The Invisible Wall: Good Intentions Don't Make People Feel Safe
- Conscious Coore
- Sep 12, 2025
- 2 min read
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Here’s the brutally honest truth about why so many Christian counseling spaces fail to be trauma-informed: far too often, they are centered on the values of obedience and rebellion.
Let me be clear. Obedience and rebellion are deeply rooted and meaningful concepts in Christian spirituality. Scripture engages them. Doctrine depends on them. They shape our worldview, our discipleship, and our understanding of sin and sanctification.
But when we bring those same ideals uncritically into the counseling space, we limit the depth at which we can support people who are navigating trauma.
Why does that matter so much?
Because in trauma-informed care, resistance is not rebellion. It’s not defiance. It’s not even necessarily disagreement. In trauma-informed care, resistance is anticipated. Expected. Normal.
Not because the person receiving care is hardened or disobedient, but because their nervous system is doing its job. Because their mind, body, and spirit have learned that safety is not guaranteed.
If you interpret every pause, shutdown, or hesitation as rebellion…If you see their inability to receive a word as disobedience…Then you may be missing what’s really going on.
So here it is. You stepped into a counseling moment fully confident that what you had to say was Spirit-led. You gave the word. You shared what you knew came from God, and they didn’t cry. They didn’t shift. They didn’t yield. They didn’t say, “That’s confirmation.”
You know better than to name it rebellion out loud, but deep inside, you’re unsettled. You can’t figure out how someone could not respond to what was clearly divine truth.
That right there is The Invisible Wall.
It’s the gap between your intention and their safety. It’s the space where, without even realizing it, your spiritual authority can become a source of pressure rather than peace. Your reaction — whether spoken or silent, subtle or strong — might not cause harm, but it can absolutely hinder depth. It can stifle connection. It can short-circuit the opportunity for resolve.
And if your spiritual care doesn’t make room for that wall, you will keep bumping into it without knowing what it is.
This is how we rebuild trust in Christian care—not by abandoning truth, but by learning how to carry it with tenderness.
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Conscious Coore is the founder of Flamingo Trauma Recovery, the creator of the Trauma-Informed Spiritual Intervention® framework, and author of Fundamentals of Trauma-Informed Spiritual Intervention. With a background in psychology, education, and inner healing ministry, she equips faith-aligned professionals to integrate clinical care and biblical wisdom for lasting transformation. Through her work with Jesus in the Marketplace, she highlights where Safe and Sound work is happening, even in spaces that often overlook the need for it.
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