The way of grace: Becoming a safe space for victims of domestic abuse

The church needs to be open and accepting of individuals who are struggling in their marriage. It should provide these people with a safe space to grow past the trauma that is causing them pain. Counselor Dr. Robert Turner believes that the church community can help couples fix or stop destructive relationships.

While it is clearly spoken in the Bible that God is not in favor of divorce, Christian marriage counselors need to help struggling couples or victims of domestic abuse determine whether the abuse constitutes separation. Many conservative pastors and leaders believe that only physical abuse can be given an allowance for legal separation. However, emotional abuse can lead to worsening physical health and other manifestations that can be considered physical abuse, explains Dr. Robert Turner.

A study backed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Mental Health discovered that the brain processes intense social rejection and physical pain and injuries in the same manner. Counselors, pastors, and church leaders who encounter individuals who suffer from emotional abuse in their marriage must acknowledge that "the power of life and death is in the tongue" and that "reckless words pierce like a sword."

The church can become a safe space for victims of domestic abuse by helping them heal from the trauma by praying and seeking God's will for their marriage. God hates perfidious divorce, but He is not against disciplinary divorce. Counselors like Dr. Robert Turner must instill comfort and confidence by being with them as they choose to do God's will.