“Trauma is the response to any event that shatters your safe world so that it’s no longer a place of refuge. Trauma is more than a state of crisis. It is a normal reaction to abnormal events that overwhelm a person’s ability to adapt to life—where you feel powerless.” —Dr. H. Norman Wright
As an organization whose mission is to serve women who have been exploited and abused by sex trafficking, Catalyst Ministries works to address the trauma that our residents have endured as a result of being trafficked. This trauma creates deep emotional wounds that can cause residents to feel like their lives are out of their control, they are powerless over their situations, or as if someone has literally turned their worlds upside down.
The trauma that survivors of sex trafficking have experienced is usually deep-seated and can stem from many forms of abuse, including but not limited to physical, psychological, and sexual abuse inflicted by family members, traffickers, and/or romantic partners. This trauma caused by the abuse can create lasting psychological consequences in the lives of survivors, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety, among other psychological disorders.
While this is not an all-encompassing list of who inflicts abuse, how abuse happens, and the consequences of abuse, many survivors of sex trafficking report trauma reflective of these descriptions. And although every survivor’s story is different, what remains evident is that all survivors have endured some form of trauma that directs them to our care.
With this understanding of trauma in mind, Catalyst Ministries has chosen to implement a long-term care program for residents that enter into our safe house, known as Catalyst Farms. A long-term care program is crucial to helping survivors of sex trafficking transition out of a life of pain and into a life of freedom. This allows the ministry to pour into residents for one-to-two years as they process their trauma, heal from abuse, and grow in their walk with Christ.
While short-term care facilities such as homeless shelters and/or crisis centers can be uniquely useful in helping survivors, they cannot meet all of a survivor’s multi-faceted needs. These complex needs are why Catalyst Ministries has chosen to provide long-term care that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the women that walk through our doors.
Read our previous blog post here: Freedom—A July Update From Julie
Julie Ryan founded Catalyst Ministries in 2014 with a vision to utilize a trauma-informed and holistic approach to help residents heal. She recognized that survivors of sex trafficking would need several layers of care and that their unique healing journey would take time, which is exactly why she decided that Catalyst Farms would provide long-term assistance.
Physically, survivors have basic needs that must be met. These women need food to fuel their bodies and clothing to wear. They also need medical and dental care that they may have been denied prior to coming to our residence.
From a psychological standpoint, there is much undoing that must happen within survivors’ hearts and minds, such as addressing an inability to trust others or de-escalating hypervigilance that stems from constantly living in survival mode. For this reason, counseling services are provided to residents to help them address their unique trauma and improve their mental health. Providing residents with a safe environment and surrounding them with safe people also helps to create an atmosphere of safety, which they desperately need.
Spiritual care is also a critical component of restoration, where staff works to spiritually uplift each resident. Spiritual mentoring and Bible studies are an important part of residential care in order to point them to Christ and strengthen their faith walk.
As survivors continue to heal physically, psychologically, and spiritually, they are also presented with the opportunity to pursue their dreams and goals while at Catalyst Farms. The women are encouraged to explore their God-given passions and talents and are supported during this process. Whether it be pursuing a college degree or vocational calling, Catalyst Farms strives to help each woman not only survive, but thrive. For the freedom of survivors is not only found through rescuing but also through restoration.
When thinking of our residents and the healing/restoration process each woman undergoes during their time at Catalyst Farms, we can’t help but to reflect upon this verse:
“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” –Psalm 147:3
Here at Catalyst Ministries we are so grateful to be an instrument of God’s grace where we are entrusted to care for survivors of sex trafficking and serve as an integral part in their individual healing and restoration. However, we do not want to keep the beauty of this restoration to ourselves. We would love to welcome your unique talents and gifts to the ministry! Would you consider helping our residents heal from their trauma and find freedom?
You can help change the lives of our residents by volunteering or donating today!
While trauma can be painful to endure, we are overjoyed that it does not have the final say—for Jesus is the Catalyst who frees, heals, and restores survivors.
—Kelsey
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31: 8-9