From Wounds to Wisdom: Recovery & Resurrection
February Newsletter: You deserve more than exhaustion. Acknowledge what drives you, the need for inner work, and join others in a Lenten journey closed Soul Care group.
“God of the night,
We confess that we have chosen exhaustion over dreaming. We have been tricked and indoctrinated into systems of dehumanization that allow the most vulnerable to work far more than their bodies ever should. We have set up an economy that demands we sacrifice ourselves at the altars of productivity and utility, that says we won't survive without our overwork. We have traded our own peace, our communion with our own interior landscapes, for the frenzied noise of an exhausted world. Even as we sense our own desperation for rest, we have still demanded exhaustion from those in our midst, welcoming them into the same chains that bind us.
Forgive us. And have mercy on our weary souls, that we would locate the holy quiet, the divine lullaby that whispers within each of us, You've given enough; you are worthy of rest. Amen.
BREATHE PRAYER
INHALE: I deserve more than exhaustion.
EXHALE: I return home to myself.
INHALE: May I rest,
EXHALE: that I might dream.
INHALE: I've given enough.
EXHALE: I choose rest.”
FROM: Cole Arthur Riley's new book, Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human
Upcoming Soul Care for Wounded Healer Events
Thur, Jan 25th, 10:30-11am PST: Contemplative Silent Meditation
Tues Feb 6th, 10-11am PST; Open Soul Care Group
From Wounds to Wisdom: Recovery & Resurrection Closed Soul Care Group Sessions:
Tuesdays: Feb 20th - April 9th, 10-11am PST
Guided Weekly Online Group: Limited to 12 participants. You will be placed in triads to share together after being led through a guided practice and reflection.
Sign up by 2/9!
Whether your addiction is to help others, to be busy, or to the adrenaline of the next thing, in silence and guided meditations, in group discussions and personal reflection, you will be invited to explore your motivations and the wounds that drive you. Material weaves together: Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, Lectio Divina, guided imaginative exercises, somatic practices, and reflection questions.
I offered a version of this last year, so some although it may be familiar, I invite you to reflect and deepen your journey.
It is geared for helping professionals, ministry workers, crisis workers, etc, but all are welcome.
Recovery is best done in community.
Self-guided is available to all through Substack paid subscription weekly newsletter. Yet, if you have a small group of folks you meet with, I highly recommend committing to gather together every other week to connect and share. I offer a group spiritual direction framework in this recent newsletter:
Week 2: Recovery Requires Community
“Recovery can take place only within the context of relationships; it cannot occur in isolation... Just as no survivor can recover alone, no therapist can work with trauma alone...The work of recovery requires a secure and reliable support system for the therapist.”[i] ~ Judith Herman
I also recommend having read and engaged with the material of From Burned Out to Beloved: Soul Care for Wounded Healers prior to this material. It will create a solid foundation for going deeper and shared terminology.
Weekly Journal Prompts & Practices
Each week there will be journal prompts as well as practices or poems for meditation. Set aside around thirty minutes a week for journaling and perhaps another thirty for meditating on a poem or engaging in a practice. You are welcome to choose the questions that are salient for you, that spark something in you. You do not need to do all the questions--they are offerings to choose from.
Substack Newsletter
The Wounds for Wisdom and other weekly newsletters are for paid members, $5/month to protect for copyright, so upgrade or let me know if finances an issue and I’ll comp you.
RESOURCES
BURNOUT & RECOVERY RESOURCE LIST (Hay varias en Español también)
List includes: spiritual director search sites, counseling cooperatives, trainings, cohorts, apps, as well as some of the resources I use in my soul care groups.
If you have recommendations, I'd love to hear about them!
Recent Article: I was invited to write an article for Bold Journey, check it out here: https://boldjourney.com/news/meet-bethany-dearborn-hiser/
INSIGHT TIMER GUIDED MEDITATIONS:
Follow me on Insight Timer to be notified when new meditations are posted.
I’ve recorded some of my soul care group meditations for your listening and prayerful contemplation on-the-go! I welcome your rating and sharing of the meditations.
SOUL CARE FOR WOUNDED HEALER: CUSTOMIZED NON-PROFIT WORKSHOPS
Based on the book, From Burned Out to Beloved, workshops integrate discussion questions, grounding activities, trauma research, recovery tools, contemplative practices, and other spiritual disciplines. They seek to improve the overall well-being of individuals, enhance organizational culture, and improve sustainability and effectiveness in work.
Workshop topics can be combined or tailored specifically for your group. Contact me to start the conversation.
Bethany Dearborn Hiser is the Director of Soul Care for Northwest Family Life, a network of therapists trained to work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual trauma.
She is the author of From Burned Out to Beloved: Soul Care for Wounded Healers. For more about her, her book, or workshops she offers, visit: