Biblical narratives and play therapy in the pastoral counselling process for healing traumatised gifted children: towards a conceptual framework

Abstract

The research objective of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for pastoral narrative play interventions and biblical narratives in the counselling process with gifted children. This paper investigates the effect of trauma on gifted children in middle childhood, ages six to twelve years, and how trauma affects their learning abilities, cognitive and social development. The contribution of this paper to the field of Practical Theology and pastoral/child practitioner approaches to supporting traumatised gifted children is the use of gifted-specific interventions, in which biblical narratives and play therapy are utilised in the pastoral setting. By making the theological lens more explicit and by using biblical narratives and parables as a narrative therapy tool, Practical Theology contributes to a deeper understanding of gifted children, especially in relation to trauma, meaning-making, and pastoral care. Gifted children can resonate with biblical stories of Jesus, and biblical narrative can help them re-author their own life stories and support their meaning-making and positive outcomes. Scripture conveys meaning and promotes healing through the validity and reliability of the biblical narratives and the ability of biblical stories to be understood even by children. This paper employs a qualitative literature overview as its methodological foundation, synthesising scholarship on trauma, giftedness, play therapy, pastoral counselling, and behavioural psychology. Effective pastoral counselling therefore requires counsellors to be trained in narrative-based practice, embodying empathy, theological insight, and therapeutic sensitivity to ensure that healing is not merely therapeutic but profoundly theological.