Healing What’s Within: Why Trauma-Informed Care is Vital for the Modern Church
By Evan Marbury
Evan Marbury is a pastor and licensed trauma therapist, and is the author of Understanding Trauma and Resilience (Baker Academic). He has taught in a variety of institutions and organizations including Belhaven University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Cru.
In every congregation, beneath the smiles and Sunday greetings, many people carry untold stories of life-altering pain. Trauma, no matter its origins, shapes not only the mind but also the body, relationships and spiritual life.
For Christians committed to embodying the compassion of Christ, understanding trauma is not optional; it is a necessary expression of love. Jesus consistently drew near to the wounded, responding with tenderness, protection and truth. To follow him faithfully requires that we become communities where those who suffer are seen, believed and gently accompanied toward healing.
Understanding Trauma
A trauma-informed Christian recognizes that wounded people are not problems to fix but image bearers whose bodies and nervous systems have adapted for survival. Trauma changes how we perceive safety, trust others and experience God. Without this awareness, churches may unintentionally harm individuals through shame, spiritual cliches or expectations that healing must happen quickly.
Understanding trauma invites us to slow down, honor the pace of the wounded, and cultivate spaces marked by safety, predictability and patient discipleship. It also deepens our theology: Lament becomes a richer practice, the lifeline through which God meets his people in the dark.
