Linking Trauma Informed Care and the Gospel (w/Tera Melber) Ep. 285

The Forgotten Podcast

The Forgotten Initiative

Christian, Family, Adoption, Kids & Family, Fostercare

4.9 • 532 Ratings

🗓️ 5 January 2026

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Join host Jami for a powerful conversation with experienced foster parent and trauma-informed care expert, Tera Melber. Tera, the founder of Resound Trauma Education, brings her extensive background—including a master’s degree in human services counseling and a commitment to integrating faith with the latest interpersonal neurobiology research—to the discussion. She shares her 20-year journey into foster care and adoption, highlighting the realization that parenting a child from early adversity requires a special set of skills and a Christian framework for care that wasn't always readily available.

Tera delves into the critical need for a trauma-informed approach to parenting and ministry, illustrating how Jesus himself modeled this connection-based care by avoiding shame and fostering safety, as seen in biblical accounts like the woman at the well and Zacchaeus. She also shifts the focus to the pivotal role of the church, encouraging congregations to move beyond rigid expectations. Instead, she advocates for trauma-aware environments—equipping volunteers with co-regulation tools, like "backpack teams"—to ensure foster and kinship families feel safety, connection, and belonging.

Ultimately, Tera’s mission is to combine the research of trauma-informed care with the biblical teachings of Jesus, viewing this work not as a buzzword, but as essential "gospel work." She looks forward to witnessing the church step up to be a unique place of safety, connection, and hope to bring healing and generational change to families navigating the foster care journey.

Links:
Learn more at theforgotteninitiative.org
More about guest Tera Melber https://www.facebook.com/p/Resound-Trauma-Education-LLC-61560422615470/

Transcript

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0:00.0	Meeting you right where you are on your foster care journey, this is The Forgotten podcast.
0:08.5	Tara Melbur brings a wealth of experience around trauma-informed care from a gospel perspective,
0:14.5	while also integrating the latest research in interpersonal neurobiology.
0:19.0	She is the founding director of resound trauma education,
0:22.4	where she teaches a biblical worldview of trauma-informed care. She holds a master's degree in
0:27.8	human services counseling with a focus on parenting and child development and cares for families
0:33.6	in a variety of ways, including as a TBRI practitioner and an empowered to connect parent
0:40.0	facilitator. She is married to David, mom to six grown kids, three of whom joined their family
0:47.4	through adoption, and Mimi to her five grandchildren. That's right. That's the best, the best title of the day. I love that.
0:57.0	Well, it's so good to have you, Tara. Thanks for being on. Thanks so much for having me, Jamie.
1:00.8	I'm glad to be here. Yeah. Well, you have dedicated your life and vocation to helping the church
1:06.9	understand the impact of trauma on kids and how to walk with them in a way that's helpful.
1:12.8	Like, how did this come about for you? Where did this passion come from? Where did this
1:16.5	understanding come from? Sure. Well, over 20 years ago, my husband and I determined to adopt.
1:24.5	It was back in the day, early 2000s, the evangelical community was really cheerleading
1:30.7	adoption. Really at the time, international adoption and domestic adoption was a big part of the
1:36.4	conversation. And David had gone to Moldova. He was working in a ministry and working with an
1:41.9	international partnership. And while he was there, he was invited
1:45.1	to visit an orphanage. And he had never been in an orphanage before. And when he went in, he was in a
1:50.9	very small room, maybe 20 by 20, but there were about 30 kids from about 18 months to 3 years
1:57.5	old in the room. And they were lying on little thin sheets around the edge of
2:01.7	the room and they were all asleep and he asked the missionary that he was with he said wow how did you
	...

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