'I just want the pain to go away’: religious coping and sexual trauma recovery in South African, marginalised contexts

Abstract

There is increased recognition of the need to engage with psychosocial diversity in the psychotherapeutic treatment of sexual violence. Using a decolonial feminist community psychology lens, this paper explores how religious practices shape the trauma experiences of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse in the Cape Flats region of South Africa. Drawing on data from qualitative semi-structured interviews and integrative trauma-informed care sessions with thirteen women who experienced childhood sexual abuse, this research explores how religion influences adult survivors’ efforts to process childhood sexual abuse and seek healing. Characterised by structural inequities, intergenerational trauma and limited mental health services resulting from apartheid, the Cape Flats provides a context in which religion plays a paradoxical role in study participants’ lives. Insights from reflexive inductive thematic analysis suggest that religion may provide supportive meaning, but also perpetuates trauma suppression through spiritual bypassing and premature forgiveness. This dynamic occurs where cultural and religious norms discourage trauma disclosure and institutionalised faith practices lack specialised trauma care. Integrative trauma-informed care sessions enable participants to engage with their trauma authentically, while cultivating an empowering connection to their faith. These findings highlight the necessity for trauma recovery approaches that address the intersections of structural inequity, gender and spirituality.