“The reality of trauma is that it’s a perceived experience where we feel like the tools that we have, to cope with what we have experienced, have been exhausted … so those experiences and meaning made get stuck in our bodies.” So says Lisa Cuss, therapist and wife of Steve Cuss, on this episode of Being Human. Lisa and Steve talk about the ways trauma lodges inside of us, bodily techniques for processing difficult experiences, and what it means to understand God as the ultimate healer. They dig deeper into systems theory, discuss how theology and psychology can integrate, and share stories from their early marriage. Lisa explains the dangers of spiritualizing our experiences and what it may look like to invite God into them instead. They talk about times in their lives when they experienced deep grief and how they learned to accept care and compassion rather than only being the ones to share it with others. Tune in for a conversation that gets right to the heart of the matter of what it is to be—and to feel—human. Resources mentioned in this episode include:
- Bowen family systems theory
- EMDR
- “It Is Well With My Soul” by Horatio G. Spafford
“Being Human with Steve Cuss” is a production of Christianity Today Executive Produced by Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper Produced and Edited by Matt Stevens Associate Producers: McKenzie Hill, Raed Gilliam, and Abby Perry Theme song by Dan Phelps Original Music by Andy Gullahorn Mix Engineer: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Amy Jones
