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Abstract
This phenomenological study explores how clergy experience providing trauma-related pastoral care to Latina/o immigrant congregants. Through seven series of semi-structured interviews with Latina/o clergy serving Latina/o congregations (n=7), the researcher identified six primary themes, two that dealt with the impact and stress of secondary trauma exposure, and four that dealt with coping and self-care strategies. The seven primary themes were: 1) dual exposure to collective and individual trauma, (2) feeling powerless, (3) consulting trusted advisers, (4) setting boundaries around communication, (5) witnessing the spiritual growth and healing of congregants (6) praying for Gods assistance, and (7) advocating and enlisting resources. There were three sub-themes for participants under the first theme of dual exposure to collective and individual trauma. They are: (1a) impact of mass deportation on individual trauma experiences of congregants, (1b) exposure to mass deportation through engagement with immigration and legal systems, and (1c) high accessibility and utilization of clergy by both congregants and Latina/o community members. Along with conducting thematic analysis of the data, this study offers an expressive interpretation of the data in the form of a hybrid poem constructed solely of the words of all seven study participants. Significantly, Latino cultural values factored into all of the studys findings - sometimes rendering participants more vulnerable to secondary trauma exposure, and often informing and bolstering participants sources of coping and resilience. Implications for practice and future research with Latina/o communities, clergy and other helping professionals are discussed.