“From Burned Out to Beloved is an essential roadmap for those who want to be of service.”
— Father Greg Boyle, Executive Director of Homeboy Industries
From Burned Out to Beloved is a trauma-informed holistic soul care guide for Christians working in helping professions such as ministry, counseling, teaching, care-giving, medicine and social services.
It is a unique blending of trauma research, spiritual disciplines, inner healing, and addiction recovery--often-disparate worlds.
Read it to improve the overall well-being of individuals, enhance organizational culture, and improve sustainability and effectiveness in work.
"From Burned Out to Beloved is the personal protective equipment required for those serving in a global pandemic of violence and sorrow."
- Scott Bessenecker, director of global engagement and Justice, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA
Book Review by Heart & Minds Books
Order Paperback, Kindle, or Audio versions
at any of these sites:
What People Are Saying:
"This is a relevant and critical guide for anyone who is involved in ministry and people-centered work."
— Hannah Bryant, Executive Director of Leadership Mission International
"This book is a banquet of insight, beauty, truth, and practical wisdom."
— Gerald Sittser, Whitworth University Professor of Theology, author of A Grace Disguised
As a social worker, jail chaplain, and justice advocate, Bethany Dearborn Hiser pushed herself to the brink of burnout—and then kept going. Stress, despair, and compassion fatigue overwhelmed her ability to function. She was called to serve the abused, addicted, and homeless people in her community. Yet she was emotionally and spiritually exhausted. Something needed to change.
Searching for answers, Hiser learned that trauma affects everyone who is exposed to it—not only those experiencing firsthand violence, homelessness, and addiction, but also the social workers, therapists, pastors, relief workers, teachers, and community development workers who are trying to help. Psychologists call it "secondary trauma."
Hiser discovered that she needed the very soul care that she was providing to others. From Burned Out to Beloved is Hiser's story of burnout, self-discovery, and spiritual renewal. But more than that, it's a trauma-informed soul care guide for Christians working in high-stress, helping professions.
There are many resources on secondary trauma and spiritual disciplines, but few bring these areas together. From Burned Out to Beloved equips readers to confess their limitations, embrace their identities as beloved children of God, and flourish in the ministries where God has called them.
"From Burned Out to Beloved is an essential roadmap for those who want to be of service. We welcome our wounds and shift how we see. We don't go to the margins to make a difference but to be made different by those we encounter there. Hiser's book leads the way."
— Father Greg Boyle, Executive Director of Homeboy Industries
"Slowdown, develop life giving rhythms, embrace your identity as God’s beloved. Bethany’s advice is rich and powerful. This is an important and inspirational book not just for social workers and church leaders but for all followers of Christ. We are all susceptible to burnout and need to read what Bethany has to say. From Burned Out to Beloved takes us on an important journey of self-discovery, enabling us to balance contemplation and activism in a way that brings healing and wholeness."
— Christine Sine, author of The Gift of Wonder: Creative Practices for Delighting in God
"From Burned Out to Beloved is a great resource for anyone who has ever found themselves on the verge of being burned out doing service and wondering where is G-d in all of this. Her honest retelling of her story makes this book more a companion than a condemning voice, as she invites the reader to experience becoming the beloved of G-d. Bethany Dearborn Hiser integrates psychological and theological resources to provide a deeper understanding of how to serve others and thrive, both thoughtfully and practically."
— J. Derek McNeil, Ph.D., President and Provost, The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology
"Grounded in her experience and research, Dearborn Hiser is not afraid to name critical intersections of race and gender and how those identities inform one's lens of engagement in the world. This book is a must-read for those who think they already have it figured out!"
— Gail Song Bantum, Lead Pastor of Quest Church, Seattle
"What Bethany Dearborn Hiser offers here is essential for every pastor, social worker, caregiver, or friend: a gaze into the groaning beauty of being human. Her vision of this mystery is candid, sustained, tender, and hopeful."
— Mark Labberton, President of Fuller Theological Seminary