Description

This workshop will explore the power that lies where hurt and hope intersect. All of us experience trauma or adversity at some point in our lives, and we also find sources of support, meaning, and purpose that helps us get through. Even when we carry historical and intergenerational trauma in our bodies, we also carry the generations of surviving and thriving. How do we hold these experiences together in a way that is life-giving? We’ll talk with each other about the science of trauma and resilience, the impact of experiences of both adversity and hope on the whole person, and how churches can be places of healing, protection, and transformation for their members and for their communities.

Workshop Leadership

Rev. Dr. Kirsten Peachey, MSW, MDiv., DMin. is the Director of Faith and Health Partnerships for Advocate Aurora Health (AAH) where she supports the role of faith communities in promoting the health of their members and the communities they serve. She oversees the Faith Community Nurse Program, initiatives on faith and mental health, and the work of staff engaging with faith communities across the AAH system. Ordained in the United Church of Christ, Kirsten holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry in faith and health from the Chicago Theological Seminary. She lives in Oak Park with her partner and their son.

Amy McNicholas is an LCPC, she currently works as the Faith and Mental Health Specialist at Advocate Aurora Health, supporting faith-based communities in the region around issues of mental health. Amy received her master’s degree in counseling psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor who, for the past 6 years, has specialized in working with children, adults, and families coping with trauma and death. Amy has provided clinical consultation, training, advocacy, and education to medical teams, schools, and community agencies throughout the Chicagoland area. In addition, Amy founded a successful non- profit foundation focused on changing the landscape of pediatric brain tumor research through funding, advocacy, and awareness.