focused Assessment & Intervention (3)
Instructor: Dr. Adam Dell
Spring, 8-week Hybrid: Hybrid Intensive - Course Start Date: 01/09/25-01/11/2025, 9-5PM CST (3 days, on-campus, synchronous). 7 weeks online (asynchronous) following hybrid intensive dates. Course End date: 03/07/25
Summer 2025: Hybrid - TRMA 652 - Disaster, Crisis, & Trauma Intervention (3)
Instructor: Dr. Jordan Snyder
Summer, 8-week Hybrid: Hybrid Intensive - Course Start Date: 05/19/25-07/12/25. Intensive, in-person dates: 05/20/25-05/21/25, 8:30-5:30 PM CST (2 days, on-campus, synchronous). 7 weeks online (asynchronous) following hybrid intensive dates. Course End Date: 7/12/2025
Online Class Offerings
(all asynchronous)
2024
FALL 2024: Online - TRMA 632 Intro to Trauma & Crisis Counseling (3)
Instructor: Dr. Tammy Schultz
Fall semester, 15-week online: Course Start Date: Thursday - 08/29/24
Course End Date: Thursday - 12/12/24
2025
SPRING 2025: Online - TRMA 635 Advanced Trauma-Focused Assessment & Intervention (3)
Instructor: Dr. Adam Dell
Spring semester, 15-week online: Course Start Date: 01/13/25. Course End Date: 05/08/25
SUMMER 2025: Online - TRMA 652 Disaster, Crisis, & Trauma Intervention (3)
Instructor: Dr. Jordan Snyder
Summer, 10-week online: Course Start Date: 05/19/24. Course End Date: 08/03/2025. First week of course is pre-course reading: 5/19/25-5/25/25
