Stephen Carroll, Ph.D., L.C.P.C
An article on strategies for addressing trauma experiences in ministry, written by a licensed Saint Luke Institute (SLI) mental health counselor, is the recipient of a first place and second place award in separate categories from the Catholic Media Association (CMA) for 2025. SLI Director of Aftercare and Education, Stephen Carroll, Ph.D., L.C.P.C., is the author of the Fall 2024 article entitled “Trauma Can Impact Candidates and Communities.” The piece won first place in the CMA “Best Writing – In-Depth (all Catholic magazines)” category and took second place in the category “Best Feature Article — Professional and Special-Interest Magazines, Including Clergy and Religious.” The article appeared in the Volume 49, No. 4 issue of Horizon, the Journal of the National Religious Vocations Conference (NRVC).
The article, which is accessible to NRVC subscribers here, is also reprinted for free on the SLI website, with the permission of NRVC, and under its more formal title, “Practical Strategies for the Implications of Trauma on Community and Ministry Life.”
The CMA is is an organization of Catholic publishers and media professionals in service to the Catholic Church. Incorporated in 1911 to serve the growing community of Catholic print publications, today its diverse membership uses all mediums to serve Catholics; and the association serves its members through social and educational interaction. Their annual awards recognize and celebrate excellence in Catholic journalism and communications. These awards uphold high standards of integrity and faith-centered storytelling, encouraging media professionals to inform, inspire, and engage the public through authentic portrayals of Catholic teachings and values. By honoring outstanding work, the awards aim to foster a culture of ethical journalism that serves the Church and its mission to spread truth and hope.
The judge’s comments for the first prize awarded for Dr. Carroll’s article in the “Best Writing – In-Depth” category, as listed in the June 2025 journal of the CMA, The Catholic Journalist, are as follows: “This piece stands out for its thoroughness. The writing is clear and provides important information about trauma. The topic is very timely and important and connects to broader social issues. The piece is also unique because of how it breaks the writing into different parts which makes it easier to read and understand.” For the article’s second place finish in “Best Feature Article – Professional and Special-Interest Magazines,” the judge remarks, “This is an insightful and useful guide to a challenging condition that is increasingly on the rise. It explores triggers and sudden waves of negative emotions — a chameleon-like force that manifests in relationships.”
Dr. Carroll, who has been a member of the SLI clinical team since 2012, is a licensed mental health counselor. He received his doctoral degree in counseling from Loyola University Maryland and a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Boston College. He served as a visiting professor at Loyola University in the school counseling department and conducted research for Georgetown University’s Woodstock Theological Center. His research on the impact of religion and spirituality on employment attitudes and behaviors was published in the Journal of Mental Health, Religion, and Culture (Vol. 17, Issue 6, 2014). He has researched the role of religion and spirituality on employment attitudes and behaviors and recently developed a chapter on this topic for the American Psychological Association’s Handbook of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality: Volume 2 (2013). He has also presented several online seminars through the SLI learning platform, SLIconnect, on various mental health topics.