Lyn Westman, PhD
Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
Meet Lyn
Dr. Lyn Westman is director of the mental health pillar at Lighthouse Church in Hayes, Virginia, and the former Mental Health Program Consultant for both Mercy Ships and Tributaries International. Lyn designs and implements mental health and trauma healing training programs globally, training formal and informal care providers from a holistic perspective. She has worked internationally since 1980.Lyn is the author of Understanding People, Mental Health, and Trauma, a mental health training manual. In 2015, she wrote Baby Finds Grace to bring healing to people, especially children who suffer from stress, grief and/or trauma. She is a coauthor of Bringing Healing to Children.Lyn is an ordained minister. She earned a Ph.D. in Psychology from United States International University (now Alliant University) in 1995, and a Master of Psychiatric Nursing from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1980.
"We thought we knew something with our medical background, but we have learned a lot. I come from training with a lot of humility. They approached things I thought I knew in a different way…The models were marvelous. Take a holistic view. Allow the patient to enter into this with you to find the problem. I liked the dynamics that prevailed in the training. We need to learn how to collaborate the way this team did."– Psychiatric Specialist in The Democratic Republic of Congo
Training Seminars
"This is not just about suffering. It’s not just about trauma. This is about people."Training seminars equip service providers with an understanding of whole person care and basic mental health/illness. An emphasis is placed on emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, and all forms of stress. Training also covers special populations, including women, children, older adults, homeless, prisoners, and combatants.Lyn and her teams have trained:
Psychiatric Specialists
Primary Health Care Workers
Church Leaders
Leaders of Other Faith Groups
Police
Teachers
Military
Traditional Healers
Social Workers
Orphanage Workers
and others…
Participants are trained in basic assessment, counseling, and referral. Over time, many of these service providers connect, forming a network to meet the needs in their communities. Participants may become lay counselors or trainers of trainers. Most participants are changed or find healing themselves as a result of the training.The primary training resource is Lyn’s book, Understanding People, Mental Health, and Trauma. Children receive direct care through trauma healing workshops using the book Baby Finds Grace.
Books
Lyn is the author of three books: Understanding People, Mental Health and Trauma; Baby Finds Grace; and Bittersweet. She also coauthored Bringing Healing to Children.
Understanding People, Mental Health and Trauma is only available to participants in her training seminars. Baby Finds Grace will be available later this year.
Bittersweet: A Memoir
Hearing God’s voice and trusting His direction toward a purpose-guided life is not for the faint of heart. Does God join you as you climb mountains, wander aimlessly in deserts, or plummet into dark pits? Can you make a positive impact for current and future generations? These, among other questions, are explored in Dr. Westman’s memoir, Bittersweet.
Punctuated with Scripture and heartfelt journal entries, Dr. Westman weaves together her early family history, reflects on raising her son as a single mother, and reminisces about her mid-life commitment to missions.
Joining Jesus in Kingdom work requires courage and a step of faith. Lyn’s adventure includes travels to distant lands, relationships built with care and trust, and stories of lives being healed through insight mixed with heavenly wisdom. Her memoir testifies that God works through those who stand in the gap for people in need at the appointed time.
I loved reading Lyn’s memoir, rich with spiritual lessons, supported and grounded by scripture. Her humble openness invites the reader into a shared journey of humility, forgiveness, and growth. As Lyn recounts her travels, she introduces the reader to various cultures and people groups, cultivating an appreciation for the many similarities and differences that exist between them. Brief descriptions of the beauty and diversity of the areas in which she travels prompted me to reflect with gratitude on the beauty God has created all around us.
Bon Voyage! —Deyon Stephens, Co-founder, Mercy Ships
Paperback
246 pages
ISBN: 979-8-9921547-0-2eBook
ISBN: 979-8-9921547-1-9
There are questions and activities at the end of the book to help children process the story (and their stories).Paperback
48 pages
2015
Baby Finds Grace
Baby Finds Grace was written to bring healing to children who suffer from grief and/or trauma. Though the book is written for children, it may bring healing to parents or caregivers as well. While the story focuses on three birds and a lamb who each experience the loss of loved ones, the symptoms and approaches are applicable to any form of trauma.
The earth is groaning, and people are suffering. War, disaster, poverty, disease, and divorce affect everyone in a negative way, especially the children. These children live in a variety of settings, such as single parent, extended families, or in new families like foster care, adoptive, or in a children’s home. They may even live on the streets. Some are abused, some are taken as agents of war, some are sold. The end result is trauma, either physical, emotional, or both. At the very least, these children grieve their losses.
People in the new settings must make adjustments as well. At best it is stressful, even if it is positive stress. All the family members have adjustments to make; and though there are many positives, there is a shift in the system along with losses for every family member.
My hope is that Baby Finds Grace equips you to navigate these changes and losses in a positive way, bring healing to children.A new edition will be available soon.
Events
Mental Health Training Seminars, 2024
Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Zambia, Pakistan, Dominican RepublicMental Health Training Seminars, 2023
South Africa, Senegal, JamaicaMental Health Training Seminars, 2022
DRC, Liberia, Senegal, Peru, Ecuador (and more)Mental Health Training Seminars, 2021
Liberia, South Africa, USACultural & Spiritual Perspectives on Mental Health
November 12, 2020
A workshop for cross cultural workers to understand and engage in mental health matters.Church Mental Health Summit, October 10, 2020
A one-day virtual event equipping the church to support mental health in their communities.Mental Health Training Seminars, 2020
Liberia
UPMHT Bridge Training (online with global leaders)Mental Health Training Seminars, 2019
Ecuador, Liberia, SenegalMental Health Training Seminars, 2018
Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, Liberia, USAMental Health Training Seminars, 2017
Benin, Cameroon, Canada, Guinea, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Togo.Missions Fest, Vancouver 2017
Understanding People, Mental Illness and Trauma
January 27 – 29, 2017Mental Health Training Seminars, 2016
Benin, Cameroon, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Togo.Mental Health Training Seminars, 2015
Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Togo, United States.Operation CARE: Mental Health for Military Veterans and Their Families
The Compounding Effect of Internal and External Stressors on the Primary Traumatic Event from a Global Perspective
The University of Texas at Tyler, University Center Theater, Tyler, TX
Friday, April 24th, 2015Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit
Causes and Responses to Grief and Trauma in Children
Grief and Trauma Healing Approaches for Children
Nashville, TN
April 30 – May 1, 2015