Bridging psychology and theology: an integrated review of childhood and religious trauma toward a psychospiritual model of care

Childhood adversity and religious or spiritual trauma represent intersecting forms of psychological injury that undermine core systems of attachment, identity, and meaning making. Using Whittemore and Knafl’s five stage integrated review process, studies were searched and selected from various databases. The PRISMA model was used to filter out the studies that didn’t fit the eligibility, and 26 studies were finally included in the review. Across empirical and qualitative literature, three shared mechanisms consistently emerge – attachment rupture, internalized shame, and moral injury. Neurobiological research demonstrates that early trauma alters HPA axis functioning, amygdala hyperreactivity, and hippocampal integrity, while theological analyses reveal how rigid doctrines and institutional betrayal transform spiritual belief into a vehicle of retraumatization. The review explores the paradoxical role of faith as both a perpetuator of harm and a pathway to resilience when reinterpreted through compassionate, autonomy-affirming frameworks. Synthesizing these perspectives, the paper advances a psychospiritual model of care that integrates neurosequential regulation, trauma-informed psychotherapy, and spiritually literate pastoral interventions.