#shorts
The road to recovery from religious trauma can be a long and difficult one. For those who want to help, there are things you should avoid saying that can unintentionally make the situation worse.
For starters, telling them to pray and that it will all go away is not helpful. It’s about as invalidating as asking them if they’re sure something happened to begin with.
Additionally, telling someone to have more faith or not to let Satan get a foothold can make them feel like they’re not doing enough or that their trauma is their fault (which is absolutely untrue).
Finally, suggesting they keep what happened between you and them is silencing and unsupportive. This communicates that you’re uncomfortable talking about the topic because you think it’s something shameful or unimportant.
It’s important to believe what survivors of religious trauma tell you, even if you don’t understand everything they experienced. Often, it’s better to just listen and admit that it’s okay to not know what to say.
If you’re facing religious trauma, you don’t have to “keep it between you and someone else.” You can keep it between you and a trusted therapist who can listen, support, *and* validate.
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