So, why have I led with two origin stories about abuse by a Christian husband and abuse by a church pastor?
It is because the very first principle in the Six Guiding Principles for a Trauma Informed Approach is creating a place of Safety for the traumatized.
A church should be a safe place. A sanctuary. One of the definitions of "sanctuary" is "A place of refuge and protection."
So, in dealing with trauma, a church needs to be a safe. But unfortunately many church are not safe. Sadly, many churches are places that cause trauma or spiritual abuse.
Any church wanting to be trauma informed needs to be aware that trauma does not just happen on the battle field, in back alleys, and in abusive home. Some trauma comes from the very institutions that claim to be sanctuaries.
Churches that actually are safe need to recognized that new people coming in may have a history of spiritual trauma and may not automatically see your church as safe. They need time to experience your church and see for themselves whether you are safe or not. You telling them your church is a safe place is not enough and might even appear to be a red flag to the traumatized.
There are several steps to help a church be better at being safe for trauma victims.
The article linked below goes into more detail:
Creating a Safe Church: What to Say, What to Do, and What to Stop
Healing cannot begin until Safety is achieved. If there is no Safety, the traumatized will remain in survival mode.
