What people say about us

‘I hope you realise you are fulfilling every dream I ever had of what we can do to help missionaries do a good job, and be able to stay on longer because you have helped them cope with the situation. I am enormously proud to know you.’

'I have carefully reviewed your publication. It is splendid! You write with unusual clarity. The coverage is thorough – just enough, not too much. The inserts highlight valuable pointers. It is the most practical manual I have seen in this area. The reference and resource list is up to date. Thank you for the list of websites! I also appreciated the handouts in the appendix … your ideas will be immensely useful.'

'Dr Lovell-Hawker's work on debriefing aid workers is stellar. My own training and debriefing are informed by her approach. I recommend this handbook to beginning and advanced debriefers.'

'The 9th edition of the manual is a brilliant resource - rich in every aspect'. (Debriefer, Dublin)

'I thought beforehand that it was going to be a waste of time, but I found that actually it was very helpful to be able to talk about everything, however small, that had happened' (Anonymous feedback from an aid worker about personal debriefing.)

‘You ROCK!’

‘I wouldn't know what to do without all your pro-active efforts, and initiative and work’

‘Thank you so much for your quick and encouraging response! You have just confirmed one of the truths in crisis care, i.e. support (having someone who listens, reflects back, gives a reality check, and points forward) is such an empowering experience! I am not actually in crisis, only living on a higher than usual stress level - your support is very meaningful.’ (International leader of a mission organization, dealing with crises).

‘We could not put a price on the value we gain from our times with you. Thank you for helping us reflect and gain insight on our last year and helping us 'normalise' many of our challenges & feelings, plus look forward to our coming year and the decisions ahead.’

‘You are great!’

‘We have been supporting Debbie and Dave Hawker for many years (at least 10) and can fully vouch that their ministry is vital, strategic, kingdom-minded and transparent’.

‘I just wanted to say thank you for yesterday. All the feedback I am getting is more than positive. We all appreciated having you share the wealth of knowledge and experience you have in such an engaging way. I learned a lot, and all participants said the same’. (Refers to debriefing training in Dublin)

‘Your manual has been so incredibly helpful, and all of us who have been to your training have found it hugely beneficial and easy to put into practice’ (VMM International, Ireland)

‘We really enjoyed your talk and it has given us all lots of food for thought.’ (Jesuit Missions)

‘Thanks so much for coming and leading the training last week – it was perfect – exactly what we were after, and it felt like we made some great progress on the day’. (BMS)

‘I found our meeting really helpful. I should do it more often!’

‘Thank you for your input last week – your research, insights, experience and yourself: all rich treasures!’ (After conference in Australia)

‘Thank you, dear Debbie, for your encouragements, and for master minding these events!’ (After Global Connections Member Care forum)

‘We want to thank you so much for your willingness to share your knowledge and experience with us in the HR department of NCA … Your flexibility and warm personality have made these days great for us’ (Norwegian Church Aid)

‘Just wanted to say I thought [your paper] was excellent and balanced, and very useful’.

‘Thanks SO much for inviting me to be part of the peer group. I found it a really helpful meeting’.

‘I would just like to comment how much of a great service yourself and InterHealth have provided!’

‘We want to thank you for the time you spent with us on Thursday. It was a real help and we were grateful for your care and attention to detail. Your gentle probing was a door for us to continue going forward’. (Minister and wife)

‘Thank you again for your wonderful work and contribution at the Intl HR forum last week. The delegates were thrilled with all the information they’ve received that day. A job well done time and time again, much appreciated’. (Global Connections International HR Forum core group)

‘Thank you for all your support during this last two years’.

‘Thank you so much for your input and the way you imparted it on Saturday. I found it very informative and stimulating’.

‘Thank you so much for such a helpful day. I learnt so much ... A very helpful overview, now to put it all into practice’.

‘The workshop on Debriefing was very helpful. I hope to use it in the future with any returnee from the field when I have the opportunity. Thanks again for a very informative day’.

‘Thank you so much for seeing me yesterday. I found the time very helpful’.

‘I really appreciate your help and support... I am so relieved to get past this stage and to get on with the project and feel very encouraged by how helpful you have been’

‘Thanks for meeting with me. I feel much better knowing that my grief process and my kids' are not unhealthy. I feel like I can move forward now with confidence. Thank you’.

‘Thank you for giving me my husband back’ (From a wife of a minister who we have supported through a time of stress)

‘I really appreciate the time you've spent with … and the help you've been to him. And this report is really helpful in thinking through the way forward’. (Church leader)

‘Thanks for all your support and supervision over the past year’

‘Thank you so much Debbie, that is really helpful and gives me more confidence to take this on’.

‘I have really grown professionally working with you’.

‘I have received many thankful reports after the seminar. People say they now feel more secure and equipped to meet the challenges in a good way.. So Thank you again for great and inspiring teaching!’ (YWAM Norway)

‘You’ve given us tools we as “lay persons” can use. You’ve imparted faith that with support we can care well for our staff and teams’ (Leadership, YWAM Norway)

‘Wanted to thank you and David for a really great seminar on Thursday and for all the insights you shared, it was great to hear you both speaking from such a depth of experience’.

Feedback following debriefing a group deported from Sudan:

‘I want you to know that I am deeply grateful for your support, wisdom, insight and gracious and selfless input in so many ways. It has been a joy to have you at this event and to see others benefiting from your ministry’.

‘We were once again blessed to be with you and learn from you’

‘Appreciate you come alongside us’

‘Thanks for all your help, concern and expertise’

‘Thanks so much for the help Debbie. I think we have found the right contact among the Arab participants who took your training recently in Cairo’.

‘Since undertaking your fantastic training back in 2002, I have held hundreds of personal debriefing sessions on behalf of various NGOs’.

Feedback from All Nations Christian College:

‘Thank you so much for coming down to do the debriefing training for us. It was an excellent day and the students really loved it!!! Me too! The material is so helpful and I am sure that many in the group will go on to put it into practice alongside the other work they will be doing. For me it was invaluable. And your style of presentation is really excellent Debbie ... great pace, lots of content and your own experience and training adds weight to the whole thing. Thank you SO much’.

‘Just want to express my thanks to you again for coming to teach the class on supporting people who have experienced trauma. It was very well received, as always!, and the students were very fired up to learn more. I will make enquiries as to the interest and practicalities of further training on debriefing and get back to you. For now though, I am grateful for the time and knowledge you have given to our students to help them to better deal with pastoral situations that may arise for them in the future’

Feedback from a talk on early interventions after trauma:

Really useful information

Before the presentation I knew nothing about Cochrane and debriefing controversy I now feel much better informed

Very informative and thought provoking

Very useful – will help with our service policy review of the critical incident support to schools

Very interesting and valuable

Very interesting and promoting further thought and scrutiny of studies and their quality

Very thought provoking session emphasizing the continuing importance of looking beyond guidelines/initiatives to the quality of the research

Debbie’s presentation cemented much of my own knowledge and confidence in using interventions to support and help clients.

From the mother of an MK: 'David...she is so happy with the way you have helped her and can see that there are always ways round things. You have clearly helped her so much. I am very grateful and encouraged by the way she has responded to you - thank you.’

'I found our debrief session so so helpful. Thank you so much.'

From a mission after a training day: ‘We are from 11 nationalities and 14 home countries and what you said was relevant to us all’

‘Thanks for replying to that request so efficiently, and sensitively. You are such a blessing to the people of God!’

‘We very much enjoyed your time with us. We appreciated your good, helpful and professional training and input. I have received positive comments about the day. I sense that people had their questions answered and now carry out interviews and debriefs with more confidence.’ (From Latin Link after Debbie provided a training day)

‘Thanks for all you invested in our group today. I really appreciate all you had done to tailor it to the specific needs of OMF debriefers, taking account of our context and the feedback from the recent evaluations. You and Dave play such an important part in equipping God’s people for acts of service’. (Following an OMF day of training for debriefers).

‘I was so happy that Debbie was able to come over to our Elam office to do a training workshop on debriefing for our Iranian leaders. It was good and benefited them. Some of them had discovered things from their own past that had been bothering them for years’. (Following training for Elam ministries)

Feedback from retreats:

‘It was wonderful to share in this special time’

‘The retreat was very special but esp due to Debbie and Anny... I really did relax into the safety of the leaders and got a huge amount out of it’.

‘Thank you very much again for all your input to 'New Directions'. It was such a special and very helpful time. I'm so grateful to have been able to share in it’

‘Thank you again for giving us your time last week to present the seminar. It was so good to have you come and share with us … Everyone I have spoken to have expressed appreciation of you and the presentations and found the day most helpful’.

‘Thanks for all your support and advice over the past year as I started my new role’

Following training at Above Bar Church, Southampton:

'I wanted to thank you SO much for coming all the way down here to the backwaters of Britain to give us such a superb morning … I've had a LOT of very positive and appreciative feedback from all sorts of people and I'm sure we will be asking you back in the near future’

‘Thank you so much for your training for us last Sat. So many have commented on how helpful it was….how much really useful advice and so many insights based on your experience and research. So we have a lot to put into practice….thanks. It will be good to think soon how we plan further training’

Thankful ‘for the release, connection and healing I experienced during and after my session

‘Once again many thanks for your care, compassion, skill and application in guiding us through the murky waters of processing my ordeal’.

‘Many thanks for meeting with me on Tuesday. It felt a great relief just to have shared all that with you, and I really appreciated your listening and your wise words’

‘Incredibly helpful, and such a quick response. Thanks so much’

From Latin Link Ecuador trip:

‘On behalf of Latin Link and the organising group for the International Assembly, we wanted to say a HUGE thank you for being with us and all your input. We know that we really worked you hard during the week! We really appreciate you sharing your expertise - not only in the main sessions and training and workshops - but also in the individual counselling times. We just got the evaluations collated - and your sessions were mentioned various times in the 'highlights' question’.

OMF day for adult MKs:

‘Debbie, thank you so much for all you brought to the day at All Nations yesterday. It was very intense, but very rewarding … the general comments at the end of the day were universally positive … You led us very thoughtfully and sensitively throughout the day and I felt that your contributions were measured and beautifully judged.’

‘Thank you so much for facilitating yesterday's event. There were so many stories and experiences shared, many of them deeply moving’ .

Tearfund staff member who attended a training day:

‘I had a great day yesterday, and really appreciated the way you tailored it for me and made it engaging all day. Just loved it’.

Feedback from YWAM training:

‘I just wanted to thank you for the debrief training you led at the YWAM base a few weeks ago...it was so informative....it was like being given a tool bag with lots of useful advice on how to use it. Thank you for your years of training yourself, your ministry to others and the training you provide to so many’.

‘Thank you so much for bringing your expertise and wisdom to us. It has been a great time to soak up understanding and insight, as I have talked to people the underlying theme has been of revelation.’

‘Thank you so much for your support, I am so grateful for your professional skill and godly wisdom’

‘Thank you so very very much for your wisdom, patience and listening ear yesterday. I came away from our chat yesterday with a new sense of peace and feeling affirmed and really supported … I can't tell you how good it is to be able to talk to you..I come away from our chats feeling understood, supported and so much more able to deal with the challenges ... You just radiate knowledge, wisdom and God's peace and perspective - thank you so much’.

We REALLY value your ministry and professionalism. I hear from Partners time and time again how helpful they found their session(s) with you and how much even one session has helped them. :) Thank you!’

‘Many thanks for taking the time to debrief us yesterday. We both found the process helpful and affirming’

‘It was very easy and comfortable to sit and talk with you’

‘Thanks for a very good meeting yesterday. I appreciate your initiative in setting this up and running the meetings so effectively...Thank you for all your help and support this year. I know your wisdom and experience, willingness to see people and give advice has been so much appreciated by us all. I feel very secure with you to give back up and I am personally very grateful to you.

‘I appreciate and am grateful for your care, professional help, support, advice and encouragement. You display real member-care to me! Thank you’

‘Thanks so much for the training last week. It was really helpful and very informative’.

‘Thank you so much for giving me your time this morning. I feel very calm about things. It was lovely to have such a good listening ear with your wise and helpful advice’.

‘Thank you so much for the training day last Friday - it was great; I feel much more confident to do debriefing now’

‘I know that we both found our time with you, following our trip to India, so valuable and life giving, so thank you again’.

‘We know that many of our workers have been greatly helped at different times and value your ministry’.

‘Thanks for all you have been doing for us this year it is so appreciated’

‘I attended your debriefing mission personnel seminar on 21 June… I have found resettling difficult… The day helped me to get things into more perspective and to be easier on myself. It was good to meet some others in similar situations’.

‘Just wanted to say thank you for meeting with us … [we] found it incredibly helpful and a real blessing to be honest. We came away feeling significantly lighter and genuinely surprised by how much we needed and enjoyed it. Thank you!’

‘I cannot thank you enough for your patience and willingness to share your expertise and experience. There are several things in my notes I need to put in this computer that linger and have been a significant calming in our storm. Your conversation was extremely helpful to begin to bring other factors and balance to bear … I have been graciously afforded a much better understanding and much higher confidence from you in one Skype call, that what I believe to be true will be true; God will provide for and heal my daughter. … Thank you again David, your input has cleared much of the fog that has been 'grounding' life this past week. We are immediately applying some of your suggestions and will be carefully assessing each of our biases to under or overreact. in this situation. You have brought a new clarity to our situation and our family thanks you. … I look forward to your further input/questions. We deeply value your assessment of the health of the whole family. It is all of our desire to give {our daughter} the attention she needs, but to also return to serving and loving the precious people God has called us to’. (From a mission family overseas.)

‘Please let me say again how massively grateful we are. This was such a helpful, balanced, thoughtful letter that fully agreed with everything we felt and thought about the situation … we believe that your professional opinion, along with C’s pastoral oversight, have done the world of good for those making decisions … Bless you for your care and consideration in putting your letter together; we are very grateful for all the support that you give to our mission partners – seen and unseen – it is a significant blessing to the mission of the church’. (From a church, following our involvement in conflict resolution.)

‘We are very grateful to be able to send people to you and very much value you and your expertise, skill and experience. I believe you fulfill a unique role – psychological and (but not just) counselling support but with a Christian mission understanding too. Very rare from what I know... I am pleased that your geographical location has helped this time too’ (From Latin Link)

‘Thank you for incredible rich resource’ (from Kyrgyzstan).

‘Thank you for your rock solid support this year –We appreciate it more than you can imagine!’ (From Penhurst Retreat Centre)

‘You have been such a blessing in my life, i guess, you'll never know’ (Sierra Leonne)

Responses to our training in Egypt:

‘We have only had positive comments and it is great to have people that are equipped this way’ (from the organizer).

‘You have made a significant impact on the quality of our conversations here, both those who are expats and nationals, so many, many thanks’.

Responses to our training in Jordan:

‘It was a very valuable couple of days and I greatly appreciated all your wisdom and expertise’

‘We feel equipped to serve others better’

Feedback from training in Singapore: ‘The best thing that happened to me as a result of the seminar is the thought of seeing myself doing a ministry in member care. In fact, I believe that I have found my real calling and passion in it. It is something that I desire to develop as part of my current role in assisting our missionaries on the fields. Again, thank you for the wonderful ministry that you are doing in equipping workers like me so we can be more effective and useful in what God has called us to do’.

Feedback from training day for AIM: ‘On behalf of AIM Europe I just wanted to express our thanks for the excellent de-brief training day you ran on Tuesday. The way that you presented the vast amount of material and applied it into different situations was very helpful indeed; your sensitivity in responding to questions was great as well as your ‘role play’ section. Overall it was a very positive day which will help us as AIM bring a consistency and quality to our debriefing which we did not have before’.

Feedback from training in Dublin: ‘I will now ensure that all returning staff are given the time for a proper debrief’

Feedback from missionary who has just completed 8 months of therapy with Debbie (was suicidal on referral; now no longer depressed, and preparing to return overseas full of hope and faith): ‘You have been a life-saver’.

Award certificate sent to Debbie from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation for her contribution to debriefing states: ‘You make the difference’.

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