Table Of ContentCOMPASSION AS A RESPONSE TO TRAUMA:
A NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING
SECONDARY TRAUMA AND THE COMPASSION PRACTICE
A Dissertation
presented to
the Faculty of
Claremont School of Theology
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Practical Theology
by
Karri Anne Backer
May 2018
Copyright © 2018 by Karri Anne Backer
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NT S C HOOL OF
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This dissertation completed by
Karri Anne Backer
has been presented to and accepted by the
faculty of Claremont School of Theology in
partial fulfillment of the requirements of the
Doctor of Philosophy
Faculty Committee
Dr. Frank Rogers, Jr., Chairperson
The Rev. Dr. Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook
Dr. Alane Daugherty
Dean of the Faculty
The Rev. Dr. Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook
May 2018
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ABSTRACT
COMPASSION AS A RESPONSE TO TRAUMA:
A NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING
SECONDARY TRAUMA AND THE COMPASSION PRACTICE
by
Karri Anne Backer
Persons who are called into areas of vocation that involve trauma exposure often feel the
negative effects of secondary trauma, which sometimes leads them to leave their work, paid or
volunteer. This is a problem because they then miss the opportunity to engage in a personal
“call” that defines who they are as a person, and which often play an important part of their
spiritual formation. In addition, it is a problem when we consider the important work they do,
and that within many Christian communities they understand this work to be work that is
prophetic work, and a way that God influences the world. It is a loss when this happens,
personally and communally, and important for faith communities to pay attention to and seek
ways to support these people. The Compassion Practice, a curriculum used to cultivate
compassion for self and others, inherently involves skills and teachings that are often used to
treat people with secondary trauma, and may be a way to support people who experience
secondary trauma.
This study looks at the stories, spirituality and experiences of people who have secondary
trauma and who engage in The Compassion Practice curriculum through narrative inquiry and a
participant action research approach. The researcher recruited 8 people to engage in an 8-week
program in which the participants completed a curriculum used to teach The Compassion
Practice, while also using a psycho-education approach to informing the individuals of secondary
trauma and how the practice might provide spiritual and emotional resources to provide relief
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from symptoms of secondary trauma. In addition, the researcher interviewed 4 of these
participants at the beginning of the group, right after the group ended, and two months after the
completion of the group, to learn their narratives and experiences with spirituality, secondary
trauma, and The Compassion Practice.
From the group and the data gathered the researcher was able to ascertain several findings
that are relevant to this group and their experiences. 1) Participants experienced The
Compassion Practice as a tool in helping them cope with secondary trauma, and for some The
Compassion Practice allowed them to experience a transformation in their experience of trauma
so that the trauma became a rich resource rather than a hindrance to their emotional, relational
and spiritual well-being, 2) Participants who chose vocations where trauma exposure was
inherent to the role, either because of the work itself or where the work was preformed,
articulated a rich spiritual and theological understanding of the presence of God within suffering
and their call to witness to the Sacred in these spaces, 3) For one participant in particular, her
understanding of God widened as her exposure to trauma increased, which brought her into
greater integration with her explicit theology prior to trauma exposure, and 4) Participants were
able to experience and articulate a curriculum that addresses secondary trauma through The
Compassion Practice that they believe would be helpful to others engaged in work that involves
trauma exposure. In addition to these findings, the researcher offers several personal narratives
from interviews with the participants that illustrate the dynamics of spirituality, secondary
trauma, vocation, and compassion cultivation, and considers the findings within a wider
theological and spiritual lens.
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Keywords
Secondary Trauma, The Compassion Practice, Spiritual Formation, Vocation, Post-Traumatic
Growth, Qualitative Research, Narrative Inquiry, Participant Action Research
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Dedication
I dedicate this work to my husband, Nick, and our daughter, Cali. Without Nick’s quiet
and constant love in the backdrop of my life for the last twenty years I cannot imagine where I
would be, but know without a doubt I would not have been able to even contemplate doing the
work I have been able to do with his presence alongside me. And, I would not have the gift of
our daughter Cali, whose light and love also join to offer encouragement and support, and to
remind me of the larger reality we are all working towards. I love you both, and thank you for so
much.
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Acknowledgements
My heart is so full of gratitude as I sit to write this that it is difficult to imagine
translating it to paper. But, I have to try.
Along with Nick and Cali, I thank my parents, Bonnie and Larry Backer, who support me
in so many ways, but specifically helped to care for Cali when she was just an infant so I could
begin graduate school, and, almost 15 years later, finish this PhD. I could rest and work
knowing she was loved and cared for, and am grateful for this.
I also feel blessed by the faculty and staff at Claremont School of Theology, and
especially for the Education and Formation department. I end my time with them restored and
well, grounded in my own education and formation, knowing that this journey has allowed me to
become more of who I believe God is calling me to be, in addition to developing and completing
research that I believe will help those God is calling us to pay attention to, those who are
practicing presence and love with those who suffer. That I could do this deep work,
academically rigorous and spiritually and emotionally demanding, and come out more whole is a
testament to who they are and the department they have cultivated. Thank you Frank, Andy,
Sheryl, and Najeeba. Thank you also to my colleagues in the spiritual formation department,
especially those with whom I will share graduation with this year, Kristin and Seth, in addition to
those who came before and those who will follow in the years to come. Your presence and work
has allowed me to flourish within our shared vision and compassionate relationships, which is
where the best work is done.
Thank you to my committee, Frank, Sheryl, and Alane. Your time and attention was
precious to me, and helped birth this 200+ page dissertation. I have benefited from your own
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work in the world, which has helped me develop my own. I have no adequate words for how
much your presence has meant to me.
I also wish to acknowledge the faith communities who supported and continue to support
me and the work I am called to do. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and School in Upland, who
raised me up for ordination and also cared for our daughter while I did this work; St. Paul’s
Episcopal Church in Pomona, who helped me to reach into my sacramental presence and also
allowed my research group to meet in its beautiful sanctuary to pray and talk and heal; St.
Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Fullerton and St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Corona,
who supported me as I planned and worked and, most importantly, as I wrote; and the Rev. Dr.
Sylvia Sweeney and all those at Bloy House who helped me to rest into my identity as a scholar.
I thank Bishop J. Jon Bruno, who was the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles when
I began, and Bishop John H. Taylor, who was the bishop when I finished. Both offered
encouragement, and Bishop Bruno supported my application to the Church Pension Group,
which allowed me to take time off from work to complete my qualifying exams, research, and
writing while the CPG made payments into my pension fund on my behalf. Thank you all.
I also thank all the people who helped with this research along the way, and the thesis
secretary, Debbie Ahlberg. I cannot imagine how you do all the work you do, and am grateful.
And, really most importantly, I want to thank the eight individuals who participated in
this research, and the four who stayed with me for extended interviews, research analysis, and
their own contributions. To just spend time with you and your lives was a blessing, and to know
that this research is done with you all at the center is to know it will be a blessing to others.
Thank you.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 12
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Background of Problem ................................................................................................................................................... 13
Personal Experiences .................................................................................................................................................. 13
Theoretical Groundings ............................................................................................................................................. 15
Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................................................... 19
Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................................................................... 20
Research Questions ........................................................................................................................................................... 20
Hypothesis ............................................................................................................................................................................ 21
Significance of the Study ................................................................................................................................................. 21
Research Approach ........................................................................................................................................................... 22
Assumptions, Delimitations, and Limitations ........................................................................................................ 24
Assumptions ................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Limitations ....................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Reflexive Statement of Research and Personal Stance ...................................................................................... 26
Definition of Terms ........................................................................................................................................................... 28
Chapter Two: Literature Review ................................................................................................. 32
Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................ 32
Trauma ................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Secondary Trauma ............................................................................................................................................................ 42
Spiritual Formation ........................................................................................................................................................... 57
Pastoral and Practical Theology .................................................................................................................................. 66
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................. 70
Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................................ 72
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 72
Rationale for Qualitative Research Design ............................................................................................................. 72
Rationale for Methodologies: Narrative and Participant Action Research .............................................. 78
The Research Sample ....................................................................................................................................................... 82
Information Needed to Conduct Study ..................................................................................................................... 87
Overview of Research Design ....................................................................................................................................... 88
Literature Review .............................................................................................................................................................. 95
IRB Approval ........................................................................................................................................................................ 95
Chapter Four: Narratives of ST, Spirituality, and The Compassion Practice ................ 97
David ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 97
Lisa ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 110
Linda ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 128
Stefanie ................................................................................................................................................................................ 141
Chapter Five: Findings .................................................................................................................. 155
Finding 1 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 156
Finding 2 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 159
Finding 3 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 163
Finding 4 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 176
Interpretation ................................................................................................................................................................... 180
Chapter 6: Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 182
Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................................... 183
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