Module 7 — Psychology of Victims: Trauma, Accompaniment, Healing and Reconciliation

Week 7 of the Certificate Programme in Freedom of Religion or Belief · 10 notional learning hours.

Introduces the psychology of victims of religious-based violence and discrimination, equips participants for safe first-line psychosocial accompaniment within the limits of their role, and explores faith-based and communal pathways to healing and reconciliation.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module you will be able to:

• Recognise common psychological responses to religious persecution and trauma
• Apply principles of psychological first aid and trauma-informed, do-no-harm accompaniment
• Identify when and how to refer to qualified mental-health and legal professionals
• Draw on faith and community resources for healing and reconciliation

Key topics

• Trauma and its effects: acute stress, PTSD, grief, shame; collective and intergenerational trauma
• Displaced persons and refugees, women and children, converts, survivors of extremist violence
• Psychological first aid; active listening that does not re-traumatise; safeguarding and boundaries
• Faith communities: ritual, lament, solidarity and meaning-making
• Reconciliation: forgiveness and its limits, truth-telling, memory; African restorative traditions
• Caring for the carer: vicarious trauma, supervision and self-care

How this course is delivered

• A live session (90–120 minutes) on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, with a subject lead
• An interfaith panel addressing the theme from several traditions
• Recorded micro-lectures, readings and resources you can download (low-bandwidth friendly)
• A practical assessment activity

You can take this module on its own, or follow all eight modules through the full Certificate Programme.