Date
12-4-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Keena Cowsert
Keywords
childhood maltreatment, childhood interpersonal trauma, narrative therapy, narrative group therapy, group therapy, adult treatment of childhood trauma, childhood abuse and neglect
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
Walker, Bethany, "Mirrors & Windows: A Phenomenological Study on Narrative Group Therapy with Adults Survivors of Childhood Interpersonal Trauma" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7706.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7706
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe adult survivors of childhood interpersonal trauma's lived experiences with group narrative therapy in Texas. Three theories serve as the base for this study: Terr's childhood trauma theory, Vygotsky's social constructivism, and Fisher's narrative theory. Social constructivism informs the study by suggesting that group therapy fosters meaning making through shared narratives. Narrative theory informs this study with the concept participants of narrative group therapy can not only create, examine, and reauthor their stories but find connection with others and empowerment in sharing their stories. Participants in this study completed an interview and writing exercise to better understand their experiences in narrative group therapy. The data was then processed and analyzed utilizing Van Manen's approach for hermeneutic phenomenology.
