RELIGIOUS TRAUMA SYNDROME WITHIN THE NEUROSEQUENTIAL MODEL OF THERAPEUTICS

Abstract

Poor mental health symptoms are increasingly correlated with a history of traumatic life events. Thus, clinical practitioners have been turning away from the traditional western medical model, and adopting more holistic, trauma-informed practices that provide targeted and efficient mental health services to their clients. One such therapeutic model was coined by psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Perry, whose Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) posits that the brain develops in a bottom-up, use-dependent modality. Dr. Perry’s NMT describes how traumatic experiences can halt regular neurological development. Many traumatic experiences result from a singular aversive event; however, some trauma can arise from extended exposure to an aversive environment. Where these singular traumatic events can result in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), these prolonged forms of trauma can result in Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) (Franco, 2021). Religious trauma is a form of C-PTSD which results from exposure to a religious community that has negatively affected the individual’s wellbeing. By placing the concept of religious trauma within the existing NMT, we can better understand how adverse religious experiences influence brain development. Finally, the clinical implications of this juxtaposition of religious trauma and neurological development will be explored to provide practicing clinicians a reference for how to better support individuals struggling with the lasting effects of religious trauma.