Mike Powers, Dr. H. Norman Wright, Jeanne Tropp (Mike’s Fiancee)
Our own Mike Powers caught up with Dr. H. Norman Wright recently and spoke to him about grief, trauma and loss and how it applies to our present situation as a nation and as God’s people.
H. Norman Wright is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist and he has taught in the Grad. Department of Biola University. He was former director of the Graduate Department of Marriage, Family and Child Counseling at Biola University, as well as an Associate Professor of Psychology. He was also Associate Professor of Christian Education and Director of the Graduate Department of Christian Education at the Talbot School of Theology. At the present time he is Research Professor of Christian Education at this same institution. He was in private practice for over thirty years.
Dr. Wright is a graduate of Westmont College, Fuller Theological Seminary (M.R.E.), Pepperdine University (M.A.). He has received two honorary doctorates, D.D. and D.LIT, from the Western Conservative Baptist Seminary and Biola University respectively.
He is the author of over seventy books including Experiencing Grief, The New Guide to Crisis and Trauma Counseling, Recovering From the Losses of Life, Quiet Times for Couples, and Before You Say I Do. Dr. Wright has pioneered Premarital Counseling programs throughout the country. He conducts seminars on Parenting, Recovering from the Losses of Life, Trauma and Crisis Counseling, and Marriage Enrichment.
His current focus is in grief and trauma counseling and critical incident debriefings. Part of his work is developing curriculum in loss, crisis and trauma as well as community wide Grief Recovery seminars. He is a Certified Trauma Specialist and a Certified Traumatologist. He is an ICISF trainer for the course, Trauma After Grief.
He belongs to the following professional organizations:
Academy of Bereavement
Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists
Clinical Member of American Association of Christian Counselors
Clinical Member of California Association of Marriage and Family Therapist
Victim Chaplain Association of America
He has conducted workshops and training for various Health Departments, The Victim Chaplain and Counselor Association of America, Child Abuse Social Work Departments, Hospitals and Nurses organizations. Sudden death debriefings have been conducted at various facilities as well as Police and Fire Departments. He is the clinical coordinator for the debriefing teams for the Bakersfield Fire Department. He has traveled to New York five times since 9/11 conducting area wide Grief Recovery seminars as well as debriefings. Part of his specialty is working with parents of children or teenagers who have died or have been killed. He has also assisted in training seminars for Critical Incident Debriefings for the American Association of Christian Counselors.
He is a chaplain and counselor for The Victim Chaplain Association and has worked in the aftermath of Katrina in Louisiana.
He and his wife Joyce were married for forty-eight years and he lives in Bakersfield, California. His hobbies include bass fishing, gardening and training his Golden Retrievers, Shadow and Aspen, as therapy response dogs.
