In this past year I have been wondering how my own journey of healing and integration led me into recognising the impact of spiritual abuse in my life - both as survivor and unwitting perpetrator. And maybe some of you who have been following my content for more than a year have wondered the same thing.
This post is my first attempt at articulating the connections that I have been making between my ongoing interior integration journey and spiritual abuse. When I trace my journey over time, it seems to be a natural and inevitable trajectory.
Of course this may not be the case or happen in the same way for others. But based on the growing number of stories that have been shared with me, I have a feeling that many of us who are on the interior integration journey will bump up at some point with not only trauma but spiritual/religious trauma… and as we open up our experiences of spiritual and religious trauma we will encounter how spiritual abuse has been and is present in our lives.
Learning the language around spiritual abuse especially in the context of the Catholic experience of faith has been one of the most significant turning points of my interior journey to date. I continue to repent of my complicity in it in my past even as I learn to extend compassion to myself as a survivor. It is here that I am encountering Christ Crucified in a whole new way and discovering his love and mercy.
In this current season of the Becoming Me podcast, I have been opening up more facets of spiritual abuse. In my latest episode I share how I realised that some of the ways I used to "use my gifts for God's Kingdom" fell short of respecting the dignity of people's freedom and conscience and what I have done to change that.
In this podcast episode, I build on my last episode’s discussion of how culture, disembodied faith, and trauma contribute to an environment conducive to spiritual abuse. I delve into the responsible use of power and influence, sharing personal insights and experiences.
I discuss how, even with good intentions, we can unintentionally harm others by imposing ourselves and violating the sacred freedom of another person’s conscience that even God respects. I offer tips for exercising influence in a non-coercive and respectful manner, emphasising the importance of honouring each person's freedom and dignity.
Trauma-Informed Coaching for Spiritual Abuse Survivors
Every now and then I receive inquiries as to whether I provide individual coaching for survivors of spiritual trauma or abuse. I don't - it has been increasingly clear in my discernment that my call is less towards one-to-one accompaniment of any kind and more towards creating interior space through my content and teaching for healing and transformation to take place in individuals.
However, I am very happy to share that Paul Fahey whose Spiritual Abuse Workshops I have shared as a resource in the past has launched a new consolidated ministry - Living Solidarity - and provides online trauma-informed life coaching for survivors of spiritual abuse and abuse of conscience.
If you or anyone you know may be looking for one-to-one accompaniment with someone who is trauma-informed and really understands spiritual abuse, do check out Paul's new website and consider making an enquiry with Paul!
Journeying with you as always,
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