This week’s episode is one of the most important and tender conversations we’ve ever had on the Finding God Podcast. We’re talking about how to support survivors of child sexual abuse in the church with honesty, compassion, and a trauma‑informed, faith‑centered lens.
This episode is for survivors, parents, church leaders, and anyone who wants to help create safer, healthier, more accountable faith communities. We explore the emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact of abuse, how to respond when a child discloses, and what true support looks like in the eyes of God.
✨ Episode Overview
In this episode, Keana breaks down:
- The long‑term effects of child sexual abuse
- How abuse in the church creates “double trauma”
- The A.R.E.S. framework (Adverse Religious Experiences Scale) created by Dr. Laura Anderson and Kyle J. Howard
- How ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) impact a child’s health, relationships, and spiritual development
- What survivors need most from parents, churches, and communities
- How to support healing on both a personal and spiritual level
- What to do when a child discloses abuse
- How to make a report and protect the child moving forward
This episode is gentle, non‑graphic, and deeply validating.
🔁 Recap of Last Week’s Episode
Last week, we explored grooming and manipulation tactics in the church — how offenders build trust, break boundaries, and use spiritual authority to gain access to children.
This week builds on that foundation by focusing on what happens after the harm and how we can respond with wisdom, accountability, and compassion.
🧠 Understanding the Impact of Abuse in Faith Settings
Featuring insights from leading trauma experts:
- Dr. Bessel van der Kolk — trauma lives in the body
- Dr. Judith Herman — recovery requires safety, remembrance, and reconnection
- Dr. Jennifer Freyd — betrayal trauma theory
- Dr. Dan Siegel — how trauma affects the developing brain
We discuss how abuse in the church affects a child’s:
- Emotional health
- Physical health
- Relationships
- Sense of self
- Ability to trust God
- Ability to trust spiritual authority
📘 A.R.E.S. — Adverse Religious Experiences
Created by Dr. Laura Anderson and Kyle J. Howard, the ARES framework helps identify harmful religious experiences that often compound trauma after abuse.
🌱 Free Resources from the Spiritual Trauma Institute
The Spiritual Trauma Institute offers additional free resources for survivors and supporters, including:
- Articles on spiritual abuse
- Healing guides
- Educational videos
- Community support tools
Access their free resources here:
👉 Religious Trauma Institute
This website offers both paid and free resources. This is a good resource because they offer free resources that would be valuable to survivors of spiritual abuse.
🌱 ACEs & Long‑Term Effects
We break down the CDC’s ACEs research and how child sexual abuse impacts:
Health
- Chronic illness
- Anxiety, depression, PTSD
- Sleep issues
- Emotional dysregulation
Relationships
- Trust
- Attachment
- Boundaries
- Self‑worth
Spiritual Life
- Fear of God
- Confusion about faith
- Difficulty engaging in church
- Feeling spiritually “broken”
💛 Healing on a Personal & Spiritual Level
Keana explores:
Personal Healing
- Trauma‑informed therapy
- EMDR
- Somatic healing
- Safe relationships
- Rebuilding self‑trust
Spiritual Healing
- Separating God from harmful people
- Reframing damaging teachings
- Allowing space for doubt
- Trauma‑informed pastoral care
- Rebuilding faith slowly and safely
🏡 What Churches & Parents Can Do
Churches
- Mandatory reporting
- Transparent child safety policies
- Trauma‑informed training
- Two‑adult rules
- Zero tolerance for secrecy
- Public support for survivors
Parents
- Believe your child immediately
- Stay calm
- Reassure them it’s not their fault
- Avoid leading questions
- Seek trauma‑informed therapy
- Maintain routines and safety
📊 Why Believing Children Matters
Research shows:
- Children rarely lie about abuse
- Being believed reduces PTSD
- Validation increases healing
- Supportive adults are a protective factor
Belief is not optional — it is lifesaving.
🚨 What To Do If a Child Discloses Abuse
Keana walks through:
Immediate Response
- Stay calm
- Thank them
- Believe them
- Avoid pressing for details
Reporting
- Contact Child Protective Services
- Call law enforcement
- Use your state’s child abuse hotline
- You do NOT need proof — only reasonable suspicion
After the Report
- Provide emotional support
- Maintain routines
- Seek trauma‑informed therapy
- Ensure safety from the offender
💬 Final Encouragement
Survivors: what happened to you was not your fault.
Parents and leaders: your response can change a child’s life.
The church can be a place of safety — but only when we choose truth, accountability, and protection over silence.
📬 Contact Information for Keana W. Mitchell — Finding God Podcast
🌐 Website
Emory Rose
https://keanawmitchell.com
📘 Facebook Page
Finding God
https://www.facebook.com/FindingGod
👥 Facebook Group
Finding God Community
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingGod
📸 Instagram
Keana W. Mitchell
https://www.instagram.com/findinggod2
🎧 Listen to Finding God on RedCircle
https://redcircle.com/shows/190efd66-2f1a-4c5f-861e-40ab89d4c41b
📧 Email
[email protected]
🎵 Music Feature — Unique-ly Chosen
New Music Coming Soon!!!
As part of our commitment to creating safer communities, safer churches, and safer spaces for children, I want to personally invite you to attend an upcoming free Darkness to Light Stewards of Children Training. This is the same nationally recognized, evidence‑based training we reference often on the podcast the one designed to help adults prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse in trauma‑informed and legally appropriate ways.
If you’ve been listening to the Finding God Podcast for a while, you know how deeply we value emotional safety, spiritual safety, and the protection of vulnerable people. This training is one of the most practical, empowering steps you can take to be part of that mission. Whether you’re a parent, ministry leader, educator, volunteer, or simply someone who wants to be better equipped, this training will give you the tools you need to make a real difference.
📅 Training Date:
May 7, 2026
🧠 Training:
Darkness to Light — Stewards of Children
🔗 Registration Link:
https://d2l.coalitionmanager.org/eventmanager/trainingevent/details/4490
During this training, you’ll learn:
• How grooming actually works
• How to recognize early warning signs
• How to respond if a child discloses abuse
• How to create safer environments in churches, homes, and communities
• How to take action in ways that protect children and support survivors
If you’ve ever wanted to be part of the solution — this is your moment.
I would love for you to join us.
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/finding-god/donations
