By Brian Arbor | November 27, 2025
About Our Guest
Dr. Larry Brant is a U.S. Navy chaplain of 16 years with 25 years of previous experience as a local minister and has a proven track record dealing with PTSD and moral injury. He is also the author of Restoring the Broken: A Ministry Leader’s Guide to Understanding and Healing Moral Injury. While written for ministry leaders, the book is intended for anyone seeking to understand moral injury and how to support those affected by it.
Episode Summary
Together we navigate an in-depth conversation on moral injury, how it is distinct from PTSD, and its impact on identity, values, worldview, and personal faith. We explore how moral injury shows up across military service, faith communities, sexual abuse, and more, and why traditional trauma frameworks often fail to provide remedy.
Core Topics
What is Moral Injury - and How Does It Differ from PTSD?
The Impact On Faith and Challenges of Returning to Spiritual Practice
Restoring Connection, Finding Safe Companionship, and the Path Toward Restoration
Key Takeaways
Moral injury is not a lack of belief, but a loss of connection.
This can result in withdrawal, self-punishment, and a belief in one’s own unforgivability rather than fear or hypervigilance.
Moral injury doesn’t need answers - it needs companionship.
Healing these wounds is best supported by sitting compassionately with someone’s pain and listening without judgment, and resisting the urge to offer solutions or changes in perspective.
Safe spaces enable healing across disciplines.
Whether in therapy, faith communities, families, or peer groups, restoration begins when individuals are met with steadfast companionship in their darkest inner landscapes, are allowed to be fully seen, and are received with quiet love and grace.
Memorable Quote
“People don’t need quick fixes. They need someone to sit with them in the ashes long enough to believe that beauty can rise from it.”
Connect w/ Our Guest:
Website: https://restoring-the-broken.com/
99¢ BOOK DOWNLOAD:
Get it on Amazon on release day, February 3rd, 2026!
Or visit his website to get on the waitlist
With Gratitude for Our Sponsors:
Embrace The Darkness: Somatic Breathwork for Grief and Healing | embracethedarkness.org
Practical Sanctuary: Sensory Interior Design | practicalsanctuary.com
Connect with Brian:
Website: https://tracesoftrauma.com/
Email: brian@tracesoftrauma.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracesoftrauma
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracesoftrauma
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracesoftrauma/
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/brianarbor
