I have been planning to run my course, Trauma Awareness & Care Training (TACT) for some time. Already piloted with churches in South Africa, it received excellent reviews, and is the perfect way to gain greater awareness of what trauma is, its effects, and how to help both self and others. People keep telling me what a useful and important course it is, and how needed it is, but with so much happening in my own life in caring for others in traumatic situations, it has been difficult to schedule!
 

You are Invited!

However, my plan is to get this running again as soon as possible and I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to be a participant. Here are answers to some of the basic questions about the course:

 

HOW LONG IS THE COURSE?
The course would run for 7/8 weeks, including the introduction, with one 2-hour session weekly.

WHAT'S INCLUDED?
It's not possible to mention everything covered in this email, but a brief list includes:
Identifying, recognising, relating to and normalising trauma symptoms

The Church & Trauma

Trauma in the Bible

PTSD & Complex PTSD (CPTSD)

Handling Troublesome Images

Trauma's effects on relationships marriage, sex, menopause, well-being

Trauma from spiritual abuse

The effects of trauma on faith

Believing in the face of trauma

Taking authority over the mind

Forgiveness - a different approach

Turning disadvantage to advantage

Helping others

What to say and not say, do and not do

A day in the life of a traumatised person - the overall journey
Therapies and self care

Moving forward to a better place

Also included are Empathy Exercises and Journalist for a Day, interactive activities to help you gain greater awareness and understanding, break-out groups for discussion, homework and extra help and motivation from an accountability buddy who will be from the group of participants. The course provides a safe space for learning, and is open to individuals and church groups.

 

APPLY:
If you would like to join the next course, please let me know as soon as possible. Participants may well be joining from different countries. Knowing who would like to join in plenty of time makes it easier to work out what is possible for sessions across various time zones!

 

COST:
This first course after the initial pilot will be approximately £280 for the entire course of a total of 14 hours over 7 or 8 weeks. The reading material for the course is my book, Surviving Trauma, Crisis & Grief which can be purchased on Amazon for £10.

 

WHY ARE YOU NOT CLEAR ON WHETHER IT WILL BE 7 OR 8 WEEKS?
Feedback from the pilot in South Africa means I may spread the content out to 8 weeks to allow more time in the sessions for greater small group interaction. If 7 weeks is preferred, content will be trimmed instead.
 

 

Michelle Simpson (D.Min)

 

Qualifications: Michelle has a doctorate in ministry, has trained in trauma counselling with Dr H Norman Wright, is certified in counselling skills and well researched, with profound insights and a deep awareness of trauma, survival and healing through extensive experience. Michelle is not a trained psychologist. The course is not personal counselling, although participants become more enlightened about their own experiences on the way. TACT empowers ordinary people as individuals and the Church to understand and deal with trauma more effectively, making information and awareness more accessible without the need for long and expensive training which is often impossible.

 

_{Posted: October 2026}