How did you survive this? Resilience and recovery in survivors of ecclesiastical sexual abuse: A phenomenological study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the resilience processes of Chilean adults who survived ecclesiastical sexual abuse during childhood, identifying the personal, relational, and ecological resources that contribute to their recovery. METHOD: Using a qualitative, phenomenological design, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 adult survivors. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis and interpreted through the resilience portfolio model. RESULTS: This study presents four emerging themes: (a) personal strength, understood as the regulatory endurance that allows survivors to live with the wound without transforming its meaning, reflecting processes of reinterpretation, resistance to self-victimization, and emotional self-regulation through the integration of trauma into one's life narrative; (b) love and care, conceptualized as relational practices that provide emotional refuge and everyday support following trauma; (c) optimism and hope, expressed as active, future-oriented practices through which individuals project meaning and purpose while integrating past suffering into a broader life trajectory; and (d) resignification, referring to the reconstruction of meaning whereby individuals redefine the significance of their experiences and incorporate pain into a renewed sense of identity. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights resilience as an ethical and transformative response to trauma, emphasizing its relational and contextual nature. The findings underscore the importance of psychosocial interventions and public policies that validate survivors' narratives, strengthen support networks, and address the complexity of institutional trauma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).