Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Counselor Education and Supervision

Advisor

Corinne Bridges

Abstract

The goal of this research was to explore lived experiences of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in intimate partner violence (IPV) counselors. An improved understanding of secondary trauma risk mitigation may protect the well-being of counselors, which in turn may protect clients, benefitting the profession of counseling as well as counselor education. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was to explore the lived PTG experience of counselors who work with survivors of IPV. The theoretical and conceptual frameworks for this study were the PTG model and phenomenology. Semi structured interviews were conducted with eight licensed professional counselors having at least 10 years of experience counseling survivors of IPV. Congruent with IPA, data analysis consisted of listening to recordings, reading transcripts, taking notes, identifying emerging themes, compiling coded themes and organizing them, and identifying patterns across cases. The findings included themes of improved relationships with self and others through increased self-awareness and insight, creating awareness of IPV in others through psychoeducation, vigilance in counselors’ personal relationships, processing trauma work, finding a calling, and positive feelings about clients. Additionally, the participant interviews involved themes with implications for counselors working with IPV survivors, such as the importance of counselors’ individual experiences of IPV, attitudes toward their work and clients, and maintaining strong social and professional connections. This information is important to both professional counselors and counselor education, in that identifying PTG and fostering it can help alleviate posttraumatic stress and burnout in counselors.

Download

Share

 
COinS