🌿 Faith, Healing, and the Work of Safe People

Program from El Camino College’s 2nd Annual Church Hat Fashion Show & Dinner Party

People who support Survivors—from all walks of life—should know this:
many Survivors are people of faith.

Not all. But many.

Some draw strength from Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, African traditional faiths, Indigenous spirituality, Buddhism, or personal, private beliefs that have no label at all.
There are also those who do not believe in any higher power.

Each journey is unique. Each path is sacred.

✝️ 🌸 For Some, Faith Is Survival

For many Survivors, faith wasn’t a quiet Sunday habit.
It was a lifeline.
When systems were slow, when people didn’t believe them, when they were shamed or blamed—
faith was the one place they could still whisper and feel heard.

There are Survivors who will tell you plainly:

“If it hadn’t been for my faith, I wouldn’t be here.”

That faith relationship can be as real and vital as oxygen. Medical professionals attest to its life-saving powers. 
So, being a safe person for Survivors means being able to handle that truth without judgment or discomfort.

🌿 Healing Is Not a Straight Line

Systems are necessary and can be lifesaving.
But they are not vending machines.
You don’t put in a quarter and get “healing” out.

Survivors go through setbacks, misunderstandings, can’t get off from work to get care, inadequate care, long wait times, insurance struggles, racism, ableism, ageism, homophobia, rude interactions, and overall human failings.

Faith often fills the gaps that systems can’t.

It carries people through nights that no hotline, appointment, or service can reach.

💫 Faith Evolves — and That’s Okay

Faith is not always steady.
Some Survivors may believe something deeply today—and feel uncertain tomorrow.
Some may change their understanding of God, Spirit, or meaning many times along the way.

Even non-believers often have a story behind that choice.
It might come from pain, betrayal, or an honest reckoning with unanswered prayers.
That, too, deserves compassion—not correction.

💞 Advocacy That Honors the Whole Person

Good advocacy doesn’t separate people from their faith—it meets them there.
Community care links to that spiritual lifeline in healthy ways, acknowledging that some faith spaces are not equipped for trauma work, while others hold deep wisdom and compassion.

True safety means we make space for both:

The practical support of systems and professionals.

The spiritual support that sustains people when no one else can.

Healing happens where both are respected, not forced apart.

💬 Reflection for Advocates

Do I make space for faith discussions without steering or judging?

Am I aware that spirituality can both heal and harm—and careful to discern which is which?

How can I build partnerships with spiritual leaders of various beliefs who understand trauma? 

Am I aware of my own biases?

💖 Closing Thought

Some Survivors find healing through therapy.
Some through prayer.
Some through art, community, silence, or song.

There are many paths to wholeness.
Our job is to walk beside them, as they decide which road they take.