Church as a Trauma-Informed Sanctuary for Youth

Jessica Nolin and Fred Chou, PhD, RPsychBlog, Church, Youth

Youth and young adulthood can be a tumultuous time for many, but support from peers and adults can help set any young person onto a path of flourishing. In recent years, the public has become increasingly aware of the detrimental effects of psychological trauma in the lives of children and youth. A young person who is affected by trauma carries the additional burden of cognitive, relational, physical, and mental health impacts. Because of this, it is important for adults in the lives of young people to have an awareness of trauma and to know how to build safety in their relationships with youth. This blog post presents considerations for youth ministry leaders on how to make ministry spaces more trauma-informed, handle disclosures of trauma, and recognize if a young person has experienced something traumatic. 

Acknowledge the Reality of Trauma

The first step toward supporting young people who have had a traumatic experience is to acknowledge the legitimacy of trauma as a widespread issue. The concept of trauma refers to the experience of a highly distressing event or series of events that can impact a person’s capacity to cope or return to a sense of safety and calm. Traumatic events can be situations such as the exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.1 There is a highly individualized component to trauma; if two people experience the same highly distressing event, one person may be unaffected in the long-term while the other develops an extensive trauma reaction. Children may be more sensitive to trauma than adults as they generally have higher survival needs and a less developed coping and self-regulatory capacity. Some studies indicate that more than half the population in North America has sustained some form of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)—potentially traumatic events that occur during childhood such as abuse (physical, emotional, sexual), neglect, and household dysfunction.2,3,4 There are many factors which influence whether a person will be negatively impacted by a distressing event, but generally traumatic stress is mitigated in large part by the support a survivor finds in family and community relationships.

Recognize the Signs of Trauma

Trauma can impact individuals behaviourally, emotionally, spiritually, and cognitively. Some symptoms of trauma include intrusive memories, avoidance of reminders of the traumatic incident, negative changes in thoughts and mood, and changes to physical and emotional reactions.5 For youth, this may also look like difficulty in connecting with peers, struggling to cope with stressful situations, and being highly irritable or sensitive to what’s happening around them. One of the challenges of identifying the signs of trauma impact is that it may look like other issues. So, how can you tell whether or not a young person finds connecting with peers challenging due to trauma? While it isn’t your role to diagnose, it can be helpful to note when changes in behaviour follow exposure to traumatic events. 

Provide a Supportive Response

Church communities and youth ministries can be sources of great comfort, connection, burden-sharing, and the recovery of meaning for many who experience traumatic events.6 Because of this, some survivors may feel safe enough to disclose their experiences in a church or youth ministry environment. However, the sensitive and powerful nature of trauma can make it difficult and intimidating to address. Thus, it is highly important for every adult supporting young people to have some idea of how to respond in a strength-based, nurturing way. Here are some brief tips for responding to a disclosure of trauma.

Do: 

  • Listen empathetically: Let the youth know that you believe their story, that they are not at fault for what happened, and that they need not be defined by it.
  • Remain grounded: Unsupportive responses generally arise from our own discomfort. Holding space for emotions rather than rushing into comfort or action can be difficult, but it is the best response possible. 
  • Prioritize confidentiality: Confidentiality in these situations is important. If the disclosure is made in a group setting, ensure that everyone present understands the need for trust and confidentiality. However, it is also important to note that for most adults working with youth in church settings, disclosures related to abuse or threat of harm to self/others must be reported to the appropriate authorities. In these cases, confidentiality can’t be promised to the young person.
  • Respect boundaries: Most events which cause trauma involve taking power and agency from the survivor. Because of this, it is important that survivors’ choices and boundaries are respected. Nobody should be pressured into telling all details of their story, taking any particular course of action, or even naming the event as “trauma,” if they do not do so already.
  • Make referrals: Refer to appropriate resources if desired by the youth (e.g., counselling supports). Sanctuary has designed an editable template for creating a referral list of mental health professionals in your community that you can fill out to have ready when someone requests a referral. 
  • Practice self-care: Hearing stories related to trauma can be distressing for the listener. It can be beneficial to engage in a self-care activity that is restorative and supports your emotional processing. Some people find it helpful to debrief with a leader or mental health professional to process their experience.

Don’t: 

  • Minimize or over-spiritualize: In your desire to comfort the young person in front of you, you may find yourself reaching for familiar platitudes (e.g., “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle”) or Bible verses (e.g., “be anxious for nothing”). Although the intent may be to comfort the survivor, these responses can unwittingly send the message that the survivor is overreacting or their pain is invalid.7 Instead, focus on listening and offering the young person as much space as they need to communicate their pain. 
  • Ignore it: A check-in shows you care, whether you suspect trauma or there has been a direct disclosure. 

Prioritize and Foster Safety 
Trauma involves real or perceived threat to safety in the past, present, and possibly the future. To prioritize the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual safety of all people in the ministry environment, several elements bear consideration. There are the obvious pieces of creating a space that is warm and welcoming, secure and free of harm, with leaders and volunteers that are friendly, humble, and accountable. Beyond these lie less obvious considerations such as creating a consistent environment for those who have had unpredictable lives, providing a retreat space for individuals who can be easily overstimulated, and having a response plan in place for leaders who notice when someone is emotionally overwhelmed or experiencing a mental health crisis. A vetting and warning process for program content (videos, sermons, testimonies) is also beneficial so that individuals who might be adversely impacted by the content can choose to leave or skip an event.8 These are just a few suggestions for fostering the safety of all involved in youth support and/or ministry. 

Protecting the survivor and potential future victims: In Canada and many other countries, it is the legal duty of adults to report concerns of abuse or neglect of children and youth to relevant authorities. Depending on where you are located it is important to be aware of who to contact if there concern for the youth’s safety or that of other children whose safety may be threatened. 

A Final Consideration 

This blog post is not an exhaustive overview of trauma-informed ministry. There are many other considerations, such as the unique ways in which trauma affects different communities, and its broad systemic impact (e.g., historical and intergenerational trauma). It is also not meant to replace sound professional mental health support. We encourage you to seek professional help if there are clear concerns of trauma impacting the lives of your youth. 

Creating a trauma-informed church is just one part of an effort to address trauma in the broader community. Although not everyone is traumatized, the high percentage of trauma exposure in the general population invites us to apply trauma-informed concepts as a guide. This can be one way that we live out the command to love our neighbours as ourselves: it invites us to learn about our neighbour’s experiences, including potential experiences of trauma, and offer informed support. The benefits of increasing applications of trauma-informed measures far outweigh any inconvenience; helping all people to feel safe and connected is, indeed, the mission of Christ and the Church. 

Relevant Resources 

[1]  Chou, Fred, “Trauma: A Primer,” Arbour Counselling Centre, accessed October 10, 2024, https://www.arbourcounselling.ca/post/trauma-a-primer.

[2]  England-Mason, Gillian, Rebecca Casey, Mark Ferro, Harriet L. MacMillan, Lil Tonmyr, and Andrea Gonzalez, “Child Maltreatment and Adult Multimorbidity: Results from the Canadian Community Health Survey,” Canadian Journal of Public Health 109, (May 2018): 561-572, doi: https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0069-y.

[3] Gentile, Sonia, “Introduction to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs),” Horizons 2, (2022): 2-4, https://familymedicine.queensu.ca/source/Family%20Medicine/Horizons%20September%202022F.pdf.

[4] Madigan, Sheri, Audrey-Ann Deneault, Nicole Racine, Julianna Park, Raela Thiemann, Jenney Zhu, Gina Dimitropoulos, Tyler Williamson, Pasco Fearon, Jude Mary Cénat, Sheila McDonald, Chloe Devereux, and Ross D. Neville, “Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Meta-analysis of Prevalence and Moderators Among Half a Million Adults in 206 Studies,” World Psychiatry, 22, no. 3, (October 2023): 463–471, https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.21122.

[5] “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Mayo Clinic, accessed September 20, 2024, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967.

[6] Crosby III, Robert G., Erin I. Smith, Jeffrey Gage, and Leon Blanchette, “Trauma-Informed Children’s Ministry: A Qualitative Descriptive Study,” Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma 14, no. 4 (2021): 493-505, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-020-00334-w.

[7] Palmer, Rodney A., “Best-Practices for Trauma-Informed Preaching,” Ministry: International Journal for Pastors, 93 no. 11 (November 2021): 18, https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pubs/4245. 

[8] Palmer, Rodney A., “Best-Practices for Trauma-Informed Preaching,” Ministry: International Journal for Pastors, 93 no. 11 (November 2021): 18, https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pubs/4245.

Header photo by Ross Sneddon on Unsplash

JESSICA NOLIN

Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioural Science and is completing a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology on Vancouver Island. Her research focuses on healing from religious trauma, and she is dedicated to promoting equity and mental health within church communities. Following a path she began as a youth ministry volunteer, Jessica combines her academic pursuits with her passion for helping others navigate their mental health journeys. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, spending time with friends (human and otherwise), and exploring creative outlets through crafting.

FRED CHOU, PhD, RPsych

Fred Chou (周敏浩) is an assistant professor in counselling psychology at the University of Victoria and a Registered Psychologist. He completed his Masters at Trinity Western University and his Ph.D. in Counselling Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Prior to his academic position, Fred has worked as a clinician supporting children and youth with complex developmental trauma, trauma-exposed professionals, and university students. As a second generation Chinese Canadian, Fred is passionate about honouring cultural worldviews in the applications of mental health and bridging generational differences in Asian communities. His areas of research and clinical interests include mental health of Asian Canadians, intergenerational trauma, spirituality and counselling, and youth mental health literacy.