Spiritual Life Mapping: A Modality Contributing to Spiritual Flourishing for Women Veteran Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma

Abstract

Spiritual Life Mapping (SLM) is an intervention designed to facilitate spiritual flourishing for women veteran survivors of military sexual trauma who desire reconnection to spiritual values. Utilizing the Spiritual AIM assessment tool, it focuses on three areas of spiritual needs: a) meaning and direction, b) self-worth/belonging, and c) reconciliation with self, others, and God/Divine. While prioritizing Three Crosses of suffering: Moral Injury, Theology, and Theodicy, healing is introduced that acknowledges the disconnections but offers a witness with other survivors. It introduces trauma theologians who speak to healing self-worth and authenticity, and to reconciling harmful theodicies by promoting the adoption of new narratives and a lived theology that contribute to resilience and spiritual flourishing. In its design, SLM for women veteran survivors of MST creates a pictorial vision of hope, deepens connection to spiritual needs, and facilitates a new focus on spiritual flourishing by introducing spiritual pathways of self-reflection, imagination, and creativity.