Struggles and Stigmas: Human Suffering and Healing Trauma Through Faith and Therapy

What is trauma? Before we get into the definition of trauma, let’s back it up a little. Your nervous system is wired to have a capacity, or a window of tolerance, where you feel safe, grounded, secure, calm, and able to respond appropriately to any given situation. This is called being in your ventral vagal state. Your nervous system sends signals to your brain and is constantly processing through life’s daily exposures scanning for signals of threat or danger for your brain to respond to. This is called neuroception, and it’s your body’s way of protecting you from harm. Neuroception is a subconscious bodily function that happens without you even realizing it. When you encounter something that feels too overwhelming, shocking, or painful, your brain is not able to process through the incident, which pushes you out of that window of tolerance either into the sympathetic state commonly referred to as fight or flight, or dorsal vagal shutdown, which is commonly described as a freeze state. Both of these are protective responses to traumatic situations. Your body is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. However, the problems arise when we get stuck in these states and are unable to return to the ventral vagal state, or window of tolerance.

Trauma can also be defined as a deeply distressing experience that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope, causing significant fear, helplessness, and/or dissociation. It disrupts the nervous system function and removes one’s sense of safety. It can also be defined as any negative event that leaves a long-lasting negative impact on an individual. There are few different ways to word it, but the bottom line is that trauma happens and when we are not equipped to handle the after-effects and long-term consequences it can have on our mind and body, we develop maladaptive responses even after the trauma is no longer occurring.

Where does trauma come from? Trauma can come from a single incident, a repeated incident, multiple incidences, or all of the above. There is no one size fits all with trauma because people respond differently to situations. What may be traumatic for one person may not be traumatic for another, and vice versa. This has to do with personality types, support systems, access to internal and external resources, and many other factors play into how someone might be affected by a situation. That is the therapist answer. The Bible says that pain and suffering are to be expected as a part of the human experience. The Bible obviously does not use the word “trauma,” but based off of the definitions we can see that many suffered unjustly, including Jesus Christ. Trauma is a result of the fall of humankind, the loss of innocence of man and free will, and the evil that lives in the flesh and has infiltrated all of God’s creation.

Role of Therapy in Healing Trauma

Historically, Christian perspective on therapy has been associated with a negative connotation in the sense of being told things like if we have enough faith, Jesus will heal everything, or believe in Jesus for complete healing, or having a relationship with Jesus means a changed life/changed behavior/changed circumstance etc. While there is some truth behind the change, the outward change looks different and comes across differently for everyone and that is between them and God, for it is the love of Christ that compels us to live differently since we believe in His death and resurrection (2 Cor. 14-15), and obedience comes from wanting to have fellowship with the Lord which happens over time and is not a “cure” for the human condition and suffering/trauma on this side of Heaven. It starts with understanding God’s grace and the human condition and knowing that God never promised to rid us of all struggles, rather He promised to be with us in the fire (Daniel 3:25), comfort us when we mourn (Psalm 34:18), and carry us when we are weak and tired (2 Corinthians 12:9). If you can understand this, then you can rest assured that therapy is a part of God’s provision to help us navigate the many challenges of life. Mental health struggles are not meant to be shameful; they are a way to highlight our need for a Savior and His desire to save us and when trauma happens, the Lord wants us to comfort one another just as He comforts us in our time of need. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

So then, what is therapy all about? It’s not exactly an answer to all of your questions, but it is a collaborative relationship with someone who is willing to sit with you in your doubt and fears and offer perspective, guidance, and exploration of the things you are scared to say out loud. Your therapist should be someone who offers a non-judgmental space for you to understand your feelings and give you space to feel all that you need to feel. Trauma happens unexpectedly, and that can leave lasting feelings of anger, sadness, and confusion… just to name a few.

Existential therapy is a psychotherapy (aka “talk” therapy) that emphasizes freedom to choose what to make of one’s circumstances and make one accountable for the consequences of those choices and actions. In other words, no matter what life throws at us, we always, because God is good, we always have the free will to choose how we will respond. We cannot control what comes our way, but we can choose what to do with it and how to live despite all of it. In addition, sometimes our own choices can contribute to the state of our suffering, and existential therapy helps to open our eyes to the responsibility of our actions and look at how our own behaviors, thoughts, responses, etc. are contributing to the longevity and severity of our circumstances. So, if trauma is nearly inevitable on this side of heaven, so it is with being allowed to author our own path according to God’s will and live with meaning and purpose in spite of oftentimes unchangeable suffering and trauma.

Another therapeutic modality that is compatible with trauma healing and faith is narrative therapy. Narrative therapy works with clients to help them tell their story from a different perspective, offering them a way out of internalizing themselves as the problem and focusing on the issue(s) as the cause of their strife, and not themselves as the problem. It’s an empathetic way to reframe thoughts, rephrase how they talk about the trauma, and ultimately rewrite their personal narrative and change the victim mindset to an overcomer’s mindset. In other words, you can embrace your struggles and live like a warrior who survived, instead of feeling small and defeated for the remainder of your time here on earth.

One more therapeutic approach to healing trauma is through EMDR therapy. EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. In my opinion, this is not the best name for this approach. It should be called BSDR, which would stand for bilateral stimulation desensitization and reprocessing. Eye movements are a form of bilateral stimulation, but there are other forms of bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation is used to allow both the left and the right sides of the brain to process through a traumatic memory. This can come in the form of eye movements, tapping, or handheld buzzers, just to name a few. As previously mentioned, trauma causes a disconnect in part of the brain that halts processing, and bilateral stimulation helps to progress the processing and integrate the fragmented and repetitious parts into your story of survival and allows the brain to do what it naturally wants to do – heal and repair itself. Neuroplasticity enables the brain to form new neural pathways and strengthen existing ones throughout life. The brain can and does change and rewire, and EMDR therapy helps to put this skill in motion as it engages both hemispheres of the brain. While most therapies are “talk” centered, EMDR is more about allowing your smart brain to do the work without words. In fact, you don’t even have to give all the details regarding your trauma if it feels too hard to speak out loud. Your brain will go where it needs to go, you just have to trust the process.

Honorable mentions of therapeutic modalities for trauma include, TF-CBT, DBT, and IFS. These focus on reframing thoughts, mindfulness, acceptance, and loving the parts of you that feel misunderstood, silenced, and/or useless. All parts of you are for a purpose, and nothing about you is a waste of time or space.

Power of faith

Now that we have covered some of the therapeutic benefits of healing trauma, let’s talk a bit about the power of faith in healing trauma. We know that God gives therapy as an option to have support as we encounter and address really hard things, but that doesn’t mean that God abandons us in those hardships or that He doesn’t want us to come to Him and receive his abundant love and compassion. Alongside therapy, prayer and meditating on the Word of God can provide the greatest relief, regardless of whether or not our circumstances are actively changing. When you pray, are you asking for God to intervene, or are you asking God to show His love for you in tangible ways in this season? God does not usually respond to our demands for change or of asking WHY. He does respond in His timing to show you that He still cares and was with you all along (Job- the whole book, actually) and that He continues to be with us even in our deepest sorrows (Psalm 13). The Bible tells us that we can take our thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5) so that they don’t control us, and that when we think of what is true and praiseworthy and put those things into practice, the peace of God which surpasses human understanding will be with us (Philippians 4:8-9). The Bible as a whole helps us find meaning in our suffering and peace despite unjustified trauma and difficulties. The power of faith is in knowing that the suffering is temporary (2 Cor. 4:17), that we can live free here and now (John 8:36), and the eternal hope in knowing that one day all suffering will be diminished for good (Revelation 21:4).

Integrating Faith and Therapy

Living life on this side of Heaven is sure to bring us heartache and hard times. But God gives us ways of coping and life skills to help us regulate emotions and get through the storms of life. Therapy is a tool to help us understand more of ourselves and faith is God’s way of helping us understand more of Him. Put the two together and you have the recipe for what God wants you to have- an abundant and free life eternally. Forever starts now! But what about the guilt and shame we hold on to because of our struggles? What about the hinderance it puts on our Christian walk? Listen up, because I’ve got some news that may change your whole perspective on the burdens you carry.

Guilt and shame come from expectations. We are expected, whether it be by fellow humans (who also sin in many ways) or by ourselves, not to struggle or wrestle with things that keep us in misery. We are told to pray and read the Bible because people can’t handle our big emotions and hard questions. But know that God can handle and welcomes those thoughts and feelings. Our limitations don’t change His love for us or how He sees us. He wants to use our struggles to make us more like Him. If trauma has consumed your life due to choices you have made, please know that mercy and compassion are waiting for you at the feet of Jesus. He is not going to reject you no matter the agony. You’re never too far gone. In fact, sometimes the closer we get to Jesus the more He brings our struggles to the surface so that we can surrender them to Him. Sometimes we are reminded of past hurts because He wants us to forgive someone like He has forgiven us. Sometimes we are held to the flames because He wants to shape us into the person He created us to be. It might seem unfair in the moment, but in hindsight you’ll be able to see the hand of God in every detail even if the outcome still isn’t what you would prefer. God is the God of redemption and through our struggles and trauma, we can strengthen our faith and hold on endlessly to the hope that through these things, God reveals Himself to us in ways we never could have grasped without the darkness that penetrates our lives at times. (Job 42:5). For where there is darkness, the light shines even brighter.

Conclusion

Healing trauma through faith and therapy comes with many benefits. If you are struggling alone, please know that help is available. Find a therapist that is willing to explore faith and doubt and listen to you even when it’s hard. Discover new ways of self-care, healthy coping skills, and learn how to understand where behavioral patterns originated. Learn how to embrace change and overcome fears. Learn how to trust God in the process and deepen your relationship with Him as you learn to walk out your faith and heal from trauma. Most of all, be patient with yourself and give yourself permission to slow down as you learn how to put the pieces back together with help from a licensed professional and empathy from a loving Father.

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