During the spring 2026 semester, the CSHB hosted Dr. Jamie Aten (Wheaton College, Humanitarian Disaster Institute) to provide faculty research training in Design Thinking and to discuss what spiritually oriented clinical and community interventions for mass trauma look like. This blog discusses a few standout points from his second presentation. To view the entire talk, click here, but for now, keep reading to learn a little bit about the practical ways professionals can care for those enduring mass trauma. A story he shared illustrates the wisdom in the talk:
Dr. Aten and a few of his students were asked to come work after Hurricane Harvey. Soon after their arrival, he and his students took time to walk through the streets and look at the immense piles of debris outside of people’s homes. Entire lives were strewn across the pavement due to the disaster. However, when they reached a home with no debris, they paused. Was this a sign that help wasn’t needed? Though one possibility, they quickly realized it was because there was such an overwhelming amount of debris (and need) that the man living within had not been able to begin the debris removal process.
Dr. Aten and his students began talking to the gentleman, and he shared the status of his insurance, how, as a result, he had lost his life savings, and that he had no idea what to do or where to turn. He continued his list of troubles, and as he did so, Dr. Aten and his students began thinking of ways they could help this man tangibly. They bring up any possible family or friends, places to stay, getting fed, among other things, and it just seemed like even though they kept trying to find ways to support this man, nothing was being received. After a while of this, Dr. Aten stepped back and realized that he had yet to ask the man what he thought he might need right now. He replied that what he needed most in that moment was help finding his dog. He shared that this dog was a parting gift from his late wife and that the dog was his only friend. It was only after measures were taken to locate his dog that he was willing to accept aid from Dr. Aten and his team to meet his immediate physical needs. To this hurting gentleman, in his mind, his most pressing need was finding and being reunited with his dog.
This story stresses the importance of assessing situations and listening well to people enduring mass trauma: what an outsider thinks is needed may not match the most pressing felt need of those amid suffering. Dr. Aten emphasized how crucial it is for mental health professionals and researchers alike to be qualified, competent, and trained to the best of their ability in caring for others. That said, with all the education and experience that come with the role, the simple, small needs that weigh a great deal may be accidentally overlooked.
“We’re not just the hands and feet of Christ, but we’re also the ears and shoulders.”
-Dr. Aten
Various treatments and interventions can be incredibly impactful, but what Dr. Aten really drove home is that so can the act of showing up. To this point, Dr. Aten included some recent stats on who victims of mass trauma first reach out to in crisis. The first and second on the list were much as anyone expected: might assume, family, friends, and church members or clergy. Mental health professionals placed twelfth. Twelfth! What does this communicate? Most of the time, in the throes of a crisis, people need others they already know and are in a relationship with to come alongside them. As mental health professionals respond, they do so within established networks and with a focus on humility and listening well.
Often, our traditional models of care can’t keep up with the immediate needs of a community experiencing mass trauma. We can get so caught up in the big things that WE define as most important or needed in crisis, traumatic, or hard situations. Still, if we took the time to humble ourselves and really lean into the pain, we might find that the most immediate need is for comfort, care, and emotional safety.
Conclusion
Ultimately, caring for those experiencing mass trauma requires humility, presence, and a willingness to listen. By setting aside assumptions and responding to the needs people themselves identify, professionals can offer care that is both meaningful and effective. Sometimes, the most powerful intervention is simply showing up and meeting someone where they are.
