Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence in Marriages

The literature indicates that counselors report feeling undertrained and underprepared to

treat Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Because Christian wives who experience abuse have

unique vulnerabilities that differ from secular IPV cases, counselors need specialized faith-based

and cultural training to effectively treat this population of women. This phenomenological study

explored the lived experiences and professional perspectives of 12 licensed counselors (N = 12)

who work with Christian wives who have experienced abuse in their marriages. Five themes

emerged from the semi-structured interviews that have implications for the interprofessional and

co-collaboration relationship between counselors and clergy. The themes that emerged from the

data were nuanced assessment and identification of abuse in Christian contexts, barriers

counselors face when working with Christian wives, counselors identify pastoral responses and

implications on counseling, counselor's role in theological and faith reparative work, and

training and co-collaboration of counselors and clergy. Findings suggest the need for specialized

training in faith-informed IPV competencies for both counselors and clergy. Furthermore,

counselors can play a significant role by training pastoral leadership in IPV, trauma-informed

principles, and the recognition of power and control dynamics in covert forms of abuse.