A trauma-informed art therapy curriculum for victims of spiritual abuse within Christian circles

Spiritual abuse (SA) is a pervasive problem within Christianity. Although SA can be found alongside other forms of abuse, SA is an insidious form of abuse that assaults its victims and leaves profound emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds. Research studies gathered in the last years have found the effects of SA to resemble those of trauma and Complex PTSD. Currently, there are very limited resources available on how to address the effects of SA and religious trauma (RT). Because trauma often resides in the preverbal and sensory parts of the brain, art therapy has been found to be a successful and appropriate treatment modality for working with trauma victims. This paper presents an art therapy curriculum designed to provide an initial treatment modality for art therapists working with victims of SA/RT.