When Faith Harms: Clergy Sexual Abuse, Trauma, and the Call for a Healing Church
The intersection of trauma and faith is rarely simple. It’s often messy, painful, and, for many survivors, spiritually disorienting. In a powerful conversation on the Hey Tabi podcast, trauma therapist Tabitha Westbrook sits down with Dr. David Pooler—Licensed Clinical Social Worker, EMDR-trained therapist, and director of the Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse Advocacy and Research Collaborative at Baylor University—to unpack the devastating realities of clergy sexual abuse and the systemic failures within religious institutions.
How Dr. David Pooler Got Here: From Pastor to Researcher
Dr. Pooler’s journey into this work began more than two decades ago when, as an ordained minister, he noticed that fellow clergy members often avoided addressing their own mental health. That early concern evolved into doctoral research on how mental illness and addiction impact pastoral ministry. But it wasn’t until he joined the faculty at Baylor University and partnered with the late Diana Garland that his focus shifted to clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse—and, most importantly, the voices of survivors.
Dr. Pooler discovered what survivors have always known: those harmed by religious leaders hold the deepest insight. “Survivors are the ones who have the wisdom,” he explains. “They know what is and isn’t healthy. They know what healing should look like.” This survivor-informed perspective has become the bedrock of his research, and it radically challenges how churches approach abuse, accountability, and healing.
A Crisis the Church Can No Longer Ignore
The conversation reveals a sobering truth: while schools, businesses, and secular institutions often have clear policies for addressing sexual misconduct, many churches remain dangerously unprepared. This isn’t to say that secular organizations get it right - in these spaces abuse can be covered up or ignored. That said, at least there are procedures and when an organization follows them victims can be cared for and perpetrators held accountable. All too often, the Church has no procedures at all, save for background checks for children’s ministry. This lack of process and, at times, a belief abuse does not occur within the Church, protects abusers and quickly replatforms disgraced leaders, rather than centering victims and pursuing true justice. It absolutely should not be this way in the Church.
Pooler and Westbrook agree that it’s not enough to offer hollow apologies or public statements. Churches must commit to survivor-centered, trauma-informed practices that involve long-term accountability, support for affected families, and transparent community repair. Anything less is complicity.
Prevention Starts with Culture: Left of Bang
Westbrook introduces a powerful concept from military strategy—“left of bang”—which refers to intervening before a catastrophic event. Applied to the Church, this means fixing systemic problems before they result in abuse. That includes dismantling purity culture, calling out power imbalances, and creating space for real vulnerability, mental health support, and accountability—especially among church leadership. How potential pastors, elders, and deacons are vetted is deeply important in ensuring a safe enough space.
The overall goal of getting “left of bang” is to create environments that are inherently inhospitable to abuse. Healthy church cultures naturally repel those who seek to exploit secrecy and control. There will still be problems - those who abuse look for any way in. However, robust policies and procedures and a deep understanding of abuse dynamics can help detect such individuals and situations and then provide care for victims.
The Theological Wisdom of Survivors
One of the most profound parts of the conversation centers on how survivors’ theology often changes as they heal. Far from being a threat to the faith, this shift is a sign of spiritual growth. Dr. Pooler reflects, “As survivors heal, their theology changes… and I think it gets better.”
Rather than dismissing these evolving beliefs, churches would do well to listen. Survivor theology is grounded in lived experience, deep discernment, and a fierce commitment to truth. It could be the very wisdom the church needs most right now. “Deconstruction” is often seen as a buzzword for people rejecting faith, but that is not always the case. For most, it’s better termed as “sanctification” wherein they look at what Scripture says and determine that the Church has not accurately represented Jesus. Though they may leave Church membership, they do not leave the faith. It is deeply important to understand that nuance and that population.
What the Church Could Be—If We Let It
This conversation is not without hope. In fact, it offers a compelling vision for what the Church could be: a place of real transformation for all people, including the perpetrator and the victims. But that will require courage. It means choosing accountability over appearance, listening instead of silencing, and walking with survivors through long, hard healing journeys instead of rushing to resolution. This isn’t a quick process and it will be messy. But it’s ultimately life giving and looks a whole lot more like Jesus and the gospel.
As Tabitha Westbrook so powerfully states, “We can heal with less trauma”—if we’re willing to do the work.
📌 Want to Learn More?
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Listen to the full episode on Hey Tabi: https://heytabi.buzzsprout.com
Explore trauma-informed therapy at The Journey and The Process: https://thejourneyandtheprocess.com
Watch the Hey Tabi episode with Dr. David Pooler here.
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