Serving Trauma Survivors with Faith and Discernment | Kelly Hawley

The need for wise, compassionate people who are willing to serve trauma survivors is great.In this episode of Grit and Grace with Tonya Bruton, I sit down with Kelly Hawley, founder of Warrior Bride Ministries, for a respectful and thought-provoking conversation about faith, trauma, dissociation, discernment and answering God’s call even when we do not feel fully equipped.Kelly shares how she entered this difficult area of ministry without formal training in psychology or counseling. Her willingness to learn, serve and surrender herself to God became the starting point. Her story is a reminder that God does not wait until we feel completely qualified before He asks us to obey Him.We discuss:• The mission of Warrior Bride Ministries• How Kelly was called into survivor ministry• Why willingness, humility and obedience matter• The need for more trustworthy ministers and volunteers• The shortage of support for exploited men and young boys• Kelly’s firsthand ministry perspective on dissociation and DID• Trauma, fragmentation, programming and mind control• The importance of wisdom and discernment when serving survivors• The upcoming Counting the Cost ConferenceKelly explains why she believes dissociative identity disorder is real, how she approaches survivors who describe severe and intentional trauma, and why Christians entering this work must be willing to listen without rushing to judgment or pretending to understand what they have not personally experienced.Our conversation remains non-graphic, but it addresses childhood exploitation, trafficking, ritual abuse, dissociation, DID and mind control from Kelly’s experience and Christian ministry perspective.ABOUT KELLY HAWLEYKelly Hawley is the founder of Warrior Bride Ministries, a Christ-centered ministry devoted to helping survivors of childhood trauma, exploitation, trafficking, ritual abuse and dissociation find healing, identity and restoration through Yeshua.Learn more about Kelly and Warrior Bride Ministries:https://warriorbrideministries.comVolunteer or explore ways to serve:https://warriorbrideministries.com/volunteerCOUNTING THE COST CONFERENCE 2026Trust the Journey: Becoming His Warrior BrideAugust 21–23, 2026Folly Beach, South CarolinaThe conference brings together survivors, ministry leaders, counselors, coaches, intercessors and others who feel called to walk alongside survivors with greater understanding and discernment.Conference information and registration:https://warriorbrideministries.com/conference2026CONNECT WITH GRIT AND GRACERead the blog:https://www.tonyabruton.com/blogVisit the website and join the email list:https://www.tonyabruton.comFollow Grit and Grace with Tonya Bruton on Spotify so you do not miss future conversations about faith, healing, recovery and finding purpose through what you have survived.You can support the podcast by following the show, rating it, sharing this episode and sending it to someone who may benefit from Kelly’s work.Support Grit and Grace:Venmo: @tonya-brutonThis episode presents the guest’s ministry experience, beliefs and perspective. It is intended for spiritual encouragement and education and is not a replacement for licensed medical or mental-health care.