Date
4-29-2026
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Todd W Schultz
Keywords
Black counselors, wellness checks, intergenerational trauma, racial trauma, structural racism, intersectionality, and lived experiences
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
Slowley-Azeez, Shanique, "A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Black Counselors Completing Wellness Checks for their Black Clients" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8204.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8204
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Black counselors who have contacted the police for wellness checks on their Black clients. This study explored how factors such as intergenerational trauma, systemic oppression, and race shaped the perceptions and experiences of these counselors who sought wellness checks from law enforcement for Black clients. This research was guided by intergenerational trauma theory (1966) and social constructivist theory (1978). Social constructivist theory allowed the researcher to understand how individuals describe and assign meaning to events, thus shaping their knowledge and lived experiences. The researcher employed semi-structured interviews and focus groups to collect data. The data analysis followed Colaizzi’s (1978) method, incorporating techniques such as horizontalization, bracketing, and reflexivity to gain a deep understanding of participants’ experiences.
