Other Courses

Healing the wounds of the heart:
A small group for bible-based trauma healing.

The aim of the healing group is to help Christians and the local church to respond with compassion to those who are hurting in their communities and reconnect with God, others and themselves through the wisdom of scripture and proven mental health practices.

“Trauma is a deep wound of the heart and mind that takes a long time to heal. It hurts every part of us – how we relate to others, how our body feels, what we think about, as well as our ability to trust God. In short, it can leave us feeling separated from God and others.” - Healing the wounds of the heart.

  • Healing the wounds of the heart was designed by the Trauma Healing Institute in America to look at the Christian response to trauma. It is focused on helping the local church respond to hurting people in a way that is helpful, rather than harmful.

    A healing group meets together in a safe place where they can help each other heal.  Each group is led by facilitators from Christian Guidelines and the Bible Society of Northern Ireland who have been trained to support people and encourage them to learn how to talk about their pain and listen to the pain of others. It is gentle and interactive yet thought provoking and encourages self-reflection. 

    There are six core lessons that will be over the duration of the group.

    • If God loves us, why do we suffer?

    • What is a wound of the heart?

    • What can help our heart wounds heal?

    • What happens when someone is grieving?

    • Bringing our pain to the cross.

    • How can we forgive others? 

    The healing group is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. It is not group therapy and does not take the place of professional counselling.

  • Our next healing group will run in November 2026 over 4 consecutive Fridays (6th, 13th, 20th and 27th) from 10am until 1:00pm in the Christian Guidelines, West Street, Newtownards. Tea and coffee will be provided. 

    To partake in the course, we ask each participant to donate £25 to help cover the programme's running costs and course materials.

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