5 Bible Verses for Trauma Healing

Trauma is a term used to describe an experience or event that causes severe psychological distress. It is linked more to how the individual feels and responds, than to the event itself. It can be said to be the unique experience of an individual to an event or the enduring conditions in which a person’s ability to integrate their emotional experience is overwhelmed and they experience (either subjectively or objectively) a threat to their life or bodily integrity, or that of a caregiver or family member. Trauma healing is the process of recovering from such an exposure.

Every person responds differently to trauma, with a wide range of possible physical and emotional reactions. Shock and denial are common immediately after the event.

This can be followed by unpredictable emotions, painful flashbacks, and bodily responses like headaches and nausea. Some people suppress their feelings, either because they feel that it is improper to display them, or because they are simply too difficult to feel or process.

A trained biblical counselor can provide immense support in helping an individual process what they have experienced so that they can move forward in life and not be stuck in a difficult emotional space. How a person perceives an event will play an important part in trauma healing.

While secular psychology emphasizes wholeness and getting back to a place where one can cope with life, without the effects of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), biblical counseling focuses on holiness, and how God uses the hard parts of our lives for his redemptive purposes.

Some of the verses that a counselor could use during trauma healing sessions include:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” – Isaiah 43:2, NIV

In this verse, God lays down his unwavering love and support for us – regardless of what circumstances we go through. He does not cause events that require trauma healing but allows them as part of a broken world where man has chosen to live apart from God. He also promises that he will help us through, in a way that leads us toward greater holiness.

Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered – Hebrews 5:8, ESV

Knowing that Jesus himself suffered intensely, and knows what it feels like to be acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3) can be of comfort during the trauma healing process. No depth of suffering is beyond the redemption of God, but we must be willing to humble ourselves under His mighty hand for salvation, which He alone can provide.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many… – Romans 8:28-29, ESV

For Christians, this truth in Scripture is immensely encouraging. The traumatic events that we experience on this side of heaven are not in vain. They have a purpose, and it’s an eternal one! Being able to see how God can take the broken pieces of our lives and use them to make them more like Jesus is a key part of biblical counseling.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV

Our thoughts can run wild during the process of trauma healing, and the devil certainly uses them for his purposes, to turn us away from God and his good plans for our restoration. Meditating on the Scripture above shows us how critical it is to demonstrate agency and focus on the habit of taking our thoughts captive and holding them up against the truth of God’s Word.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple – Psalm 19:7

It is truly incredible to think that the Bible contains everything that we need for life and wisdom, including what it takes for trauma healing to be fully experienced. It is so easy for us to run to other kinds of wisdom and therapies that promise delivery, when everything we have is right in front of us, with the great physician, God himself, right by our side.

Christian Counseling for Trauma Healing

If you have experienced trauma, contact a biblical counselor who will be able to walk the road toward healing with you, by guiding you to God’s Word and providing support and accountability.