Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

William Townsend

Keywords

African American, Millennials, Trauma, Intergenerational Trauma, Dual Trauma, Marriage, Black Couples, Marital Satisfaction

Disciplines

Counseling | Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe African American millennial married couples’ experiences with unresolved trauma in the North Texas Region, Texas. The theory guiding this study is John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory. Multiple traumatic experiences and relationship fractures that inhibit marital satisfaction among African American millennials are also examined. Trauma, viewed from a generalized perspective and conceptual form, is defined as an uncontrollable and sudden event with highly adverse outcomes that may persist. Among African Americans, trauma from interpersonal distress, historical events, racial barriers, and socioeconomic stressors often hinders the pursuit of healthy marriages. This study examines millennial African American marriage satisfaction through the lens of partner trauma, categorized as Complex or Intergenerational. Using the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (MSI-R) and UConn Racial/Ethnic Stress & Trauma Survey (UnRESTS), the study explores the interplay between trauma types and marital outcomes. It provides a framework to understand how past or current trauma shapes psychological and emotional health within relationships. This qualitative study will aim to incorporate the experiences of 10 African American millennial couples. The research aims to identify complex relationship patterns while offering evidence-based interventions to improve marital satisfaction rates. The research aims to compartmentalize trauma types affecting relationship stability and promote resilience among African American Millennial couples.

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