Sacred Wounds: A Path to Healing from Spiritual Trauma

by Teresa B. Pasquale, Teresa B. Pasquale

Trauma therapist Teresa Pasquale Mateus offers healing exercises, true-life examples, and life-giving discussion for anyone suffering from the very real pain of church hurt. Pasquale, a trauma survivor herself, understands the immeasurable value of our wounds once we've acknowledged them and recovered in community. That's why the wounds are "sacred," and the hope this book offers is a powerful message to anyone suffering from this widespread problem.



This book explores the nature of emotional wounds, trauma, and spiritual hurt that come from negative religious experience. Some of the features are:



Stories from a wide range of persons hurt by negative religious experience



Healing and contemplative practices to help readers explore their own spiritual story and practical ways to move towards personal healing



A journey through the experience of trauma in religious settings and how it is both relatable to other forms of trauma and distinctive -- outlining both facets



An exploration of the author's own personal and professional understanding of hurt, trauma, PTSD, and the power of resiliency and healing

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Religion, Psychology, Theology, Faith, Mental Health

184 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2015

Reviews

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a peculiar field of books in that browsing the "related" or "similar" books nets you dramatically different results--some resolutely within a faith tradition and some resolutely against. I appreciated that this book was intentional about offering itself to people on both sides of this subtle (but frighteningly impactful) divide. Even though these distinctions matter greatly to the individual (for valid reasons) I believe we still have more in common as fellow humans than we have differences. I also appreciated hearing from a woman of color who seemed to me intentional about sharing stories from diverse people.

I appreciated that this book was not only about the catharsis of identifying a problem, but had activities and such to aid in the recovery process. I tend to skip activities in a desire to get through and understand the work as a whole, but I plan on going back and thinking more about them.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for members of faith communities. We need to better understand the people who our faith has harmed, and this does a great job. I'd recommend this book to anyone dealing with trauma, but it's focus on guiding those with spiritual trauma is incredibly important.

[Martha Crone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent message. The writing style leaves something to be desired. Long convoluted sentences.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several books on Religious Trauma and Spiritual Abuse now and that made reading this book a little more tedious in that some information was oft-repeated. That being said, this book is a really solid primer with an abundance of supporting resources for people thinking about their personal journey within this context. I also enjoyed the structure of this book and a few chapters on specific areas of the structure to understand the "steps" toward healing and also using the 12 steps framework in a religious abuse context. Pasquale's devotion to reconciliation is also a special focus in her healing process that other books may not have. Overall an important read for spiritual and religious trauma.

[Elizabeth Breier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it helpful but a bit all over the map sometimes. It’s clear that the author tried to cram a lot of helpful things into one place. For me, with my trauma issues, that can feel overwhelming. I need to read it again and go slower. I think I poured through it so fast because it felt validating. Second read will likely be more helpful.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reminder, written with kindness, that no religion is immune from humanity and that those who have been hurt and broken by the people who should be a refuge, are worthy of love and healing.

[Corvin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Geared specifically toward Christians, so not very helpful for me.

[Frances Koziar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really looked around for a book on religious trauma that wasn’t about Christian churches, and this was the least Christian one I could find, the only one that wasn’t very rooted in Christianity and where the author is at least aware that her audience is multi-faith and trying to speak more broadly, but it’s still very Christian and some parts of it were just not relevant to me as a person whose religious trauma came from UU (multi-faith/atheist religion) spaces. That said, there don’t appear to be any multi-faith or non Christian books on this topic right now, so this is probably the best option for you if you aren’t Christian. It was recommended by a Muslim friend who found it still very relatable despite the Christian slant.

I will say though that if there were a bunch of religious trauma books out there, I don’t think this one would stand out; it’s main impact seems to be that it is directly talking about this trauma that no one else is talking about, which itself will be healing to read about if you are a religious trauma survivor, especially the case studies, but it could have gone a lot further I think. I found the author’s handling of the theme of forgiveness problematic (denial/self-abuse/lack-of-accountability encouraging), and I also think she could have offered more practical solutions to those who find themselves torn between staying in their larger faith. (She does offer some suggestions to those in faith communities who have harmed others or lost members/want to be more welcoming.) Books I’ve read on childhood trauma or abusive relationships or trauma in general have been more relevant to me in their discussion of trauma in my experiences of being shunned religiously than many parts of this book; however, it was definitely helpful to hear accounts of other people who were betrayed and heartbroken by their communities. This book has some specific examples also of those who were mistreated because they were queer/LGBTQIA+, and some about sexism and racism, though I would have appreciated more coverage of those who are traumatized for being marginalized in general as that is so often the reason for religious trauma, if you speak out. I would also have appreciated more coverage of the more subtly sexist communities, e.g. when women are going out of their way to centre men's comfort.

So, recommended if you have experienced religious trauma, but I would recommend you supplement this with other trauma books for a better coverage of trauma and healing in general, especially if you aren’t Christian. 3.5 stars.

[Esoteric Grimoire · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sacred Wounds: A Path To Healing From Spiritual Trauma" by Teresa B. Pasquale is a text on spiritual abuse and trauma. Pasquale is a dual belonging, meaning she is both Christian and Dharmic (practicing Buddhism and Yoga), she is also a student of Fr. Richard Rohr, the Catholic priest who revolutionized the use of the enneagram personality test in American seminaries. Pasquale's book is short, but extremely concise, covering a lot of ground in addressing spiritual abuse, from tools like guided meditations for helping those who are recovering and verbatim with victims of spiritual abuse. The thing that I appreciated most is that Pasquale refuses to allow her narrative to become bogged down in the predominately Judeo-Christian language that dominates this genre. She uses generalized terms and draws from a multitude of different faith traditions, naming Rumi, St. Teresa of Avila, and the Buddha to name a few. Pasquale also provides a concise look at the different post traumatic stress disorder reactions that are associated with spiritual abuse. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to expand their understanding of spiritual abuse.

[Deryn Tang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pasquale deals with a very sensitive subject, Spiritual Wounding, and Trauma. She has shed a lot of light on the subject which is close to her heart. She is well qualified to write on this subject and anyone who has had to deal with spiritual abuse or trauma will find the book most helpful with examples from life. Those who are dealing with helping people through their issues with religion and church would find the insight most helpful, knowing where to back off and where to support. Spiritual abuse had a lasting effect on people's lives and how they are able to deal with problems when their concept of God has been corrupted.

[Geneva Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've left a religious community, been affected by Bill Gaither, been told I can heal you if you only let God in, been ph u socially or sexually abused by religious leaders, been verbally confronted because your sleeves were not long enough, because God doesn't love the Women, colored, bisexual... this book will walk you through healing at your speed...

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting discussion about religious trauma. I appreciate the author’s mission to not force her religious views on others and also to affirm that trauma can come from any number of religions. That slips a bit in the 12 step chapter. Overall, good discussion and good things to mull over. Worth reading. 3.5 stars

[Evil Secret Ninja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is good because finding books about spiritual trauma is hard to find. There were some good things and I did learn a little I would have liked more information especially on how to treat spiritual trauma

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of myriad spelling and grammatical errors, this is a very valuable and worthwhile read for those in the helping profession or those who have experienced spiritual abuse.

[MamaBrown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The message of this book was just what I needed right now. Hopeful and encouraging (my only complaint was that the editing was very poor - lots of mistakes throughout the book).

[Michaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author was not raised in fundamentalist / evangelical Christianity and now aligns with a mainstream Christian church and the drug recovery community. I did not relate much to her journey. I instead recommend Leaving the Fold for a more academic guide to exiting and recovering from fundamentalism.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential, affirming and vitally important. She offers hope and gentleness while providing helpful insight and real life stories.

[Dave West · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abandoned after several chapters as the pacing and examples became more banal and less hopeful that they author and friends had ever found positive spiritual experiences in a Christ-centric community.