Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse and PTSD: When Trust Turns into Trauma

A silhouette representing a survivor of Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse in the shadows

Research spotlight

A recent study of 149 Protestant women who experienced sexual abuse by clergy found that 39% screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Among these women, 95% reported significant impairment in friendships, 90% in general life satisfaction, and 81% in their spiritual life (Pooler & Droesch, 2025). These numbers are not simply statistics—they represent the deep disruption that occurs when trust, faith, and identity are shattered by the actions of a spiritual leader.

Clergy sexual abuse of adults (ACSA) challenges the very foundations of human connection and meaning. The violation is not only physical or emotional; it is often existential. Survivors describe not just the trauma of sexual violation but the collapse of their inner world—a world that once held faith, safety, and belonging.

This post explores what we now know about ACSA, the impact on victim-survivors, and the complex intersection between trauma, spirituality, and recovery.

Understanding Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse

Adult clergy sexual abuse occurs when someone in a position of religious authority—such as a pastor, priest, or spiritual mentor—uses that position to engage in sexual contact, coercion, or exploitation with an adult under their care. The defining feature is the abuse of power and trust, not the age of the victim.

Contrary to common myths, which present cases of adult clergy abuse as "consensual affair", most survivors did not “consent” in any meaningful sense. Instead, psychological coercion often replaces overt force. Abusers, utilising their positions of power, may use spiritual manipulation—suggesting that sexual acts are “special,” “divinely ordained,” or necessary for emotional healing. Some survivors are told that resisting would show a lack of faith or spiritual obedience. In this way, the spiritual language that once gave life and hope becomes twisted into a tool of control.

Researchers have called this a form of betrayal trauma (Freyd, 1996), where the person who is supposed to offer safety and care becomes the source of harm. When that betrayal occurs in a sacred context, the injury extends beyond the psychological and into the spiritual—affecting one’s view of God, community, and self.

The Unique Impact of Clergy Abuse on Adults

1. The Collapse of Meaning and Trust

Adult survivors of clergy sexual abuse often report a profound loss of meaning. Many entered pastoral care seeking guidance, spiritual counsel, or emotional support during vulnerable times—grief, marital difficulty, or personal crisis. When the person providing care exploits that vulnerability, it destroys the basic assumption that trust leads to safety. Survivors may question their judgment, feel ashamed for “not seeing it,” or blame themselves for what happened.

Psychologist Thomas Doyle (2008) described this as a “spiritual trauma”—a wound to the soul that often feels worse than the physical or emotional violation itself. Victims may experience alienation from God, their community, and even their own sense of identity as a believer. Doyle writes that “the impact on the soul is often subtle and grows more painful and debilitating as time passes.”

2. Post-Traumatic Stress and the Body’s Reaction

The Pooler and Droesch (2025) study highlights the broad impact of Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse across multiple areas of life: physical health, work, relationships, and spirituality. The women who screened positive for PTSD were more likely to experience disordered eating, substance misuse, and compulsive behaviours as coping mechanisms. This aligns with trauma research showing that when people cannot fight or flee, the body internalises terror—leading to chronic dysregulation of the nervous system (van der Kolk, 2014).

Survivors often describe hypervigilance, nightmares, flashbacks, and difficulty trusting others. Because clergy abuse is intertwined with spirituality, these symptoms can also emerge in faith-related contexts—during prayer, worship, or even hearing familiar hymns or scripture. The very rituals that once offered comfort can become triggers.

3. The Role of Institutional Betrayal

Many survivors describe a “second trauma” when they disclose the abuse and encounter disbelief, minimisation, or blame from church leaders. Psychologists Smith and Freyd (2013) call this institutional betrayal—the harm that occurs when an institution fails to prevent or respond appropriately to abuse.

When church communities prioritise protecting the organisation’s reputation or the perpetrator’s ministry over the survivor’s wellbeing, the betrayal deepens. Pooler and Barros-Lane (2022) found that only 8% of survivors felt supported by their church after disclosing abuse. Such responses can amplify PTSD symptoms and prolong recovery, particularly when survivors remain connected to the same community for social or familial reasons.

Why Adult Clergy Exploitation and Sexual Abuse is Not an “Affair”

One of the most damaging misconceptions about clergy sexual abuse is the idea that it was a “consensual affair.” This framing shifts responsibility from the perpetrator to the victim and obscures the dynamics of power and coercion.

In a pastoral relationship, the power differential is profound. The clergy member occupies a position of spiritual authority, moral influence, and often psychological insight into the congregant’s vulnerabilities. This makes true consent impossible. The same ethical principles that prohibit sexual contact between therapists or medical providers, and their clients apply in pastoral contexts—because of the inherent imbalance of power, dependency, and trust.

When faith communities label abuse as an affair, survivors face shame, ostracism, and loss of social connection—intensifying trauma. They may withdraw from faith communities entirely or internalise the belief that they were complicit, leading to deep feelings of shame and defectiveness. In therapy, it is crucial to name what happened for what it was: an abuse of power, not a mutual relationship.

PTSD and Complex Trauma in Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors

The Psychological Landscape

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs when the nervous system becomes stuck in survival mode long after the threat has passed. For clergy abuse survivors, this is often complicated by the betrayal of a trusted spiritual leader and, for some, an entire faith system.

Symptoms may include:

• Intrusive memories or flashbacks related to the abuse or church settings.

• Avoidance of worship, prayer, or community spaces.

• Negative alterations in mood or belief, such as feeling unworthy, dirty, or forsaken.

• Hyperarousal, including startle reactions, insomnia, or panic when reminded of the abuser.

• Dissociation—a sense of numbing, detachment, or unreality.

  
  

When the abuse occurs over a long period or within a tightly controlling religious environment, survivors may also develop Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). This involves chronic shame, emotional dysregulation, and difficulties with trust and intimacy. Many survivors describe feeling fragmented—one part wanting connection and another terrified of it.

The Spiritual Dimension of Trauma

Psychologist Kenneth Pargament (1997) notes that faith can be both a source of resilience and distress. For survivors of clergy sexual abuse, spiritual beliefs often become entangled with trauma. Some find comfort in a personal relationship with God independent of the institution; others experience deep spiritual confusion or anger. However, many do desire to remain connected with Faith communities, but struggle with many elements of this.

Doyle (2008) emphasised that the religious conditioning of victims—especially beliefs about obedience, forgiveness, and the sanctity of clergy—can intensify trauma. Survivors may fear divine punishment for disclosing the abuse or for feeling anger toward their perpetrator. Others may experience a profound rupture in their image of God, questioning whether any sacred relationship can be trusted again.

For clinicians, exploring spirituality within therapy requires sensitivity and consent. Some survivors need space to mourn the loss of their faith community; others wish to reconstruct their spirituality in a way that feels safe and authentic. Both paths are valid.

Disordered Coping: The Silent Aftermath

Trauma disrupts regulation—the body and mind’s capacity to stay balanced. Pooler and colleagues found high rates of disordered eating (89%), compulsive behaviours (57%), and substance misuse (44%) among survivors of Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse who screened positive for PTSD. These are not signs of weakness; they are adaptive strategies that once helped the survivor manage unbearable distress.

Many survivors describe eating very little, overeating, or using food as a form of control in an uncontrollable world. Others numb through alcohol, overwork, or perfectionism. In therapy, the goal is not to shame these patterns but to understand what they were protecting against—and to gradually replace them with safer forms of regulation, such as grounding techniques, mindfulness, and trauma-focused therapies.

Institutional and Systemic Reform

Religious institutions vary widely in their handling of adult clergy sexual abuse. Some have established safeguarding policies and mandatory reporting procedures. Others rely on informal systems that protect perpetrators rather than victims.

Researchers argue that meaningful reform requires external oversight, clear codes of conduct, and accountability mechanisms that prioritise survivor safety over institutional reputation (Garland & Argueta, 2010; Pooler & Barros-Lane, 2022). Internal measures alone rarely suffice; the very structures that enabled abuse cannot be solely responsible for correcting it.

Faith communities that genuinely wish to support healing can begin by:

• Acknowledging harm publicly and without defensiveness.

• Offering trauma-informed responses rather than theological justifications.

• Providing practical support for survivors seeking therapy or safety.

• Including survivor voices in policy development and leadership discussions.

  
  

Healing and Recovery

Healing from clergy sexual abuse is neither linear nor uniform. For some, it involves rediscovering spirituality outside of the faith context they experienced the abuse in. For others, it means redefining faith within it. Regardless of belief, recovery rests on three foundations: safety, connection, and meaning.

1. Rebuilding Safety

Survivors often need to reclaim control over their environment and body. Trauma-focused therapies—such as Schema Therapy, EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, or trauma-focused CBT—can help regulate the nervous system and reduce intrusive symptoms. Safety also involves setting clear boundaries with faith communities and choosing supportive relationships intentionally.

2. Restoring Connection

Because betrayal occurred in relationship, healing must also occur in relationship. Safe therapeutic alliances, peer support groups, and survivor networks such as Restored Voices Collective can provide validation and belonging without spiritual manipulation.

3. Re-authoring Meaning

Over time, survivors often seek to reconstruct a sense of purpose beyond the abuse. This might involve advocacy, creative expression, or a reimagined spirituality grounded in compassion rather than fear. For some, faith becomes broader and freer; for others, meaning is found in human connection and justice work.

4. Seeking a Professional who will walk through the recovery process with you

Recovering from spiritual or sexual abuse can be an isolating process, especially when the harm occurred in the very community meant to nurture trust. A trauma-informed, faith-sensitive psychologist can provide a safe, confidential environment to process memories, explore identity, and rebuild inner stability.

A Compassionate Path Forward

The psychological and spiritual injuries of clergy sexual abuse reach far beyond the initial act. Survivors frequently live with the invisible consequences—nightmares, guilt, broken trust, and lost community—for years. Yet many also show extraordinary resilience.

As Pooler and Barros-Lane (2022) found, faith—whether religious or secular—often plays a critical role in recovery. For some, this faith is in God; for others, it is faith in humanity, in the therapeutic process, or simply in the possibility of a different future. Healing begins when survivors are believed, when their experiences are named as abuse, and when communities commit to accountability and care.

If you have experienced clergy sexual abuse

If you are seeking support, Refuge Psychology offers compassionate, evidence-based care for adults recovering from abuse and complex trauma—including those harmed in religious or institutional contexts. Together, we can work toward healing that restores your sense of safety, dignity, and hope.

You can learn more or book a confidential appointment here.

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References

1. Doyle, T. P. (2008). The Spiritual Trauma Experienced by Victims of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy. Pastoral Psychology, 58, 239–260.

2. Pooler, D., & Droesch, R. (2025). Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse and PTSD: The Impact on Protestant Female Survivors. Pastoral Psychology, 74, 561–578.

3. Pooler, D., & Barros-Lane, L. (2022). Resilience and Faith in Survivors of Clergy Abuse. Pastoral Psychology.

4. Smith, C. P., & Freyd, J. J. (2013). Institutional Betrayal. American Psychologist, 68(6), 575–587.

5. van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. New York: Viking.

6. Pargament, K. I. (1997). The Psychology of Religion and Coping. New York: Guilford Press.

   
   

Disclaimer

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