THE CHURCH’S ROLE IN TRAUMA INFORMED CARE

Blessed be the God ... of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction,
so that we may be to able comfort those who are in any affliction,
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
(2 Corinthians 1:3-4, RSV)

One of the reasons people come to a church is to find healing, understanding, and ways to help others find a sense of peace and comfort. Many of us arrive with past or ongoing trauma hoping to find sanctuary, but not knowing how or whether it is safe to ask for help. As a reflection of God’s love, we commit to learning the complexities of trauma and overwhelming experiences to create a more trustworthy and safer faith community where we support one another and promote healing. 


As part of our commitment to becoming a trauma responsive church:



1.  We acknowledge the wounds and overwhelming experiences that impact health, relationships, and connection to the Divine.


2.  Rooted in Christ’s love, we learn to listen and respond compassionately to suffering.


3.  We deepen our congregation’s capacity to care and enhance levels of understanding and skill to respond to wounds of all kinds and systems that cause harm.

WHAT IS TRAUMA?

The word trauma means ‘wound’ in Greek. It can be experienced as something physically or emotionally harmful or threatening that overwhelms our ability to cope. It can have temporary or lasting effects on our ability to function and on our physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. Simply put, trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms us. 

The following is adapted from SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach prepared by their Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative, July 2014.


THE THREE “E’S” OF TRAUMA: EVENT(S), EXPERIENCES OF EVENT(S), AND EFFECT

Why is it that two siblings who grow up in the same circumstances can have different manifestations in adulthood of their adverse childhood experiences? The church should understand that individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

The long-lasting effects of an event can include neurobiological changes to an individual resulting in adverse physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Whether in childhood or beyond, every individual experiences adverse events differently. How the individual labels, assigns meaning to, and is disrupted physically and psychologically by an event will contribute to whether or not it is experienced as traumatic. When an event overwhelms people so much they can’t cope, it’s traumatic. This often leads to feelings of guilt, humiliation, shame, and betrayal resulting in distrust and the inability to reach out for help.

Events may include threat of or actual physical or psychological harm or severe, life threatening neglect that endangers the healthy development of a child. Events and circumstances may consist of a single occurrence or be a repeating set of occurrences over time.



THE FOUR “R’’S”: KEY ASSUMPTIONS IN A TRAUMA INFORMED APPROACH

A church that is trauma-informed:

1.  Realizes the widespread impact of trauma on individuals within and without the church and understands potential paths for recovery.


2.  Recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in the children, women, and men it serves as well as the effects that living with a traumatized family member has on all family members and relationships.


3.  Responds to the needs of its congregation and community by fully integrating knowledge of trauma into the planning of ministries, policies, and stewardship of the church's resources.


4.  Resists re-traumatization of individuals. Re-traumatization can occur when recognition of trauma is not combined with compassion and de-stigmatization of mental health treatment. Recognizing how organizational practices may trigger painful memories and re-traumatize individuals with trauma histories is especially important.

Share by: