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“God Just Brought Me Through It”: Spiritual Coping Strategies for Resilience Among Intimate Partner Violence Survivors

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Abstract

This study highlights the spiritual coping processes for surviving and healing used by Christian women in a conservative faith community who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Using data from 42 in-depth qualitative interviews of survivors of IPV, the findings reveal a pattern of spiritually-based survival and resilience strategies women used while coping with and eventually escaping their traumatic lives. The analysis notes the central role of spirituality as a means women used to move from coping for survival to resilient self-efficacy and healing. These findings assist clinical social workers with identifying and accessing spiritual strengths as a springboard to wellbeing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Adventist University, P.O. Box 370, Collegedale, TN, 37315, USA

    René Drumm, Laurie Cooper, Shannon Trecartin, Marge Seifert, Tricia Foster & Carole Kilcher

  2. Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, 400 Westchester Avenue, Room 128, West Harrison, NY, 10604, USA

    Marciana Popescu

Authors
  1. René Drumm
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  2. Marciana Popescu
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  3. Laurie Cooper
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  4. Shannon Trecartin
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  5. Marge Seifert
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  6. Tricia Foster
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  7. Carole Kilcher
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Correspondence to René Drumm.

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Drumm, R., Popescu, M., Cooper, L. et al. “God Just Brought Me Through It”: Spiritual Coping Strategies for Resilience Among Intimate Partner Violence Survivors. Clin Soc Work J 42, 385–394 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-013-0449-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-013-0449-y

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