Abstract
This article presents a limited number of findings from a larger research project that explores spiritual themes related to the experience of homelessness as reported by 16 research participants following their residence in a 90-day emergency shelter program in Los Angeles County, California. By utilizing interpretive phenomenological analysis, the study focuses solely on three spiritual themes present in the experience of homelessness. Participants noted experiencing the presence of hope and motivation while homeless, the challenges of coping with the homeless stigma, and times in which they felt (and did not feel) “human.” Implications for pastoral counselors and others offering spiritually-integrated counsel in the context of homelessness are discussed.
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Notes
A biblical foundation for serving the homeless is found in scriptural passages such as Leviticus 25:35–36, Isaiah 58:6–8, and Matthew 25:34–40. Based on this biblical imperative, some of the many church- and faith-based organizations offering pastoral care and counseling to the homeless in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada include: Interfaith Action of Evanston; UNLEASH: Church Action on Homelessness; Churches Action for the Homeless (CATH); Public Action to Deliver Shelter, Inc. (PADS, Inc.); Room in the Inn; and Out of the Cold. Information on each of these organizations is available online.
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Snodgrass, J.L. Spirituality and Homelessness: Implications for Pastoral Counseling. Pastoral Psychol 63, 307–317 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-013-0550-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-013-0550-8