This program originally took place in the fall of 2025. Video recordings of all three sessions of the program, as well as resources, are available by registering here. This program will become available for public viewing free-of-charge in September 2026.
Program Date: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025; 3:00 PM -5:00 PM ET
Presenters: Rev. Rob McChesney, SJ (view bio); Dr. Lisa López Levers (view bio)
This three-session program is for Ignatian spiritual directors, supervisors and givers of the Spiritual Exercises who seek to grow their understanding, capacity, and skills to accompany trauma survivors and those who love them.
Grounded in Jesuit Fr. Rob McChesney’s pioneering new book The Soul Also Keeps the Score: A Trauma-Informed Companion to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, the series explores the origin story of St. Ignatius through the lens of contemporary trauma theory; identifies concrete tools that are central to Ignatian spirituality; and highlights the trauma-informed significance of the Exercises’ “three powers of the soul” – memory, intellect, and will.
Session Three focuses on the basics of trauma from a psychological perspective, with insights from recent brain science. Symptoms of traumatic injury such as shame and sorrow are explored from the perspectives of mental health and Ignatian spirituality. Fr. McChesney is joined by distinguished trauma counselor and author Dr. Lisa López Levers.
Recommended reading for Session 3: Foreword, Chapter 5 and Epilogue of The Soul Also Keeps the Score: A Trauma-Informed Companion to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius by Fr. Robert McChesney, SJ.
All sessions include time for Q&A.
Click here for full description of program and to register.
All registrants will receive a link to view the video recordings of all sessions in the series.