Date
6-17-2026
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision (PhD)
Chair
Stacey Lilley
Keywords
mutually satisfying sexual intimacy, heterosexual couples, Christian marriage, sex-positive, lived experiences, Qualitative Research, Transcendental Phenomenology, Solution-Focused
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
Gillentine, Jeremy D., "A Transcendental Phenomenological Study with a Solution Focused Mindset to Describe Christian Married Couples’ Experiences Leading to Mutually Satisfying Sexual Intimacy" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8627.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8627
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study, guided by a solution-focused mindset, was to describe the central phenomenon of “What are the lived experiences of heterosexual Christian married couples who describe their sexual intimacy as mutually satisfying?” This research utilized a transcendental phenomenological approach that aligns with the Moustakas adaptation of the Van Kaam method as it lays the foundation for seeking to better understand and describe the lived experiences of the participants. The process of epoché (bracketing) was employed to help the primary researcher remove preconceived notions and capture the true essence as presented by the participants. The researcher strengthened this commitment by utilizing a solution-focused mindset of not knowing to assist in seeing the participants as the experts on their lived experiences. There were eight couples with 16 individual interviews that were recorded, transcribed, and processed to discover invariant constituents, themes, and finally a cross-couple essence statement of the phenomenon. Analysis revealed several core themes associated with the participants’ experience of mutually satisfying sexual intimacy: relational safety and trust, mutual communication and intentional engagement, and meaning making. This study contributes to the limited qualitative literature on sex-positive experiences among Christian married couples and offers implications for counselors, counselor educators, and faith based communities seeking to support couples in the experiencing of mutually satisfying sexual intimacy.
