Date

12-16-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Keena K. Cowsert

Keywords

Resiliency, Domestic Violence, Belief in God, Intimate Partner Violence, Faith

Disciplines

Christianity | Counseling

Abstract

The purpose [KC1.1]of this phenomenological study is to describe the role of faith in the process of leaving an abusive relationship for IPV survivors who believe in God from MA. The theories guiding the study include the survival theory of DV created by Gondolf and Fisher (1988), which believes victims of DV as survivors who most times do desire and seek help and should not be viewed as passive victims. Further, resilience theory builds on survival theory, which will guide the inquiry regarding resiliency. Survival theory and resilience theory both view survivors of DV not as helpless victims but as capable of seeking help, escaping abuse and overcoming barriers, finding support and inner strength to overcome suffering and make meaning out of their experience. The study is going to be completed using one-on-one interviews using a semi-structured approach with an existential and humanistic theoretical framework and influenced by a post-positive pariahdom, which informs the research and formation of interview material as well as interpretation. The interviews will focus on assessing belief in God and if it aided individuals in showing resilience. The literature reviewed will define the problem of DV, look at current research on DV, as well as resilience, and the link between faith and resilience in the trauma research, and will provide a foundation for a need for resilience to be studied as a gap in the literature in the DV population and will display an argument for the study and how it can help DV survivors in leaving violent offenders and showing resilience post-abuse and aiding clinicians in producing treatment approaches that aid survivors in showing resilience post-abuse.

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