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for heartfelt openness, but even described by a tic encounter is directed to responsibility to
model, for example, by a syndrome, or a certain lead towards heartfelt decisions. However, if we
stage in the forgiveness process, can still have its meet the will, which energy is directed at hiding
own independent will for self-realization in re- knowledge, sustaining the ambivalence or using
lations with the therapist and in relation to God. intimacy in relations with the therapist for it‘s
own purposes, then we come across the reali-
We dare suggest that the reality of symptom ty for which these two types of knowledge may
or personal disorder can not be exhausted by not be enough.
detective knowledge. For the therapist and for
the patient, the reality of a symptom extends far Thus, the knowledge that may be of importance
beyond diagnostic or other model mapping. We for Christian therapy, which may interest the
can assume that there is one more participant in therapist in addition to detective and familiari-
the therapeutic fellowship: the reality of perso- ty knowledge, but which is not easy to represent
nal dysfunction. in the form of structured knowledge, not even
in the form of intimate knowledge, is the know-
Thus, in personal encounter the patient meets ledge of the reality of being created by God.
two challenges: to fully participate in the rela-
tionship with the therapist and to tell the truth. It is easy to voluntarily agree with Wolfram Sol-
The same task is relevant for the therapist. Pri- dan that this knowledge can not have the status
marily, the patient and the therapist are com- of a „fixed action program“, be diagnosed or be
pelled to listen to the tendency of their hearts the data of the inquiry. This is rather the dia-
opened by God. On the other side, the reality logue of the participants of therapeutic encoun-
of a symptom or of dysfunctional personality ter with God and their sincere efforts to let this
comes into interaction with the personality of deep knowledge reveal their selves in interac-
the therapist and with the personal reality of the tion.
Divine.
In Christian therapy the activity of will that
manifests itself as free is probably most visib-
le. This type of will much more clearly shows
us an example of a free will, than the consci-
entious will, truthful and voluntarily directed
toward self-knowledge and healing. This will is
a constitutive part of a personal reality which,
with all diligence of diagnostic models, never
completely fits into them and is never grasped
by any personal knowledge of therapeutic inter-
action because of it‘s own design. It is a will of
a symptom. Its intrinsic desire „not to know“,
that is, not to be organized and structured by
knowledge, the one of a model or personal or
individually intimate, forms the reality of a per-
son that was afraid and hid himself from Divi-
1
ne knowledge and conduct.
It was assumed that patient‘s will in therapeu-
1 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden,
and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself
Genesis 3:10 (KJV)
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