Page 109 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 12
P. 109
Pawel Surma (Poland)
“What do we mean by
a Christian identity
and what would be the
practical consequences? A
fundamental question for
a Christian psychology.“ Pawel Surma
is a psychotherapist, a 12-step Re-
covery Program workshop leader
„How does your Christian faith help you in (www.12krokow.com.pl), a poet and a
your practical work as a psychologist, counselor member of the Association of Christian
or therapist?“ Psychologists in Poland.
Being a Christian for me assumes having an
identity deeply rooted in God‘s love. Living
out that love makes me aware of who I really
am – that I am completely and utterly loved by
the Father in Christ through the Holy Spirit. At
times when I don‘t feel loved I have no idea who Since therapy - although improving life quali-
I am, I feel lost, I don‘t have a sense of belon- ty to a certain extent - is not a complete or an
ging, I feel homeless. Not feeling loved does not ultimate answer to human condition and the
mean, however, that I am not loved - only that key to life, it can only serve as a tool facilitating
my love-perception skills have been distorted or spiritual growth, removing some emotional,
neglected. My faith comes in here to sustain me cognitive and behavioural barriers. Psychothe-
so I can see my own life as a place of learning rapy may come in useful revealing illusion as
what true love is. Faith to me means knowing an underlying hindrance to meaningful life and
the love of Christ and submitting to that love thus preparing the client for deeper transforma-
so it permeates everything I do – so also how I tion in the order of grace that is only possible in
understand and practice psychotherapy. a loving relationship with God – the ultimate
Healer. I always keep in mind that true healing
People who come to see me are oftentimes emo- and becoming brought back to life involves the
tionally wounded by not being loved enough pain of letting go of delusions.
so that it seems next to impossible for them to
come to terms with the problems they‘re facing. As a Christian I am aware that suffering is in-
corporated in reality and as such a way out of
Realising that we all participate in God‘s life illusion, a way of seeking the truth and part of
which is about the most intimate love-sharing spiritual purification process in quest of love. So
relationship embracing the whole creation, I in therapy I do not become fixated on bringing
see every client as sent to me by God for giving comfort to the client at all costs, but accompa-
them a corrective experience of love through ny them in learning to discern the meaning and
therapeutic means to help them regain their purpose of everything they experience however
identity. difficult it may seem. The spiritual tangibly af-
fects people‘s lives and yet remains mysterious.
Any therapeutic interventions I make use of are Psychotherapy, on the one hand, comes in touch
in compliance with my faith-based Christian with the mystery of God‘s love in people‘s lives,
core beliefs. and on the other, never goes beyond.
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