Do you ever feel that you must put a mask on in church? “I’m fine” “God is good” All this might be true but underneath there may be trauma, loss and deep pain. Questions and disappointment leading to doubt and insecurity or even a questioning of our faith. We need to talk about the ashes. The reality is that trauma happens and the statistics are high. Rejection, abuse, relationship breakdown, bereavement or other forms of adversity. Hard though it may be, we need to ask those

Self-care is a fundamental part of being trauma-informed. When we are not looking after our own wellbeing, it can affect how we respond to others, making it harder to remain patient, compassionate, and regulated. Without recognising and addressing our own needs, we may unintentionally react in ways that are less helpful or even contribute to re-traumatising the very people we are trying to support. Prioritising self-care is not a luxury; it is an essential responsibility that

Many of us carry assumptions about God that have been shaped by our own experiences of parents, carers, or authority figures. We may imagine God as distant, disappointed, hard to please, abusive, or uninterested in the details of our lives. This then has a profound impact on our faith, with passages like the one below sitting uncomfortably as we see it through our own experience. For many with attachment wounds, hearing of God as father will create a sense of deep discomfort.

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the statement “belong before believe.” I remember as a little girl I had the privilege of belonging to a Christian family. I also remember making a clear decision for myself to follow Jesus. Becoming a Christian is a matter of faith in the saving power of Jesus, but the way in which everyone reaches that point is different. For most people, it starts with lots of small steps towards faith. From my experience, it usually starts with a sense of

When it comes to healing, we often strive to get back to the place we were in before the trauma happened. For those who have carried the weight of emotional or physical pain for years, the dream is often a "blank slate"—a version of ourselves where the struggle is simply gone. I often find myself reflecting on the hope that one day, our bodies and minds will be made completely new, and the weight of these 'scars' will finally lift. But then I remember Easter. After Jesus ros

Last week marked Children’s Mental Health Week, and the theme this year was "This is My Place." For a child to thrive, they need to feel a deep sense of belonging - a feeling that they are safe, valued, and seen in the spaces they inhabit every day. For many children, however, a sense of belonging is difficult to find. When a child has experienced trauma or Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the world can feel like an unpredictable and threatening place. Instead of feeli

There’s a small, easily overlooked verse tucked away in the middle of a long genealogy in the book of 1 Chronicles. It’s about a man called Jabez. We’re told, almost in passing, that he was born into pain. Even his name reflects it. And then, just as quietly, we’re told that everything changed. Jabez prayed a simple prayer: “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause