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Phenomenological research on lived experiences of pastors’ wives: From the perspective of Christian counseling Song, Kyung

  • Journal of Counseling and Gospel
  • Abbr : Jocag
  • 2020, 28(1), pp.147-181
  • DOI : 10.17841/jocag.2020.28.1.147
  • Publisher : Korean Evangelical Counseling Society
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology > Pastoral Counseling
  • Received : March 27, 2020
  • Accepted : May 9, 2020
  • Published : May 30, 2020

Song, Kyung Hwa 1

1월드미션대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This research explores lived experiences of Korean pastors’ wives─ samonims. While samonims provide counseling for their congregants, they hardly become recipients of counseling. It is Christian counselors’ responsibility to develop effective strategies of Christian counseling for samonims. For this, the first task is to understand samonims’ lived experiences. I employ phenomenological research method for this because the purpose of phenomenological research is to provide a thick description of the essence of a phenomenon. I performed interviews with eight samonims. Then, I analyzed the interview data through phenomenological procedures. Finally, I identified six categories and sixteen themes. Description of these themes serves as a thick description of the essence of samonims’ lived experiences. The research result indicates: Samonims regard themselves as mothers for congregants and invisible helpers of their husbands; They participate in and experience both joy and worry by their husband’s ministry; They find difficulties in their family relationships─in raising their children and in their marital relationships; They enumerate their sufferings: having no person to talk with; feeling of being trapped; high level of stress; and attention and judgments by people; Their coping strategies are patience, prayer to God, and self-development; Samonims identify benefits of being samonims: special treatments and growth of personal faith. Also, the interviewees recognize their power as samonims.

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