Self-Paced: Healing the Wounded Heart Online Course

Enroll at Any Time and Move Through the Course at Your Own Pace

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Course Description

Harm and heartache are an inevitable part of the human experience. We try to recover and move on as best we can, but all too often we lack the tools to know what to do with our wounds, and the trauma leaves a lasting mark on our body, mind, emotions, and relationships. Our attempts to heal and protect ourselves from future pain can leave us even more broken and disconnected, with defensive structures that further bind us to the trauma and separate us from the true delight of living in relationship with others and God.

This course is designed to deepen your understanding of the complex issues related to trauma, especially sexual harm. Whether you are a survivor of abuse, a professional caregiver, or a friend, parent, or partner of someone who has been abused—everyone needs to address the heartache of sexual harm and grow in the hope that healing is possible.

Throughout this course, Dr. Allender invites you to name the impact and internal war of abuse with greater clarity and to walk the path of healing. We will explore:

  • the impact of trauma on the body and mind
  • family systems that can set us up for sexual abuse
  • subtle forms of harm that intensify the damage
  • the role of evil in the act of abuse
  • the influence of past harm on our adult relationships
  • the internal world of shame and dissociation that inevitably results from abuse

In addition to teaching on these core subjects, Dr. Allender invites a group of courageous women and men to join him in interviews to share their own stories of abuse and healing as a window into the hidden world of the survivor’s heart. Their stories invite us to consider how subtle harm sets us up to be groomed, the role of shame in addictions, the forms of denial we use to minimize shame, the ways past harm is reenacted in the present, and how growth and freedom occur. These men and women offer their stories to help you engage your own.

To better help you incorporate the teaching and stories into your own work of healing, reflection and journal exercises are included to help you explore your story and participate in a process of redemption that leads to greater freedom, power, and joy.

How the Self-Paced Course Works
This is a self-directed course, with lifetime access to the material. All content is available immediately upon enrollment to view and engage at a pace that fits your schedule. It includes nine lessons, each complete with video segments totaling about 45 minutes of teaching per lesson followed by thoughtful journal and reflection questions. Our recommendation is to go through approximately one lesson per week, and plan for a minimum of 2 hours to complete each lesson — in one sitting or spread out over several days — to provide the optimum space and time to absorb the content and fully engage the material.

Interested in a Group Purchase?
If your church or organization would like to purchase a set of licenses to provide this course to your team or small group, we offer bulk discounts of 10-30% depending on the size of your group. Please visit our Group Sales Order Page to access these special rates.

Interested in Gifting This Course?
Visit our Gift an Online Course Page!

More questions about the course? See our FAQ section below


Course Curriculum


  Course Introduction
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  What's Next
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  Thank you!
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Your Instructor


Dr. Dan B. Allender
Dr. Dan B. Allender

Dr. Dan Allender has pioneered a unique and innovative approach to trauma and abuse recovery over the past 30 years. Dan serves as Co-Founder of the Allender Center and Professor of Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. Read more...


Frequently Asked Questions


How does the online course work?
This is a completely self-paced online course, meaning all videos and course content are available immediately upon enrollment for you to view and engage at any time that fits your schedule. The course includes 9 lessons, and each lesson includes a set of video segments totalling about 45 minutes per lesson with journal and reflection prompts after each segment. Our recommendation would be to go through approximately one lesson per week, but you are welcome to adjust the time frame as it best fits your personal pace.
How long do I have access to the course?
After enrolling, you have lifetime access to this course across any and all devices you own as long as your account remains active.
How long will the course be available to purchase online?
This course will live permanently on our site and is available for purchase anytime in the future.
What are the required materials I will need for the course?
There are no required materials for the course. Once enrolled, you will have access to a printable Course Journal full of reflection prompts and journal questions that correspond with each lesson.
Do I need to send any assignments into The Allender Center for review or evaluation?
No assignments are due to complete this course. Your own personal writing and reflection using our Course Journal prompts can be completed at your own pace and remains your own private set of notes.
If my spouse and I would like to go through this course together, do we both need to purchase the class?
Each enrollment is intended to be a single user license per our Terms of Use guidelines. If you are both intending to fully engage the material and journal questions together, our preference would be that you each enroll in the course.
I am taking the course with friends or a small group. What is the best way to go through this class together?
If you choose to go through this course with others our recommendation would be to do so with a spouse, partner, friend, or previously established small group where safety and privacy are already solid and trusted. Each group member must enroll in the course through an individual or multiple-license purchase to comply with our Terms of Use policy. We recommend scheduling a minimum of 10 meetings to get through the material. You can watch the videos together and use portions of the Course Journal activities as points of discussion, or complete the questions prior to meeting and share responses together. It is not recommended to put a brand new group of people together to engage this course unless a skilled leader is at the helm to help navigate any difficult group dynamics that may arise as you seek to establish relationships and trust while also engaging in such personally intensive work.
Can I receive continuing education units (CEUs) for this course?
This course does not offer CEUs.
What are the technology requirements to take the course?
Once you've purchased the course, you will be able to view content from any web enabled device including a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. For the best user experience and video playback quality, we do recommend using the most updated version of your web browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer).
What is your refund policy?
Please review all orders carefully before a purchase is made, as all sales are final.