What if Your Story Includes Religious Trauma?
Trauma in the Pews 2.0 Section I: Chapter Three
The third chapter of Trauma in the Pews 2.0 asks the question, “What if Your Story Includes Religious Trauma?” The content from the chapter was developed into a series of posts that includes those listed here. There are additional posts available under the Religious Trauma category. This post includes the final section and conclusion of the chapter.
Healing the Physical Impact of Religious Trauma
The effect of religious trauma on the body is the least understood impact. In a sociological survey conducted by the Global Center for Religious Research (GCRR), the respondents were asked if they had suffered any of the following six trauma-related symptoms connected to their religious experiences: Anxiety, stress, fear, depression, shame, or nightmares. The study concluded that 37% of the respondents (representative of the population as a whole) suffered from three of the six symptoms.* All of these symptoms are physical manifestations of trauma.
You may have been told that accessing counseling outside of a church will destroy your faith—especially if it is secular therapy. Those who do access therapy find the very opposite to be true. Therapy will not destroy your faith. What it will help you do is to recognize and deconstruct toxic teachings that may be preventing you from processing the trauma in your body.
As stated in Trauma in the Pews, survivors “who are trying to keep their faith intact often believe that will only happen if they work with a Christian therapist, unwittingly seeking help that may add another layer of pain—usually due to a lack of understanding of the impact of trauma—especially when it is religious trauma.” Any therapy religious or otherwise that doesn’t address releasing trauma from the body will not be fully effective.
Currently, not all therapists are equipped to address the nuances of religious trauma. (see resources below). I have been encouraged by the number of therapists, counselors, and coaches who have read Trauma in the Pews to gain a better understanding of religious trauma for their clients. We are turning the tide, and this increases the number who can find healing!
Viewing the physical impact of religious trauma is an essential element in developing Healing as a Spiritual Practice. What may have begun as a part of your spiritual experience that you turned to for hope, instead traumatized you (overwhelmed your nervous system). The physical impact of religious trauma may be preventing you from accessing spiritual practices.
Conclusion
Even though my young life included trauma inflicted by church members, it also included nurturing support from my father and other members. While my childhood trauma caused me to be vulnerable as an adult, the Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE) in the church also provided a buffer. Two of these buffers that are included in the research on this topic are “participating in community traditions” and “having at least two non-parent adults who took a genuine interest in me” (source). I am grateful for experiences like these. It is important for those who grew up in churches to see the benefits while also acknowledging the harm. Many I talk to desire these same experiences for their children but are struggling to find safe communities.
I believe faith communities can provide safe spaces for survivors who are healing. Recognizing what spaces are safe for you requires acknowledging what has harmed you—without diminishing it. Religious trauma isn’t church hurt, something that might apply to a conflict between two church members on equal standing. If one person has physical, emotional, or spiritual control over you and prevents you from making independent decisions, it is abusive.
Attempting to follow the spiritual practices promoted in a church where you were harmed is daunting if not impossible. You may have struggled because of your childhood trauma, but now the practices are connected to toxic church dynamics. There is no such thing as proceeding as usual after religious trauma. This does not mean spiritual practices are not possible or beneficial, they may simply need to be approached in non-traditional forms.
Increasingly, the effects of being retraumatized by harmful teachings and a lack of compassion are forcing many to leave the church where they came to find hope. This may be true for you. It is also true that many who leave one community desire to find another, while some will never return.
How to navigate the impact of religious trauma will be discussed further in Section III, but for now, it is important to remember how trauma impacts the body. It is a mistake to believe that religious trauma is primarily a faith issue. We are spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical beings.
Healing cannot happen unless the physical impact of trauma is addressed.
*Percentage of U.S. Adults Suffering from Religious Trauma: A Sociological Study, SHERM 5/1 (2023): 1‒28
Resources:
Thank you to Rebekah Drumsta, MA, Certified Life Coach.
Defining Spiritual Abuse, Religious Trauma, and Adverse Religious Experiences
10 Questions to Ask When Seeking a Therapist Who Is Religious Trauma Informed
Note: Section II: Supporting Your Healing of Trauma with Spiritual Practices includes three chapters that explain the principles behind a trauma-sensitive foundation. These will be posted as public content and a series of practical applications along with discussion questions will be available for paid subscribers. There will also be an opportunities for Zoom conversations for paid subscribers. Supporting my work through paid subscriptions will help me stay ahead of the rising cost of being an author and encouraging others on their healing journeys—both my WIX website and Zoom have upcoming cost increases!