Trauma-Informed Pastoral Care: A Framework for Churches Responding to Post-Flood Displacement in Bayelsa State

This study develops a trauma-informed pastoral care framework for churches responding to communities displaced by recurrent flooding in Bayelsa State, South South Nigeria. Bayelsa State is among the most flood-prone states in Nigeria, and the repeated destruction of homes, livelihoods, and community structures creates significant psychological and spiritual trauma that conventional pastoral responses inadequately address. Using a qualitative action research design, data are gathered from thirty affected community members, fifteen church volunteers involved in disaster response, and five trauma-trained clinical psychologists collaborating with faith organisations across Yenagoa, Sagbama, and Ogbia Local Government Areas. The study draws on trauma theology, disaster response theory, and African contextual theology to construct a framework that integrates psychological sensitivity with theological resources of lament, hope, and communal solidarity. The proposed framework covers five phases: immediate presence and witness, lament facilitation, stabilisation support, meaning-making accompaniment, and community rebuilding rituals. Evaluation criteria include trauma symptom reduction, community cohesion indicators, and pastoral worker wellbeing. The study recommends the adoption of this framework by the Christian Association of Nigeria's disaster response committee and calls for inter-agency collaboration between churches, government emergency agencies, and mental health professionals in Bayelsa. Keywords: trauma-informed care, pastoral care, flood displacement, Bayelsa State, disaster theology