<![CDATA[This study aims to explore clients' interpersonal communication experiences with spiritual ministers in the process of self-concept restoration at the Yayasan Penginjilan dan Penelaahan Alkitab (YPDPA) in North Sumatra, focusing on the clients' motives for engaging in communication and their interpretation of symbolic interactions throughout the process. This qualitative study employed Alfred Schutz's phenomenological approach to understand the informants' lived experiences and motives for action. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation involving three clients as primary informants and one spiritual minister as a supporting informant. The findings indicate that clients' interpersonal communication experiences were driven by because-of motives, including past experiences of trauma, guilt, inner conflict, and negative self-perceptions, as well as in-order-to motives, including the desire for self-acceptance, identity reconstruction, and the development of a more positive self-concept. Symbolic interactions within interpersonal communication were interpreted by clients through verbal and nonverbal messages conveyed by the spiritual minister, including the use of a crumpled Rp100,000 banknote as a symbol representing the idea that a person's value remains intact despite experiencing difficulties and making mistakes. Empathetic and open communication, supported by the communicator's credibility and a safe interactional environment, was experienced by clients as contributing to changes in the way they perceived themselves. Thus, interpersonal communication within the context of spiritual ministry at YPDPA functions not merely as an exchange of messages but also as an intersubjective space through which clients express their experiences, develop new meanings, and reconstruct their self-concept.]]>
