La espiritualidad en la creación de narrativas alternativas sobre el encarcelamiento de un hijo

The aim of the study was to understand the therapeutic possibilities that ten mothers from Medellín, Colombia, find in spirituality when dealing with the incarceration of one of their children. The study was qualitative, with a phenomenological approach and a narrative method; home visits, observation, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Initial meanings attributed by the mothers to the intramural measure of their children were feelings of injustice, questioning God for allowing it, and self-reflection on their parenting. Trusting in God, seeking protection, or expressing gratitude emerged as subjective forms of spirituality that facilitated changes in the understanding of the measure, referred to by the participants as both pain and an "opportunity." It is concluded that spirituality can be therapeutic as it enables living, recalling a painful past-present with teachings, and fostering hope for a future of change in the face of incarceration.