Two Languages, One Voice:
The Trauma-Informed Spiritual Exercises
A Three-Part Virtual Series for Ignatian Spiritual Directors
and Givers of the Spiritual Exercises
September 11, 2025
October 9, 2025
November 13, 2025
Program Presenter
Rev. Robert W. McChesney, SJ (click here for bio)
Sessions
Session 1: Sept. 11, 2025 (3pm-5pm ET)
Session 2: Oct. 9, 2025 (3pm-5pm ET)
Session 3: Nov. 13, 2025 (3pm-5pm ET) (with special guest trauma counselor Dr. Lisa Lopez Levers)
Registration Fee
$100.00
The OIS offers generous financial assistance. Click here to apply for financial assistance. If you are applying for financial assistance, please wait for a response before registering for this program .
About This Series
Research indicates that about 70% of people worldwide have been exposed to at least one traumatic event. The sheer pervasiveness of trauma across the human condition is staggering. Even viewing the news or current events on TV or social media can prove triggering for some.
Contemporary trauma studies and clinical practice point to the impact of trauma on the mind and emotions. But what of the impact of trauma upon the soul and related implications for spiritual practice, Ignatian spirituality, and pastoral care? Trauma-informed care requires a focus on body and soul, mental health and spirituality – two languages, one voice in the recovery process.
This program is for Ignatian spiritual directors, supervisors and givers of the Spiritual Exercises who seek to grow their understanding, capacity, and skills to accompany affected victim-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 will explore the origin story of St. Ignatius through the lens of contemporary trauma theory; identify concrete tools that are central to Ignatian spirituality; and highlight the trauma-informed significance of the Exercises’ “three powers of the soul” – memory, intellect, and will.
Participants will come to appreciate what Jesuit Fr. Kevin O’Brien, SJ, means when he says, “This book will change the way I understand and offer the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius to others.”
Program participants are strongly advised to have a copy of Fr. McChesney’s book.
The cost for this series is $100.00. You will receive a link prior to each workshop to participate live via Zoom. You will also receive a link to view the video recording after each workshop, in case you are unable to participate live or wish to review the discussion later.
We hope to make this series as accessible to as many people as possible. The ISDI offers generous financial assistance for those in need of it. Click here to apply for financial assistance. If you have questions about the participation fee, please contact us at nsmall@jesuits.org.
Program Session Descriptions
Session One will focus on "Inigo and the Origin Story of the Exercises" and "Situating Inigo Within A Contemporary Trauma Schema.” Recommended readings: Prologue, Chapters 1 and 2 of The Soul Also Keeps the Score: A Trauma-Informed Companion to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius by Fr. Robert McChesney, SJ.
Session Two will focus on "Mental Health (van der Kolk) and Spirituality (St. Ignatius) Both Keep the Score" and "Memory, Intellect, and Will: The Trauma-Informed Suscipe." Recommended readings: Chapters 6, 8, and 9 of The Soul Also Keeps the Score: A Trauma-Informed Companion to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius by Fr. Robert McChesney, SJ.
Session Three will focus on the basics of trauma from a psychological perspective, with insights from recent brain science. Symptoms of traumatic injury such as shame and sorrow will be explored from the perspectives of mental health and Ignatian spirituality. The session will explore how faith-based survivors and seekers can build more robust, holistic resilience. Fr McChesney will be joined by distinguished trauma counselor and author Dr. Lisa López Levers. Recommended readings: 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 will include time for Q&A.
About the Program Leaders:
Rev. Robert W. McChesney, SJ, has been a member of the Jesuits East Province for more than fifty years. He has master’s degrees in educational psychology, divinity, and international relations. He has accompanied refugees and migrants for much of his adult life, most recently in the Middle East, and has served as director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in the USA.
Fr. Rob was Director of Campus Ministry at St Joseph's University in Philadelphia for six years and served ten years on the staff of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. His private practice includes the accompaniment of military veterans, as well as survivors of sexual assault and child abuse. He is rooted in wide experience of directed retreats and spiritual direction within the Ignatian tradition and is a member of the Georgetown Jesuit Community in Washington, DC.
3rd Session Special Guest:
Dr. Lisa López Levers, Ph.D., LPCC-S, LPC, CRC, NCC is Professor Emerita at Duquesne University where she serves as Scholar in Residence at the Center for Global Health Ethics. Her work includes 15 years counseling survivors of trauma, and she has published extensively on this topic. Her textbook Trauma Counseling: Theories and Interventions for Managing Stress, Crisis, Trauma, and Disaster (2nd ed., 2023, Springer) is considered the most comprehensive text focusing on trauma and disaster counseling from a clinical perspective.
Her trauma-focused projects include conducting a post-genocide trauma study in Rwanda; assisting colleagues at the Wind River Indian Reservation in establishing a continuum of culturally sensitive care; and working with numerous communities to address trauma and build community resilience. She has been awarded numerous grants and awards for her scholarship and service, and she served as President of the International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling.
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