ADC407: Trauma and Recovery

Instructor & Contact Information

The People tab in Canvas provides information on the course instructor and you can  send a message to your instructor following these instructions. Faculty are expected to: 1) grade and return assignments, with feedback, within 7 days from the date of submission; 2) reply to your Canvas messages within 72 hours; 3) reply several times each week in total in the discussion forums (not to each individual student); and 4) demonstrate the core values of City Vision University.

Course Description

This course  presents a biblical view of trauma, suffering, and healing.   It also covers how to provide Christian counseling to those who have experienced trauma. The course will cover individual differences in response to trauma, factors that affect these differences, symptoms and various types of trauma.  Theories and types of trauma, assessment of trauma, steps of trauma counseling including: establishing safety, processing trauma and resolution are also included. 

The course also examines the connection between trauma and addiction, and how this relates to a need for a trauma-informed recovery approach. Personal application is provided in examining effects of secondary trauma. Students will briefly examine their own level of personal trauma, current level of healing, and next steps needed to address any lingering effects of personal trauma.

Course Outcomes

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the Biblical view of pain, suffering, trauma, and healing.
2. Assess individual differences in response to trauma, as well as factors including resilience, culture, and environmental factors that affect these differences.
3. Describe symptoms of various types of trauma and trauma related disorders and the process of assessing these symptoms.
4. Explain various theories of trauma and trauma-related disorders as well as how these disorders are assessed and treated.
5. Analyze the connection between trauma and addiction, and the importance of a trauma informed approach for recovery.
6. Explain the impact of personal trauma, current level of personal healing, and next steps for working through personal trauma history.

Degree Program Outcomes

Degree outcomes are the overall skills and knowledge we expect you will have after successfully completing a degree program at City Vision University. This course supports the following program outcomes, marked with an asterisk (*). After completing the degree, you will be able to do the following in each of the listed domains:

1. Christian Integration. Integrate Christian principles and counseling theories in an ethical manner in both Christian and secular counseling environments.*
2. Certification Exam Prep. Identify the key concepts needed to take a licensure exam either to apply to be a peer support specialist or certified addiction counselor.
3. Case Management. Develop case management plans to help clients identify areas where they need help and connecting them with personal and community resources that will help them.
4. Chemical Dependency. Describe foundational concepts of chemical dependency including a range of psychoactive drugs and how they work.
5. Psychology. Describe the foundational concepts of psychology and apply that in both Christian and secular counseling environments.
6. Clinical Counseling Skills. Utilize foundational skills for clinical addiction counseling.
7. Multicultural Counseling. Utilize effective methods to counsel diverse clients in both Christian and secular counseling environments.
8. Specialized Skills. Apply knowledge and skills in specialized domains related to Addiction Counseling.*

Required Texts

Students are required to purchase these texts before the first day of classes. 

• Gingrich, H. D. (2020). Restoring the shattered self: A Christian counselor’s guide to complex trauma (2nd ed.). IVP Academic.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Trauma-informed care in behavioral health services. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 57. SAMHSA. This is a free PDF.

Guidelines for Written Work

All written work must follow our Writing Format and Forum Requirements. You must read these to understand how to cite sources appropriately.

Critical Policies to Read for This Course

Note: These policies are critical for all students to read. In case of change, we have linked to the versions on our website to make sure you have the latest version.

• Grading Scale 

• Deadlines to Drop Courses

• Attendance, Late Policy and Extensions

• Technology Requirements for Courses

• Standards of Academic Integrity & Plagiarism Policy

• What plagiarism is and how to avoid it 

• Credit Hour Policy, Grading Policy and Other Academic Policies

• ADA Policy, Learning Accommodations & Disabilities Services
• Student Code of Conduct 

• Library Services

Additional Policies:

• Privacy Policy

• Consumer Disclosures
• Additional policies are listed in our catalog

This syllabus is subject to change without notice up until the first day of the semester. Last updated: August 23, 2023