Delegates heard from from Dr Kathryn Whyte, clinical psychologist and clinic lead at Beacon House therapeutic services in Chichester. She explained about different types of trauma, including pre-birth events, developmental trauma, post-traumatic stress, complex trauma, marginalisation and religious trauma.

She said that periods of moderate stress are not in themselves a problem. They help us to prepare for adult life, helping us to work out how to solve problems, and to repair ‘ruptures’ in our lives. But she explained that prolonged, unpredictable stress without the presence of a safe adult – abuse, neglect or an unresolved traumatic incident – could lead to developmental trauma. Children who have experienced this may have fight or flight responses, can disconnect from real life, can struggle to manage emotions, or can show their stress through their behaviour.

Kathryn said that a trauma-informed approach by family, society and church can all help recovery. What can help is a safe, predictable, consistent environment, where someone doesn’t feel judged and knows they are loved. Those who have suffered trauma may not need immediate reassurance – what can help is first to accept that their experience was a traumatic one. They also need to know that when things go wrong, forgiveness and repair can translate into still feeling welcome.

Delegates also heard from Joanna Douglas, an SEMH school teacher who is studying for a PhD in the theology of trauma. She talked about Imago Dei, the idea that humankind is made in the image of God, which is fundamental to our sense of identity. For those who have suffered trauma and feel broken, it is often difficult to imagine how that broken self can really be made in the image of a perfect God.

It is compounded by our understanding of sin – many trauma survivors feel sinful, even if the trauma was not their fault. That can lead to a sense of shame, which forces the person into a deep and concealed silence about what has happened. Trauma survivors may even have cried out to God for the trauma to cease. So when it doesn’t stop, they conclude that God is unable to do so, God chooses not to stop it, or that God doesn't exist.

However, Joanna explained that we actually worship a traumatised God. We tend to portray the Cross as a victorious moment when Jesus brought salvation, but his trial and execution were traumatic events. Holy Saturday is a day of death that resonates for trauma survivors. And on Easter Sunday, Jesus could have been resurrected with a perfect body. But the risen Christ appears with visible wounds. His healing came in an imperfect form.

That means that if a trauma survivor gets a chance to be reconstructed, it means – like Jesus – they don’t go back to the pre-trauma state, but become a new person with post-trauma growth as integral. That reconstruction has to start with an acceptance of the trauma itself, but not accepting that is your whole identity. Christians trying to engineer immediate ‘healing’ for that traumatised person may also be counter-productive – it can take a long time walking alongside them for change to happen.

Joanna explained that a trauma-informed Church is one where people can find the following five things:

1. Safety: the traumatised person has to feel safe.
2. Choice: they need autonomy over their own healing journey.
3. Collaboration: they are not a project to ‘fix’. We should not do things to that person, but do things with them.
4. Trustworthiness: we need to be transparent and consistent with the person. We need to have confidentiality, but also be clear when and to what extent some concerns need to be shared with others.
5. Empowerment: It is their own journey, so we can’t take it over. We need to walk alongside people, and then empower them to be able to function without us.