Darby Strickland
Counselor, Speaker & Author
Trauma shatters. It disorients, isolates, and silences. But the gospel speaks into trauma, not with quick fixes, but with the presence of Christ who enters the ruins and brings healing from within.
In When It's Trauma, counselor and author Darby Strickland offers a deeply compassionate, biblically rich framework for understanding trauma and walking with those who suffer. Drawing on stories from Scripture, real-life case studies, and theological reflection, she helps readers see trauma not as a clinical category alone, but as a soul-deep experience of harm that Christ Himself has entered into.
With insight and clarity, Strickland explores how trauma mirrors exile, how slow healing honors the sacred nature of suffering, and how the church can become a healing community—not by fixing trauma, but by faithfully showing up in it.
Whether you're a pastor, counselor, small group leader, or friend, When It's Trauma will help you respond with wisdom, humility, and hope. You don't need all the answers. You need presence, and the gospel offers it.
This book is for:
✔ Anyone walking with someone who has experienced trauma
✔ Helpers who want to understand trauma from a biblical perspective
✔ Churches seeking to become places of safety, restoration, and sacred presence
✔ Sufferers looking for assurance that they are not alone—and not beyond healing
Christ meets us in the rubble. When It's Trauma shows us how to behold him there.
New Release October 2025
Domestic Abuse
For years, biblical counselor Darby Strickland has served women in oppressive marriages. Now she writes to anyone who wants to help, regardless of their level of experience. You will learn how to identify the toxic entitlement that drives abusive behavior and to better understand its impact on victims—including children who are raised in a home with domestic abuse. Ultimately, you will become equipped to provide wise and Christ-centered counsel, empowering, and advocating for victims while navigating the complex dynamics of oppression in a marriage.
Reflection questions throughout chapters guide helpers as they process the material
Detailed inventory questions allow helpers to screen for different kinds of abuse—physical, sexual, emotional, spiritual, and financial
Case studies, exercises, and comprehensive worksheets, including a safety action plan, can be used to train helpers and assist victims
Reviews
"This resource and the wisdom it provides are integral to pastoral ministry—and indeed to the work of everyone who is ready to speak for the oppressed and cry out for justice. I cannot recommend it highly enough." --Rachael Denhollander, Speaker; Author; Victim Advocate
"A stunning work. . . . If you ever read a book about abuse in couples, let it be this one." --Alasdair Groves, Executive Director, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation
"The clearest and most complete work on understanding the dynamics and impact of abuse." --Chris Moles, Author, The Heart of Domestic Abuse
"Deftly equips counselors, pastors, and caring leaders to navigate through the difficult and often confusing narrative surrounding what's wrong and what to do." --Leslie Vernick Author, The Emotionally Destructive Marriage
"An exemplary biblical counseling manual." --Curtis W. Solomon, Executive Director, The Biblical Counseling Coalition
"If you read this book before you need it, you will be grateful . . . and so will the person who is reaching out to you for guidance." --Brad Hambrick, General Editor, Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abuse
New Children's Book
A Big Change Happened helps children who are facing a move, starting a new school, or adjusting to a new family dynamic process their feelings through the story of Wallace the whale. Wallace Whale loves his home in the warm blue sea near the green island where he and Mama sing, eat, sleep, and play. But one day, Mama tells him about a big change—they’re leaving for a long journey North! Wallace is worried and has so many questions: What will the North be like? Will he be okay? As they swim into the unknown, Mama gently reminds Wallace: Wherever you go, whatever you do, God’s love follows you. Counselor Darby A. Strickland uses the story of Wallace along with Psalm 139 to help parents and caregivers walk with children through big changes and the questions that come with those changes. A special section at the end of the book helps parents and caregivers guide their children through accepting their new situation and uses biblical truths to reassure children that God’s love never changes. The third book in the Comfort for Children in Hard Times series, addressing difficult experiences that children commonly face and offering gospel hope and help. Children ages four to seven will be drawn to the bright and beautiful underwater world created Kevin and Kristen Howdeshell. The companion minibook, Helping Children with Change: Holding Fast to God During Upheaval by Darby A. Strickland is also available to give parents and caregivers more detailed help. Also available, a plush Wallace toy whale that gives kids something soft and comforting to snuggle when they’re anxious and serves as a reminder that wherever they go, God will be with them.
Books
About
I am a faculty member and counselor at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF), where I’ve served since 2003. I hold a Master of Divinity degree with a counseling emphasis from Westminster Theological Seminary, where I also currently teach courses on Counseling Complex Problems. At CCEF, I teach Counseling Abusive Marriages and regularly counsel individuals, couples, and families walking through deep and difficult seasons.
My writing and teaching focus on equipping churches and counselors to care well for the vulnerable, especially those impacted by trauma and abuse. I’ve contributed to key resources like Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused and the PCA’s Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault training materials.
I’m the author of Is It Abuse? (P&R, 2020) and When It’s Trauma: A Biblical Guide to Understanding Trauma and Walking Faithfully with Sufferers (P&R, 2025), as well as several minibooks. I also write for the "Comfort for Children in Hard Times" series, helping families navigate suffering with biblical wisdom and care.
One of my greatest joys has been homeschooling my three children. Our home has been filled with music, read-alouds, good food, games, and lots of laughter. My husband, John, and I have particularly enjoyed these years of learning and growing together, and are now taking joy in launching our children into the world. When I have free time, you’ll likely find me near water—swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, or simply taking in the beauty of a quiet lake.
If you’d like to get in touch, please contact CCEF.