MECC Implements a New Session
of the “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling” Program in Syria
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6: 31)
Amidst a world burdened by wars and crises that are also casting a shadow over the Middle East, Eastern people suffer from many daily challenges and life pressures that may negatively affect their mental health. Therefore, psychological and spiritual support has become essential to help the most vulnerable people to overcome the difficulties and troubles that reduce their usual activity.
In this context, the Theological and Ecumenical Department at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) implemented a new session of the “Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling” program in Syria, under the title “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6: 31), over the course of five days, between 29 January and 1 February 2024, in Al-Naama Center, Al-Mishtaya, Western Homs Countryside.
Participants were a group of 25 people and are Churches’ ministers and their assistants, both consecrated and lay people, who lived harsh experiences due to the various crises and difficult conditions that the region is suffering from, or who are accompanying, in their turn, people who have experienced trauma in their lives. They came from several regions such as Latakia, Tartous, Homs, and Hama.
This session included times of Prayer and meditation, group participation meetings, as well as individual spiritual and psychological counseling sessions, in addition to recreational periods and religious tourism activities. The participants were also accompanied by a team of Fathers spiritual guides, and specialized psychologists with experience in this field.
It is worth mentioning that this program is being implemented by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in various countries of the Middle East, as it aims to support Churches’ workers and activists on a personal level, and to support them psychologically and spiritually so that they can complete their mission and perform their tasks in a better way.
