How to Heal From Trauma: 7 Powerful Ways God Leads You to Freedom

Trauma is deeply painful and can rewire our sense of self, our relationships, and our faith.

If you are struggling to heal from trauma, Nancy Manassero shares her powerful story and 7 ways God can lead you to healing and freedom.

A woman on social media recently vented about the “trauma” of a horrible haircut.

A man raged about the “trauma” of losing his wallet.

These days, we hear the word trauma used for annoyances and woes that do not wound us to our core.

What is Big T Trauma

True trauma—what I call Big T Trauma—comes from pivotal events that reshape our identity and influence the course of our lives.

You’ll know a Big T Trauma because you think in terms of before and after it occurs.

We might think, “My life is ruined,” but God already has a plan to redeem what happened to you. He never wastes our pain.

My Big T Trauma was incestuous rape decades ago.

Yours might be divorce, childhood abuse, loss of a loved one, a tragic accident, or being a victim of violence; the list is endless.

All Big T Traumas carry a sense of loss, grief, and anger that threaten our sense of control.

We wonder how we’ll go on. These deep soul wounds wrap us in darkness and leave us questioning everything.

We wonder where God was, why He didn’t prevent it, and if He even cares.

I want you to know this: God IS with you and He DOES care about and love you.

He promises this, and He does not lie. As for the “why” question, theologians have debated it for centuries without clear answers.

For our purposes, let’s focus instead on where we go from here. I leave the “why” in God’s hands, echoed in Deuteronomy 29:29:

“The secret things belong to the Lord.”

The first and hardest step to heal from trauma is simply this: starting.

We dread facing the pain, so we bury it, numb it, or deny it.

For a while, that seems to work.

But trauma always resurfaces, often through physical or emotional symptoms, broken relationships, or a deep dissatisfaction with life.

Perhaps you know you need healing, but don’t know where to begin. Or maybe you tried and gave up because it felt too hard or too lonely.

Now you feel stuck. God sees you and wants to help you heal from trauma.

7 Ways to Heal from Trauma

Let’s look at seven ways God provides a path to heal from trauma.

#1 RECOGNITION: Many people seek help for anxiety, depression, and relationship problems without realizing unresolved trauma is at the root.

Take some time to gently and honestly examine your past for Big T Traumas that you’ve avoided.

Notice the impact on your physical or mental health, your relationships, or your attempts to numb pain with work, substances, or food.

Name your trauma and decide you’ll stop trying to erase your past.

When trauma occurs, we all face a fork in the road: one path leads to hope and restoration through Christ, the other leads to rage, bitterness, revenge, and endlessly reliving the pain.

Most survivors (including me) default to the second one. But God doesn’t leave us there.

He nudges, whispers, and allows us to be sick and tired of running from our trauma.

For years, I became an intolerable shell of myself, feeling dead inside and treating people with unkind words.

My heart smoldered with hatred toward my abuser, which harmed my relationship with God and my husband.

Something had to change. I wanted to break free from the chains that bound me to my past, but I didn’t know how to start to heal from trauma.

#2 INVITATION: God longs to get you unstuck from the grip of your trauma.

He has been waiting patiently, maybe for years, for you to accept His invitation to help you heal and find freedom.

He knows you’re scared, but He promises to walk with you and never leave or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8).

God is gentle; He will tenderly care for you and guide you every step of the way. He knows you better than any therapist, pastor, or significant other ever can.

God is called “Wonderful Counselor,” and He knows exactly what you need and when.

His office hours are 24/7/365. Imagine where you want to be a year from now: still stuck, or moving toward wholeness?

You can choose the hard work of stuffing your pain or the hard work of healing.

Surrender to God’s invitation and trust His faithfulness. His power breaks the chains that bind you!

In my case, the invitation showed up in my church bulletin: a support group for victims of sexual abuse.

I was ready…and terrified.

But having already tasted God’s goodness (Psalm 34:8), I felt safe enough to say yes.

#3 CONNECTION: Healing from trauma is a spiritual battle.

When we pivot toward healing, Satan leaps into action. His trap is weakening—he must sabotage your efforts to find help and resources!

Trying to heal alone is like climbing Mt. Everest without a guide or proper equipment.

God designed us for community: counselors, pastors, friends, and fellow survivors to help carry your burden and pray you into freedom.

When you share your story with safe, trustworthy people, the power of shame and secrecy breaks.

With support, you’ll be able to defeat lies, manage triggers, and conquer bitterness.

Their prayers will carry you, especially on days when all you can whisper is “Help.”

My support group, counselor, and husband comprised the spiritual scaffolding that held me up. They prayed for me through my darkest days and celebrated my victories.

Ask God to provide wise, godly, caring, trusted people who’ll cheer you on.

Side note: I learned through painful experience the importance of discernment after confiding in unsafe people. Choose wisely.

#4 EXPLORATION: Healing from trauma requires heart work.

Psalm 139:23–24 invites us to pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (bolded words mine).

Before God can heal your wound, He needs to clean out the infection.

Dig deep and ask God to reveal how trauma has shaped your heart and mind: bitterness, hate, rage, despair, addictions, self-destructive patterns, a vengeful spirit, and unforgiveness.

This step can be painful and humbling, but it’s vital to acknowledge how you’ve responded to the trauma.

The point isn’t to beat yourself up, but to come clean with the Lord.

The enemy deceives us into believing healing will come if our offenders suffer. Even if they do, we’re left empty and still stuck with unresolved grief, anger, and unforgiveness.

This stage gutted me. I had to face my sinful choices of sexual immorality and substance abuse that intensified my pain rather than assuaging it.

My heart, blackened with hatred and unforgiveness, hurt those I loved and made me loathe myself.

Satan had twisted my trauma into a weapon against me, which pulled me further away from God’s offer of abundant life. This led to the next step.

#5 CONFESSION: Some avoid this step when healing from trauma out of compassion.

You were genuinely harmed, and you desperately need compassion and comfort. But confession is essential for complete freedom.

Repent for how you responded to your trauma: addictions, substance abuse, sexual improprieties, mistreating others, self-harm, or nurturing victimhood.

To heal from trauma, pursue courage and resilience. Lament how your choices intensified the pain. Ask God’s forgiveness for your bitterness and hatred.

In some cases, your trauma resulted from your own life choices that harmed yourself or another person.

Be honest, but don’t confuse responsibility with condemnation.

Scripture is clear: forgiveness comes from God, not from “forgiving yourself.” If guilt lingers, it’s time to fully accept God’s forgiveness.

Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” and John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” The more you feel you don’t deserve forgiveness, the more you taste His amazing grace.

The lightness I felt after confession astonished me. With my heart cleansed and softened, God led me toward compassion for my offender.

Remember, God always starts by restoring our own hearts, clearing the connection between us and Him.

You are a new creation in Him; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

#6 TRANSFORMATION: Now with a clean heart, God can begin to help you heal from trauma by taking your thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).

He will help you identify and manage triggers. He replaces labels like unwanted or unlovable with beloved, redeemed, and He will teach you effective coping skills.

The Spirit will gently lead you to pray for and forgive your offender—a step that once seemed impossible. Forgiveness sets you free.

Healing is messy, exhausting, and holy work, but light slowly eradicates darkness.

For me, it felt like a roller coaster of fear, hope, exhaustion, and triumph.

And every time I caught my breath, I said, “OK, Lord—let’s keep going.” You’ll marvel at how God’s healing work is bringing lasting peace.

#7 RESTORATION: This is God’s ultimate goal for you to heal from trauma.

He frees you from your painful past and provides a future of hope, joy, and purpose.

He makes beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3), restores what was lost (Joel 2:25). and redeems your pain so you can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

You know restoration has taken root when trauma no longer dominates your life.

You’ve regained confidence in your identity in Christ. Your inner self and outer self are in harmony. Shame loses its grip.

Triggers no longer control you. Your wound is a healed scar, no longer demanding daily attention. You walk in freedom, having entrusted your past and your offenders to God.

I landed at this step over two decades ago.

Since then, God has led me into ministry to abuse survivors through the writing of my book, Heartmending, the creation of a healing journal and a forgiveness workbook, teaching, and mentoring.

He told me not to hoard His gift of healing! My joy is helping others get unstuck from their trauma and seeing them radiate joy and freedom.

God is glorified when He redeems our pain.

God waits for your yes. Are you ready to start and heal from trauma?

I would love to hear from you! Please contact me: [email protected].

How to Heal From Trauma on YouTube

Join us as Nancy shares her seven-step guide to help you heal from trauma on YouTube. Listen here.

Author

Nancy Manassero

Nancy is a Certified Trauma Support Specialist and retired RN with a lifelong passion for healing. After years of ministry alongside survivors of sexual abuse, she answered God’s call to create resources that help others make progress in their healing journey, including her monthly newsletter, Hope for Healing. Check out Nancy’s resources and the story behind how the book, Heartmending, came to be at www.nancymanassero.com