The First Aid journey began in the 1990s. I was a professor training counselors and often finished class late on Thursday evening. Each Friday morning, I drove about ninety minutes to a correctional facility to work with juvenile offenders. During those three hours on the road each week, I thought about how Scripture addressed so many of the problems these young people faced. I also thought about their families and friends. Surely many wanted to help but did not know how. I thought, could we equip everyday Christians to help the hurting people in their lives?

During those drives, I began developing the chapters that became First Aid for Emotional Hurts, published in 2008.

The book seemed to help those who wanted to help others. But one visit helped me see another need. A family had recently lost a child in an ATV accident. When I visited their home, I noticed a copy of First Aid for Emotional Hurts on their table. I had written the book to help people care for families like this one. Seeing it there reminded me that hurting people also needed something written directly to them.

That experience helped lead to the First Aid for Your Emotional Hurts booklet series. We developed booklets on finding help with grief, depression, addiction, and helping children with emotional disorders and learning problems. As I worked with veterans, Chaplain David Trogdon and I developed a booklet for veterans. We later created booklets on sexual issues and marriage problems.

In 2018, we completely revised the First Aid book, incorporating ways helpers could use these booklets. We developed the tools Christians can use to help others: prayer, the Word, your words, the church, and your relationships. We also explained the techniques of observing, attending, listening, caring, responding, acting, and “finding the inn.” Finding the inn means helping someone connect with continued care, just as the Good Samaritan did in Luke 10.

We applied these tools and techniques to grief, depression, anxiety, addictions, psychosis, sexual issues, and family problems. After that revision, we added a booklet on anxiety and, most recently, dementia.

So why revise First Aid again? The biblical call to care has not changed. We still have prayer, the Word, our words, the church, and our relationships. But we have learned more about the problems people face and how to help them. We also have resources that were not available when the book was first published. We want to put that information into the hands of people who can use it.

Here are a few of the updates you will find in the new First Aid for Emotional Hurts.

A Clearer Understanding of Grief

We have learned more about grief over the last two decades. I think again about that family who lost their son in the ATV accident. How do we help a family facing such a loss? We begin by being present, listening, and doing helpful things.

But people do not grieve in the same way. Helpers need to understand what is typical and recognize when someone may need additional help. The update more clearly explains the differences between grief and depression and addresses prolonged grief that may require professional attention.

This understanding can help us care more patiently and recognize when it is time to help someone find further care. We have also updated resources that address particular losses.

Updated Understanding of Addiction and Treatment

Addictions have hurt families and communities throughout our country. Much research has been done, and we have learned more about how substances and certain behaviors affect the brain. That information matters to the person trying to help.

For example, the update explains the difference between physical dependence and a substance use disorder. We have also updated the discussion of medications and their role in treatment. A helper may encounter someone who has questions or concerns about seeking professional care. Understanding more about treatment can help us have a useful conversation and encourage the person to get the help they need.

We can pray, offer encouragement, maintain a caring relationship, and help the person connect with appropriate treatment. Each of these actions can be part of helping.

Updated Guidance on Suicide Prevention

We also expanded the section on suicide prevention. Helpers need to take concerns seriously and know how to respond. This section provides updated guidance and points readers toward resources such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

We want families and churches to prepare before a crisis occurs. When someone is hurting, knowing where to turn and how to help them get assistance can make a difference. This is another reason to equip people before they encounter someone who needs help.

More Resources for Finding Help

The Good Samaritan in Luke 10 cared for the wounded man and took him to an inn where his care could continue. We need to do something similar. We offer the help we can and connect people with others who can help them further.

Finding that help can be confusing. What is the difference between a psychiatrist, psychologist, and professional counselor? How do you find someone qualified to address a particular problem? The resource listings have been updated, and professional credentials are explained so readers can make better-informed decisions about care.

The new First Aid for Dementia booklet continues this effort. People with dementia and their families need help. Caregivers need someone to listen, offer practical assistance, and help them stay connected to their church family.

The Same Call, Renewed Preparation

Much has changed since those drives to the correctional facility. The tools and techniques remain the same, but we have more information and resources to help us use them.

We do not have to know every answer to help someone. We can prepare, pay attention, listen, and use what God has given us. We can also recognize when someone needs help beyond what we can provide.

May we be ready to care for the hurting people the Lord places in our lives. The call to care has not changed. My prayer is that this update will help us answer that call with greater understanding, practical help, and hope.

Get a copy of the updated edition of First Aid for Emotional Hurts here.