Page 80 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 11

Forum “Guidance

Through the
• loaded language (where my therapist referred to a “dark place”, and Holy Spirit
a “demon of pride”.);
• doctrine over the person (instead of exploring possible sources of During the
my “darkness”, my therapist’s revelations fully explained all.); Counseling
• dispensing of existence (through continued submission to her coun-
seling and prayer, my existence could be made “whole”). or Therapy
Session:
This may be an extreme example of guidance of the Holy Spirit during
counselling but it does serve to alert us to the perils that may be encoun- Blessings and
tered and remind us to think about potential blessings and problems. Problems”

While I suffered no long term effects because it was a brief encounter,
other experiences of “thought reform process” ascribed to the Holy Spirit
have led to over-dependence and painful disengagement if attempted .
2
More than a century ago, Jessie Penn-Lewis’ observed similar extremes
in the Welsh revival:

“The truth to be emphasized is that God never ‘wills’ instead of man, and
whatever a man does, he is himself responsible for his actions” .
3
Penn-Lewis described a “passivity” of mind, conscience, and spirit as
wrong humility that endangers the soul.The counseling process should
4
free people from their therapists so that clients work out their own salva-
tion rather than passively awaiting the next revelation.
5

From this discussion you may think that we are suggesting that the Holy
Spirit does not have any place in the counselling room and that Christian
therapists should depend only upon the insights received in professional Dr Genevieve Milnes is
training. The answer is more nuanced. Any Christian should be “led by a Clinical Psychologist
the Spirit” in carrying out the demands of their profession - and a Chri- working in Perth, We-
stian therapist is no different. Having received training, a professional stern Australia. She is
Christian therapist is given space to apply the principles so that it be- the National President
nefits others. In therapy, neither the counselor nor the client are passive of Christian Counsel-
automatons awaiting guidance of the Holy Spirit. Therapy should assist lors Association of Au-
client pilgrims in their personal search of the Holy Spirit’s “still small stralia. Genevieve has
voice” and should take an active part in applying it to their multi-faceted a Bachelor of Divinity,
6
lives. The Holy Spirit guidance in this therapy would be far different from a Masters in Applied
what I experienced.Instead of bluntly sharing a revelation from God that Psychology (Clinical
“the darkness came from a demon of pride”, a therapist may say to the & Educational) and a
client who has just stated that he feels a “darkness in life”, to “Tell me Masters in Counsel-
about the darkness”, “Are there are any sources of light”? “Where do you ling. She coordinates
think the darkness may have come from?” While a therapist may suspect the West Australian
that “pride” may be the “cause of the darkness” this is held back because sector of the Christia-
it could be just plain wrong. nity and Psychology
Interest Group of the
2 See for example, Shofar B.explained his “road to NIGHTMARE”. https://kimol- Australian Psychologi-
sen.wordpress.com/.../a-testimony-how-god-rescued-me-from -bill-johnsons-cult/. cal Society. Genevieve
Downloaded, 20 April, 2015. lived and worked in
3 J.Penn-Lewis (1915/1996) War on the Saints. Whitaker House, Springdale, p.34. Brazil for 8 years with
4 J.Penn-Lewis (1915/1996) War on the Saints. Whitaker House, Springdale, chapter 4.
5 Philippians 2:12. her husband and fami-
6 1 Kings 19:12. ly.

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