Phasing Out of Trauma - Blog #Trauma-Informed Ministry

Beginning Phase 13

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 23:10:49 +0000

The Courage to Confront, the Grace to Release

Phase 13:I am ready to resolve my trauma with those who were responsible and with those who failed to address it. I will honor myself and God as we redeem my story.

There comes a point in every healing journey when the ache of the past meets the strength of the present.

Phase 13 is about resolving our trauma with the people who caused it — and those who failed to protect us — not by reopening wounds, but by allowing God to redeem what once broke us.

For many of us, this step is the hardest one yet. We can’t truly enter this phase until we’ve done the deep work of the first twelve phases — the six Sitting with Our Trauma phases, where we learned to recognize how our experiences have shaped our lives, and the Processing Our Trauma phases, where we began to release, piece by piece, what was dumped on us.

Through that work, we reclaimed our dignity, our worth, our voice — and in Phase 12, we grieved what was lost. At the end of grief, we find acceptance.

And once we’ve entered the sacred place of acceptance, we become ready to do the holy work of confrontation — to face the wrongs and discern with God what resolution looks like, so that we can emerge redeemed and honor what He has transformed.

Why This Step Matters

Unresolved trauma keeps us tied to the very people or moments we long to move beyond. We replay conversations that never happened, wait for apologies that never come, or hold onto resentment as proof that what we endured mattered.

At the time of our trauma, we often had no voice, no control, and no way to affect change. We turned to others we trusted — expecting protection, compassion, or intervention — but far too often, our cries for help fell on deaf ears or hardened hearts. Some ignored our pain. Others deepened it. Many looked away. These are the double and triple betrayals that leave deep wounds.

Now, as we enter the final six phases — Moving Beyond Our Trauma — our first task is resolution. This means allowing the echoes of pain to finally quiet, and reclaiming our empowerment, courage, and dignity. It means saying, “No more.” We are no longer the punching bag, the whipping post, or the scapegoat. We are beloved daughters of God who have walked through the fire — and survived.

Resolution will look different for everyone. The most important truth is this: resolving trauma no longer depends on someone else’s response.

It’s about our internal peace — knowing we’ve done what we needed to do to honor our own healing and rescue the parts of ourselves that were silenced, shamed, or forgotten.

Healing here isn’t about forcing reconciliation or pretending it didn’t hurt.
It’s about recognizing that we no longer need the person who caused our pain to validate it.
We can choose peace for ourselves.

We honored what happened as we Sat With Our Trauma.
We grieved what we lost as we Processed Our Trauma.

And Now We Seek Peace and Justice as We Move Beyond Our Trauma

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” — Romans 12:18

Peace in this phase is not about outward harmony — it’s about regaining inward peace.

As we processed grief, we uncovered our anger — not as sin, but as signal. Anger revealed the injustices that needed to be named, the losses that needed to be mourned, and the boundaries that needed to be drawn.

Phase 13 is about drawing those boundaries with clarity and conviction — saying enough to torment, abuse, and neglect, while doing so in a way that honors both your story and your safety. So that you can finally say:

“I did everything I could.”
“I honored myself.”
“I am finally free to become me again.”

Honoring Ourselves and God in the Process

In this phase, we learn to:

Acknowledge that our worth was never diminished by their actions.
Discern what resolution looks like for us — knowing it will look different for every story.
Invite God to re-frame our story through His mercy and restoration, trusting that we are still in the middle of redemption, not the end of it.

As we resolve what once felt un-resolvable, we honor both our own healing and God’s faithfulness — a sacred partnership that transforms pain into peace.

Moving Forward

If you’re just beginning your healing journey, this is not where you need to start.

Your journey begins in Phase 1 (or in our Tag Out Phase). Each step equips you for the next — there are no time limits, no expectations, and no “finish line.” Healing unfolds in God’s timing, and we honor that.

If you’ve been with us since the beginning at Newbreak Church, remember: simply exploring these phases is not the same as completing them. Healing is not linear, and we would never expect you to resolve a lifetime of trauma in a month.

This month’s group gatherings will focus on teachings and practices to help you understand this phase, but you’ll move through your journey at your own pace.

When you’re ready to move into Phase 13 — after celebrating Phase 12 and its work of grief — know that your leaders and your community will be cheering you on, holding you up, and praying for you every step of the way.

And if you’re new to Phasing Out of Trauma, welcome.
You can begin at the Tag Out Phaseunder our Home Page and request access to Phase 1 when you’re ready.
Your journey is sacred, and we are honored to walk it with you.

Why 18 Phases Instead of 12 Steps?

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 22:49:52 +0000

Healing Trauma Requires More Than a Formula

For many women, traditional recovery groups have offered a glimpse of hope but not always a home. The 12-Step model has transformed countless lives, especially for those battling addiction, codependency, and substance abuse. But for many women living with the effects of trauma—whether from abuse, loss, neglect, or other wounding experiences—the 12 Steps can feel like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. While they may also be carrying wounds from addiction and codependency or be labeled as co-addicts because their partner is addicted, the meeting never touches the source of their experiences.

They may sit in a meeting, listen to powerful stories of addiction recovery, and still wonder quietly, “Where do I fit?”

At Phasing Out of Trauma, we believe women healing from trauma deserve a recovery process tailored to their unique needs—one that doesn’t reduce their pain to a pattern of choices or behavior, but honors the impact of what has happened to them.

The Difference Between Addiction Recovery and Trauma Recovery

The 12 Steps were designed for those whose lives had become unmanageable through addiction. Trauma, however, operates differently. It changes how our brains process safety, how our bodies hold stress, and how our spirits experience trust, intimacy, and faith.

Working a program designed for addiction can leave survivors of trauma feeling unseen. Trauma doesn’t always manifest as a craving—it manifests as hypervigilance, emotional shutdown, distrust, or disconnection. What’s needed is not simply abstinence from behavior, but restoration of safety, dignity, and belonging.

18 Phases: A Journey That Honors the Whole Person

Our 18-Phase model was built to integrate psychological insight with spiritual formation—because you can’t fully heal one without the other. The mind, body, and spirit all carry trauma; healing requires that all three be restored together.

Each phase walks a woman through a gradual process of healing, beginning with Sitting With Her Trauma and moving toward Moving Beyond Her Trauma. The phases build upon one another intentionally—each one giving language, perspective, and grace to the next.

This is not about working harder. It’s about being guided gently through a structured, Christ-centered process that allows the heart to catch up to what the mind believes.

Christ: Our Wounded Healer

We acknowledge God as our Higher Power, and we know Him by name—Jesus Christ, the Wounded Healer. He understands what it means to experience trauma, betrayal, loss, and suffering. He wept with Mary at Lazarus’s tomb, sweat blood in Gethsemane, and carried the weight of humanity’s pain to the cross.

He is not distant from our trauma—He entered it, transformed it, and redeems it still.

That is why Phasing Out of Trauma exists: to offer women a recovery process that holds both faith and psychology in equal measure. Healing is not complete if it restores our minds but not our souls, or our faith but not our sense of safety in our own bodies.

How You Can Begin the Journey

You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin.

Start by attending a General Meeting, where you can experience community and safety without pressure to share.
When you’re ready, explore the Phase Work Packets or join a Phase Work Cohort, where you’ll walk through each phase with others who understand.
For one-on-one support, consider our Mentorship Pathway, where trained mentors walk beside you through the process.

Healing takes time, intention, and grace—but you don’t have to do it alone.

Because Healing from Trauma Deserves Its Own Path

Women healing from trauma don’t need to fit into someone else’s program. They need a process built for them—one that honors their pace, their story, and their faith.

At Phasing Out of Trauma, we believe recovery from trauma isn’t about managing behavior. It’s about reclaiming the wholeness that was always meant to be yours.

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