Theological Dimensions of Trauma Recovery: Clinical Implications for Restoring the Imago Dei

Abstract

Trauma impacts not only the body and mind but also the spirit. For many survivors, questions of meaning, identity, and relationship to the divine are central to their healing journey. This article explores the theological and spiritual dimensions of trauma recovery, extending beyond traditional psychological and relational approaches. We explore how theological constructs such as the imago Dei, God-images, and inherited sin and redemption can contribute to trauma recovery. We discuss how these theological resources offer therapeutic frameworks for trauma survivors seeking to restore identity, reconstruct narratives, and break intergenerational cycles of harm.

1. Introduction

Trauma has long been understood to disrupt a person’s sense of safety, trust, and identity (Berman et al. 2020). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5-TR), trauma is defined as exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. This exposure can occur through direct experience, witnessing the event, learning that it happened to a close family member or friend, or through repeated or extreme contact with distressing details of traumatic events (American Psychiatric Association 2022, p. 271). This clinical definition helps distinguish trauma from ordinary life stressors. As Judith Herman describes in Trauma and Recovery, traumatic experiences often profoundly destabilize the internal frameworks that provide coherence and meaning in life (Herman 1997). Survivors may experience a fragmentation of the self, accompanied by feelings of alienation, shame, and self-blame. Herman points out that internal rupture frequently extends outward. For survivors, interpersonal relationships may be perceived as unsafe, trust becomes difficult to establish, and the world may no longer feel stable or benign. Even in the absence of an ongoing threat, survivors often remain in states of chronic fear or emotional detachment.

The impact of trauma can extend beyond psychological and physiologic domains into existential and spiritual ones. As Herman observes, “These profound alterations in the self and in relationships inevitably result in the questioning of basic tenets of faith” (Herman 1997). While some may experience trauma with their spiritual frameworks intact, trauma can precipitate a crisis of meaning for others marked by spiritual alienation or despair. Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel articulates this crisis in Night:

“Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live... Never shall I forget those things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.”

(Wiesel 2006, p. 34)

As shown, survivors may feel cast out from both human and divine systems of care. The resulting sense of abandonment can fracture various aspects of relational life, ranging from close family bonds to broader connections with religious or cultural communities.

While psychiatry and psychology offer valuable frameworks for understanding the impact of trauma and guiding the recovery process (Herman 1997; Van Der Kolk 2015), many survivors may also turn to spiritual or theological resources to make sense of their suffering. Spirituality and religion can provide grounding, foster meaningful relationships, and serve as a personal refuge during times of distress (Koenig et al. 2012). They may also provide language and rituals for mourning, forgiveness, and hope. In this sense, theology supplies symbolic and interpretive frameworks that can shape how individuals construe suffering and identity after trauma, while psychology offers empirically grounded approaches for understanding and integrating lived experience. This dialogical engagement resists reductionism and instead promotes interdisciplinary enrichment with relevance for both scholarship and clinical practice.

In this article, we propose that theological concepts can help illuminate how trauma shapes identity, relationality, and meaning and that these concepts can have clinical relevance for spiritually oriented survivors. Methodologically, we employ a comparative conceptual analysis that places theological concepts in dialogue with psychological theories of trauma, narrative identity, and religious coping. Theological constructs, including imago Dei, God-images, inherited sin, and redemption, are employed as analytic and narrative frameworks within an interdisciplinary discourse. Imago Dei serves as a central organizing concept, linking questions of identity, relationality, and meaning, which are domains often destabilized by trauma, to a theological account of inherent dignity and belonging. Terms such as “healing,” “restoration,” and “sacred worth” are therefore used to describe patients’ or communities’ subjective meaning systems and identity narratives. These concepts are presented as symbolic and interpretive categories rather than doctrinal assertions, normative claims, or endorsements of any particular religious tradition. By bringing insights from Judeo-Christian theological traditions in conversation with psychological theories, this article aims to offer clinically relevant guidance for engaging the spiritual dimensions of trauma recovery.

2. Imago Dei and Identity Reconstruction After Trauma

Trauma can profoundly impact an individual’s personal identity, often disrupting the sense of self, fostering internalized shame, and diminishing self-worth (Courtois and Ford 2009). Survivors of sexual violence or childhood abuse experience not only the loss of physical or psychological safety but also the disintegration of their core identity (Capella 2017; Murthi and Espelage 2005). This disruption often appears in emotional distress, relational difficulties, and impairments across work and daily life (Captari et al. 2021; Freeman et al. 2015; Santuzzi and Waltz 2016).

2.1. Theological Implications of Imago Dei

In the context of identity fragmentation, the doctrine of imago Dei can offer a restorative counter-narrative for religiously oriented trauma survivors. Within the Judeo-Christian tradition, imago Dei affirms that all human beings are created in the image of God and therefore possess inherent worth, dignity, and relational capacity (Middleton 2005). For religious individuals, the imago Dei can function as a scaffolding for identity reconstruction, offering a narrative in which their value is affirmed, their agency is honored, and their capacity for relationship is restored. In therapeutic settings, patients may be invited, when appropriate, to explore what it means to be known and “beloved” beyond the trauma narrative. One individual, reflecting on a near-death experience, illustrated this shift: “Once you become clear that you are the spark of the divine, it is much harder to hate yourself… God does not make junk” (Nguyen et al. 2023, p. 1127).

For trauma survivors with disrupted attachment or relational trauma, the concept of imago Dei as a relational concept may be especially meaningful. Theologians have argued that bearing the image of God is most fully expressed through relationships, reflecting the Trinitarian nature of God as a communion of persons (Grenz 2006). This relational ontology holds both vertical and horizontal dimensions: vertically, in one’s relationship with God; and horizontally, in mutual, loving relationships with others (Macmurray 1999; McFadyen 1990; Swinton 2000). Balswick et al. (2005) likewise emphasize that identity develops through participation in reciprocating relationships. Reframing the self through the lens of being loved by God and others may therefore offer an alternative to trauma-informed self-concepts of shame and alienation. One survivor of childhood abuse recalled, “Ever since I can remember, I had a very strong sense that God loved me, that there were beings who would take me away from where I was and would hold me; that I was loved just for who I was” (Nguyen et al. 2023, p. 1125).

Some theological perspectives also present imago Dei as eschatological: an identity not only bestowed but also becoming. Identity is viewed as dynamic and being actively formed into the image of Christ: “The image of God is a reality toward which we are moving. It is what we are en route to becoming” (Grenz 2000, pp. 205–6). Imago Dei therefore offers both a present affirmation of dignity and a future hope of healing and restoration. Taken together, these theological views of imago Dei present a vision of identity as inherently dignified, relational, and dynamic. We argue that these theological accounts of imago Dei can be meaningfully integrated with clinical approaches that emphasize narrative reconstruction and cognitive reframing in the aftermath of trauma.

2.2. Psychological Perspectives and Clinical Applications: Narrative Therapy and CPT

The theological perspectives outlined above resonate with principles of narrative therapy and theories of post-traumatic growth (Tedeschi and Calhoun 2004). Narrative identity theory, developed by White and Epston (1989), understands trauma as a rupture in the life story that interrupts continuity and produces disordered or chaotic self-narratives (McAdams and McLean 2013; McLean and Pratt 2006; Singer 2004). By emphasizing the role of stories in shaping identity, narrative therapy considers how individuals are continually influenced by dominant cultural discourses, while also retaining the capacity to resist and reinterpret the subject positions those discourses impose (Butler 1997; Winslade 2005).

While trauma often generates narratives of brokenness and powerlessness, narrative therapy seeks to help individuals deconstruct these imposed meanings and re-author life stories that reflect their values and purposes (Guilfoyle 2015). Through guided externalization, patients can first begin to view trauma and its imposed identities as separate from their core self. This shift creates space for deconstruction, whereby patients identify and challenge the assumptions, cultural narratives, and power-laden discourses that shape their current identity. The therapeutic process then shifts towards re-authoring. For example, for a Christian patient struggling with pervasive shame, a therapist might invite reflection on the contrast between trauma-based condemnations and religious language of belovedness and purpose. This re-authoring process can help one to reclaim identity and agency and to assert meaning over events that once seemed senseless.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) extends this work from a different but complementary angle. CPT focuses primarily on identifying and restructuring maladaptive trauma-related cognitions, or “stuck points” that sustain guilt, shame, hypervigilance, and avoidance (Resick et al. 2024). For instance, a combat veteran might think, “I am a monster,” or a sexual assault survivor may conclude, “The abuse proves I am worthless.” Through socratic questioning and structured cognitive reframing, CPT helps patients test the validity of such beliefs and replace rigid distortions with more balanced appraisals. Within a spiritually sensitive framework, CPT’s reframing methods can encourage a redemptive process for religiously oriented survivors. The CPT term “cognitive restructuring” parallels the process of “confession and re-claiming” within one’s own tradition. Distorted beliefs (“I am unworthy,” “I am beyond redemption”) are named, challenged, and reinterpreted through the lens of a sacred narrative that affirms dignity and belonging. CPT can thus extend beyond the psychological to include the spiritual. For clinicians seeking to integrate CPT into their practice, further training pathways and resources are available (Resick et al. 2024; Veterans Health Administration—Institute for Learning, Education and Development 2020).

3. God-Images and the Problem of Theodicy

Questions about God can emerge as components of the posttraumatic experience. Many survivors may ask, “Where was God?” or “Why did God allow this to happen?”, revealing a disrupted worldview (Janoff-Bulman 2002). This section considers how theodicy and God-images shape how trauma survivors interpret suffering, experience divine presence or absence, and engage in religious coping during recovery.

3.1. Theological Accounts of Suffering and Divine Presence

Theodicy addresses the challenge of reconciling belief in a benevolent and omnipotent God with the presence of evil and suffering (Hick 2010; Plantinga 1977). For trauma survivors, theodicy can shape whether trauma and suffering are interpreted as abandonment, punishment, mystery, or solidarity. One woman with a history of childhood sexual abuse captures this struggle: “I hope to gain a better understanding of abuse and God. Why He abandoned me and why I can’t feel Him beside me now. I want a relationship with God back. I blame Him for what happened and I am very angry at Him. He wasn’t listening to me when I prayed for it to stop. He betrayed me.” (Murray-Swank and Pargament 2005, p. 196)

Theological scholarship offers multiple frameworks for understanding God’s presence in the midst of suffering. In The Crucified God (1974), Jürgen Moltmann emphasizes God’s deep identification with human pain through Christ’s crucifixion, writing, “The death of Jesus on the cross is the centre of all Christian theology... God is not more powerful than he is in this helplessness. God is not more divine than he is in this humanity” (Moltmann 1974, p. 205). This vision of divine solidarity may offer comfort to trauma survivors by affirming God’s empathetic presence in suffering rather than portraying God as punitive or indifferent.

Similarly, in Mysterium Paschale (1990), Hans Urs von Balthasar argues that God’s self-emptying (kenosis) makes room for both human freedom and suffering while opening a path towards redemption. He highlights Christ’s descent into hell as God’s solidarity with abandonment, an act that precedes resurrection: “The very event of the Cross, in which God appears to be most absent, is the event of his most radical presence” (von Balthasar 1990, p. 148). In this way, the Paschal mystery does not deny suffering but situates it within the hope of resurrection.

Together, Moltmann and von Balthasar challenge theodicies that seek to justify God through appeals to divine omniscience or a greater good, which can feel dismissive or alienating to trauma survivors. Instead, they highlight God’s relational presence, compassionate solidarity, and eschatological hope. This reframes justice from a retributive model to a restorative one, grounded in healing rather than punishment. The Book of Job displays this tension, contrasting mishpat (restorative justice) and rib (legal disputation or contention) and offering a vision of divine justice that resists simplistic reward-and-punishment logic while engaging suffering with complexity and grace.

These theological accounts do not, by themselves, resolve survivors’ existential questions but can offer a symbolic framework through which religiously oriented trauma survivors interpret and engage their relationship with God. They also help clarify why God-images matter clinically, as discussed below.

3.2. Psychological Research on Religious Coping and God-Images

Literature on religious coping has examined how theological interpretation can impact the way individuals emotionally and relationally perceive God, with important implications for trauma recovery. Survivors may experience God as punitive, distant, or indifferent, which can intensify feelings of abandonment or shame, while a benevolent God-image can support resilience (Exline et al. 2000; Rizzuto 1979). Kenneth Pargament’s framework of religious coping provides a theoretical foundation for understanding these dynamics. Positive religious/spiritual coping, characterized by secure, trusting relationships with the sacred, oneself, and others, is generally associated with greater well-being. By contrast, negative religious/spiritual coping, marked by conflict, spiritual discontent, or punitive God-images, correlates with psychological distress (Exline 2013; Pargament et al. 2013).

A growing body of empirical evidence supports the described effects of religious/spiritual coping. A meta-analysis found that positive spiritual coping was a strong predictor of posttraumatic growth (e.g., enhanced personal strength, appreciation for life, deepened relationships, and increased compassion) with larger effect sizes than constructs such as optimism, general spirituality, or social support (Prati and Pietrantoni 2009). Similarly, in a study of university students, positive spiritual coping remained significantly associated with posttraumatic growth even after controlling for secular coping strategies (Gerber et al. 2011). Conversely, among female trauma survivors, greater use of negative coping strategies was associated with more severe PTSD symptoms and greater emotional distress (Fallot and Heckman 2005). Gerber et al. (2011) likewise found that among university students who experienced traumatic events, negative religious coping predicted higher levels of posttraumatic stress even after accounting for nonreligious coping mechanisms. One survivor, reflecting on her childhood experience, captured the spiritual disillusionment that often follows unanswered prayers: “As a kid, I prayed for the incest to stop. He didn’t answer my prayers. I became angry and disconnected” (Murray-Swank and Pargament 2005, p. 199). It is important to note that spiritual coping styles are not mutually exclusive. Survivors may oscillate between positive and negative religious coping, and their coping responses may evolve over time. As such, religious coping may be understood as a complex, dynamic process rather than a static trait or outcome.

Spiritually integrated interventions have therefore emerged as a promising approach to trauma care. One preliminary study examined the effects of an eight-week psycho-spiritual intervention for women with histories of childhood sexual abuse (Murray-Swank and Pargament 2005). Results showed increased positive religious coping, enhanced spiritual well-being, and more favorable God-images following treatment. These findings suggest that therapeutic interventions aimed at addressing spiritual struggles directly can foster spiritual and psychological healing.

4. Intergenerational Trauma, Inherited Sin, and Redemption

This section contends that trauma is often not confined to the individual but transmitted across generations and communities and that theological accounts of inherited sin and redemption may provide a framework for interpreting the persistence of suffering and a vision for communal healing.

4.1. Psychological Models for Intergenerational Patterns of Trauma

Trauma often is embedded in intergenerational patterns of silence, shame, and violence (Danieli 2013). Kaitz et al. (2009) define intergenerational transmission of trauma (ITT) as the impact of trauma experienced by one family member on a younger relative, even without direct exposure to the original traumatic event. This phenomenon (also referred to as intergenerational, transgenerational, or secondary trauma) has been widely examined in psychology, particularly through relational and systemic frameworks such as social learning theory (Bandura 1971), family systems theory (Bowen 1961), and attachment theory (Bowlby 1958).

These models suggest that trauma is transmitted across generations through patterns within families, institutions, and broader cultural contexts. Reese et al. (2022) note this interdependence, noting that individual pathology often reflects broader familial or relational dysfunction. Family systems theory discusses how trauma experienced by a single member spreads to the entire family unit, presenting as maladaptive behaviors or emotional dysregulation in others (Bowen et al. 2013). Attachment research shows that children may develop disorganized attachment patterns as a response to their caregivers’ unresolved trauma. Hesse and Main (2000) describe this dynamic as a “second-generation effect,” whereby the child internalizes the parent’s fear and fragmented trauma narratives. Social learning theory further explains how children model and absorb maladaptive behaviors expressed by traumatized caregivers, perpetuating cycles of instability (Corey 1991). Taken together, these approaches show that trauma is often relationally perpetuated rather than individually contained.

4.2. Theological Perspectives on Inherited Suffering and Redemption

These psychological theories find compelling conceptual parallels in certain Christian theological accounts of inherited sin. Augustine’s doctrine of original sin holds that humanity inherited a sinful nature as a direct result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden (Augustine 1838). His account can be read as conceptually resonant with psychological theories describing intergenerational transmission of traumas or moral dysfunctions. Eastern Orthodox theology offers a related but distinct lens through its teaching on ancestral sin, which emphasizes the fallen condition into which each person is born, marked by brokenness and disintegration rather than inherited guilt (Lossky 1976). The notion that individuals enter a world already marked by brokenness parallels clinical observations that, even without direct exposure to trauma, children may nonetheless absorb its residual effects within families and communities.

Liberation theology extends this framework by situating trauma within socio-political contexts. It teaches that God stands with the oppressed and that salvation entails both spiritual and social liberation (Cone 2010; Gutierrez 1973). In this context, the story of Israel’s enslavement and deliverance becomes a paradigm of collective trauma and healing: a movement from historical suffering to communal freedom. This perspective resists the determinism of trauma transmission by offering a counter-narrative of liberation and restored destiny for families or communities (Graff 2014).

4.3. Clinical Recovery Beyond the Individual: Family Systems and Liberation Theology

Family systems therapy notes that healing change in one part of the system can affect the whole (Bowen 1993). Recovery therefore often involves reconnection and reintegration, both of which are relational and, for many religious survivors, spiritual. Herman underscores the therapeutic value of communal testimonies, noting that “sharing the traumatic experience with others is a precondition for the restitution of a sense of a meaningful world” (Herman 1997, p. 70). Drawing on the discussed theological insights, clinicians can support patients in situating their suffering within a broader narrative that, though marked by brokenness, is open to transformation. Biblical narratives similarly depict redemption as a communal event: in the Exodus story, God liberates not only individuals but an entire people from oppression (Exodus 15), and the covenantal promises to Abraham extend across generations, reflecting an enduring trajectory of hope and restoration (Deut. 6:10). Within these traditions, theology thus offers a language of redemption that envisions healing not only for the individual but also for families and communities.

Liberation theology further offers trauma survivors both a language for naming their suffering and a vision of hope, resistance, and transformation. It invites survivors to participate in the continual work of redemption and reconciliation at both personal and collective levels. Redemption (Hebrew ga’al, Greek apolytrōsis) conveys liberation from bondage (Exod. 6:6; Eph. 1:7), while reconciliation (katallagē) emphasizes restored relationships with God and others (2 Cor. 5:18–19). For those whose pre-trauma identities have been, in Herman’s words, “irrevocably destroyed,” this theological lens creates space for forming a renewed identity grounded not in isolation but within a community (Herman 1997, p. 56). It also suggests that healing, like trauma, can be intergenerational in restoring not only the individual but also the familial and communal systems to which they belong. Taken together, these intersecting psychological and theological accounts point to trauma and healing as processes that unfold within networks of relationship, community, and narrative over time. The next section turns to practical considerations for clinicians seeking to engage these spiritual dimensions in trauma recovery.

5. From Theory to Practice: Integrating Spiritual Care in Clinical Treatment

Laura is a 25-year-old woman who presents to therapy with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and profound spiritual distress following a sexual assault that occurred a year ago. Prior to the assault, Laura identified as deeply religious and attended church regularly, finding comfort and meaning in her faith and religious community. Laura describes intense feelings of shame, guilt, and helplessness. She reports difficulty trusting others, persistent nightmares, hypervigilance, and withdrawal from social relationships, including her church community. Notably, she speaks of a crisis in faith, feeling abandoned by God, and questioning the core tenets that previously guided her life. She explains that she cries out to God for comfort but that her prayers feel empty, like no one is listening. She wonders why God allowed this to happen to me.

Clinicians do not need to be theologians to engage meaningfully with the spiritual lives of their patients. They can create space for spiritual exploration without imposing their own beliefs and invite reflection by asking open-ended questions such as “How has your faith helped or hurt you in healing?” or “What images of God feel present or absent right now?” Patient-reported outcomes from the RCOPE can help provide a structured tool for clinicians to explore these religious or spiritual beliefs with patients. The Brief RCOPE is a 14-item, empirically validated measure that uses a 4-point Likert scale to assess how individuals draw on religious or spiritual beliefs to cope with major life stress. It includes two 7-item subscales: Positive Religious Coping (PRC) and Negative Religious Coping (NRC). PRC reflects adaptive strategies, such as seeking comfort in God or interpreting challenges as opportunities for growth (e.g., “Sought God’s love and care” or “Tried to see how God might be trying to strengthen me in this situation”). In contrast, NRC captures spiritual struggle and distress, with items like “Felt punished by God for my lack of devotion” or “Wondered whether God had abandoned me.” By distinguishing between these coping styles, the Brief RCOPE helps clinicians tailor their care, recognizing when spirituality and faith are relevant elements to a patient’s treatment course.

In Laura’s case, her religious background plays a central role in her worldview and impacts how she processes her trauma. Her loss of trust in herself, others, and God reflects both psychological injury and spiritual crisis. For clinicians, recognizing the importance of faith in the lives of patients like Laura can inform the selection of more effective interventions. Integrating trauma-informed therapy with sensitivity to her spiritual distress (such as the inclusion of psycho-spiritual interventions as described above) can be developed to address both her psychological needs and spiritual struggles. It can be important to consider the complementary roles that clinicians, therapists, and spiritual leaders, such as pastors or chaplains, can play in trauma recovery. With the patient’s consent, collaborating with these supports can enhance the ability to address the complex and multidimensional impact of trauma on Laura’s life.

Clinicians should also consider the dual role that faith may play in a patient’s healing journey. For some survivors, rediscovering a sense of being made in God’s image, reframing harmful theological concepts, or connecting to a redemptive narrative can be sources of resilience. For others, certain religious messages or practices can complicate recovery when they are experienced as patients as rigid, punitive, and shaming or when faith communities fail to provide adequate support to survivors. It is important to distinguish that religion or faith is not inherently pathological, but that certain expressions or interpretations may contribute to distress (e.g., interpreting suffering as divine punishment, experiencing spiritual alienation, or feeling condemned). Clinicians should therefore approach each patient’s spiritual background with openness and humility, exploring whether one’s faith currently functions as a source of support or distress. This is another space in which tools such as the Brief RCOPE may prove useful. Creating space within the therapeutic relationship to explore both religious wounds and spiritual strengths can be an important component of trauma-informed care, supporting emotional healing while minimizing the risk of reinforcing trauma-related belief patterns.

We acknowledge that the clinical applicability of this manuscript does not extend uniformly across all settings. The theological perspectives discussed are situated primarily within Christian and, more broadly, Abrahamic frameworks and thus should not be assumed to reflect the diversity of patients’ spiritual or cultural contexts. Likewise, the psychological literature reviewed draws largely from Western research settings, which limits the generalizability of the conclusions. In addition, the manuscript is largely conceptual and clinical in nature, underscoring the need for further empirical research to support and refine approaches to integrating spiritual care into trauma recovery. Consequently, this paper should be understood as a focused, theoretically informed exploration of a particular cluster of religious traditions and clinical theories, rather than as a universally applicable model for trauma care. Continued research will be essential to develop context-sensitive, evidence-informed models of care that more fully reflect the complexity of trauma and healing.

6. Conclusions

In this article, we have examined how trauma recovery can contain both psychological and spiritual dimensions. For many religiously oriented survivors, faith functions not merely as a coping mechanism but also as a source of identity and meaning. Within certain Christian traditions, the doctrine of imago Dei can offer a restorative counter-narrative to trauma that symbolically affirms worth and relational capacity. We proposed that this theological anthropology can complement narrative and cognitive approaches in psychology that emphasize identity reconstruction following traumatic disruption. We considered how survivors’ interpretive frameworks are shaped by theodicy and God-images, with divine solidarity offering a more compassionate perspective than distant omnipotence. Clinically, attention to God-images and religious coping (positive or negative) can help to inform assessment and treatment. In parallel, theological themes of sin and redemption can offer conceptual analogues to intergenerational trauma, framing suffering within a redemptive yet non-deterministic narrative that allows for transformation across individual, familial, and communal levels.

By placing Christian theology in dialogue with psychological theory, this article has shown that spiritual concerns are not peripheral to trauma recovery but often central to how survivors understand and respond to suffering. When clinicians are attuned to these spiritual dimensions, whether through direct engagement or by collaborating with chaplains and faith leaders, they can be better equipped to support patients bearing emotional wounds with spiritual dimensions. This approach honors the complexity of trauma and acknowledges that healing, for many religiously oriented survivors, is not solely about symptom relief but about reclaiming one’s humanity and symbolic sacred worth within their own spiritual frameworks.