What Does Being Trauma-informed Have to Do with Church? Part 3
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When it comes to trauma - something 70% of our population has or is experiencing, your church, your workplace, your community may not be as safe as you think it is. In fact, there’s a good chance it’s not all that safe at all.
This is part three of a series of articles focused on the overwhelming impact of trauma in the lives of people - in our culture, in our neighborhood, in our workplace and in our church. You can catch up here (part 1) and here (part 2).
As a quick summary - churches and organizations who are trauma-informed will…
Realize the widespread impact of trauma and understand potential paths for recovery;
Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system;
Respond by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices and
Seek to actively resist re-traumatization.
To be trauma-informed is to carefully and honestly evaluate your willingness to embrace and practice the following six key factors in creating pathways toward overcoming the adverse impact of trauma.
Safety: People feel safe - psychologically and physically. They feel safe in interpersonal encounters and/or conversations and comments they overhear.
Ask of yourself and your church/organization:
Are jokes or inappropriate comments made about suicidal thoughts or intentions? “Makes me want to cut my wrist.” “I’m gonna jump off a ledge.” “I just want to kill myself.” “I have problems too, but I don’t want to kill myself.”
What comments are made related to mental illness - joking or unaware? “She belongs in a loony bin.” “There are meds for that.” “He’s psycho.” “He needs to man-up and stop being so emotional.” “There’s a diagnosis for everything today; people just want an excuse for their behavior.”
What generalizations or insensitive comments are made about trauma? “Everybody wants to blame someone else for their problems - like the Me Too movement.” “If you can’t prove it, stop talking about it.” “I had a tough time as kid too; you don’t see me crying about it.” “Sin is sin. Stop blaming your parents for your bad behavior.
And of course, the well-intended but over-spiritualized, insensitive, uncaring comments like: “Give it to God.” “God doesn’t want you living in the past.” “God redeems everything.” “Have you asked what you can learn from your hurt and pain?” “Let’s get you in a support group with other people who are struggling too.” “You need to trust more; have more faith.” “Is there sin you need to repent of?”
Trustworthiness and Transparency: Operations, processes and decisions are managed with transparency in a way that builds trust.
People who are hurt, frightened and struggling with mental illness due to trauma often wrestle with risks of more hurt - from family, friends, institutions - even churches. Maybe especially churches.
Efforts to hide, downplay or ignore sexual misconduct among staff and leaders only reinforces the message victims of such abuse have come to believe: predators and violators will be protected, even empowered to continue their harmful behavior.
Peer Support: Healing is possible and more likely when those who have lived through trauma find and relate to others who have had similar experiences.
Is trauma talked about in such a way that sharing one’s story is normalized?
Are there safe spaces for stories to be shared and mutual self-help to be explored?
Is peer support only available “down the hall” with other “broken” people or will those suffering from trauma also find safety in small groups, staff meetings and other appropriate gatherings?
Collaboration and Mutuality: Safety and healing takes place in environments where hierarchal structures have been leveled.
One doesn’t have to be the lead pastor or the CEO or the staff counselor to offer help to others. Anyone can come alongside another person.
People don’t want or need a hero; they want and need another human being.
They don’t want someone with all the answers; they want people who will hear their questions.
People do not have to be in healing professions to offer healing.
Empowerment, Voice, and Choice: People are invited into the process of healing, controlling their own recovery process.
Leaders and staff feel the unifying power of acknowledging and sharing their own trauma.
People experience their strengths being called out and built upon, strengthening their sense of personal power.
People have choice about how they go about their healing.
Cultural, Historical, and Gender Issues: The organization’s ability to respond with grace and care is not impeded by cultural stereotypes and biases related to gender-identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, age or geography.
Fully aware of your theological posture, your own point of privilege, your personal upbringing or your inability to put yourself in another’s shoes- how do you talk about, how do you speak to, how do you invite conversation in a way that is respectful of every person’s dignity as an image-bearer of God? Is your space a safe place for people to bring their whole self into the community?
Do you provide your own platform or make referral to other groups, providing access to gender responsive services?
How do you set up processes and practices that are responsive to race, culture and ethnicity, along with historical trauma?
How are you doing? What do you need to address? Whose help do you need from those outside your church or organization to unbiasedly evaluate and make recommendations for developing a truly trauma-informed culture and community?
