Date
5-16-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Debra Perez
Keywords
Trauma-informed care, evangelical pastors, transformative learning theory, trauma, the church
Disciplines
Christianity | Counseling
Recommended Citation
McVety, Lindsay Knox, "Bridging Faith and Restoration: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Evangelical Pastors’ Experiences Ministering to Congregants with Trauma in the Greater Toronto Area" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5552.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5552
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how evangelical pastors in the Greater Toronto Area describe their experiences with discussing trauma with congregants and their experiences with trauma-informed care in the church. The theory guiding this research is Transformative Learning Theory (TLT). As discussed by Mezirow (1991), TLT explains transformation occurs by increasing knowledge by learning about topics where outdated or misinformed concepts previously existed. The main research question is, how do evangelical pastors in the Greater Toronto Area describe their experiences ministering to congregants who have experienced trauma? Further sub-questions ask, how do evangelical pastors in the Greater Toronto Area describe the challenges faced when ministering to congregants who have experienced trauma? How do evangelical pastors in the Greater Toronto Area describe the strategies implemented when ministering to congregants who have experienced trauma? How do evangelical pastors in the Greater Toronto Area describe their experiences with trauma-informed care? The study’s qualitative research design was transcendental phenomenology by Clark Moustakas (1994). Data was collected by in-depth, semi-structure interviews with 9 participants selected by a purposive, criterion sampling method. Data analysis was managed through bracketing, phenomenological reduction, imagination variation, horizontalization, coding, and the synthesis of meaning and essence of the data. Four themes emerged: “Theme 1: Experiences with Trauma”, “Theme 2: “Understanding Trauma”, “Theme 3: Challenges”, and “Theme 4: Strategies.” The implications of the study apply to evangelical pastors, the church, researchers on trauma-informed care, Mezirow’s (1991) TLT, and mental health professionals.
