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traversing from a client’s current desire to practices both in, and out of session. For
feel better, to setting up a collaborative ex- example: homework may include reading
ploration of ways to live in the tension of about God’s presence, or comfort; Psalm
the already-not-yet of the kingdom. This 126 may be used to work with ambivalence
work often provokes strong ambivalence surrounding good, yet hard choices; the
within clients, with felt sorrow juxtaposed Apostles Creed may be meditated upon to
with hope, as they come face-to-face with restructure a habitual focus on just one of
their lived reality and how their focus on the three Horizons. The Christian tradition
specific Horizons of significance impacts supplies plentiful resources to assist in this
their choices. From such discussions, the work. A thorough examination of these re-
therapist can assist the client in a process sources is beyond the scope of this work,
of meaning making. but the interested reader is directed to
Johnson’s work on Soul Care (2017).
Process 3: Meaning Making T: It seems to me that your present mo-
The Christian therapist does not simply ment experiences of “if things are going OK
teach the redemptive historical moment or not” has a lot of power over your whole
and its meaning. Rather, the therapist reco- life experience, even though you feel like
gnizes that the client must internalize their your faith says other things to you.
own experiential understanding of meaning C: Yeah, I wish I could believe better! Or,
over time. Said differently, the therapist as- really, I guess it just stinks that Heaven is
sists the client to personally re-evaluate, so far away… then at least things would go
and re-organize the three Horizons of Signi- right!
ficance (self, community, God). To do this, T: Part of you really just wants to get to hea-
therapists wonder about the client’s prima- ven where it feels good. I get that. And I no-
ry focus (often the self) as it relates to other tice even as you say it, that “feeling good”
Horizons. An exploration of the original has a very primary position in your life. Loss
contexts and systems that led the client to or broken doesn’t fit in.
their understanding of life is paramount. It C: Are you suggesting wanting to feel good
is within this exploration that clients disco- is bad?
ver what taught and sustained their views T: Not at all, I think it fits right in with being
of how life should/would work. Curiosity human—that God made us with that inten-
is warranted, and the therapist can assist tion. We so often learn that feeling bad just
the client in courageously criticizing distor- shouldn’t exist. Yet it does. Your faith holds
ted aspects of the client’s understanding of out that heaven is coming, but we aren’t
life. This is facilitated as both therapist and there yet. That comes to mind as we hold
client name, hold, and dismantle, harmful, this in tension?
distorted, and inaccurate understandings C: In my family, if you were sad, you weren’t
and internalizations of life experiences. ‘trusting God enough’… that seems so…
The client’s new awareness, emotions, and backwards.
emerging sense of meaning come to the
fore, and the Christian therapist can assist The interchange above, both begins an ex-
the client to explore Godly longings, and ploration of the client’s Horizons, and as-
redemptive historical truth and meaning, sists the client to begin criticizing what they
through scripture and other sources. This previously knew. The therapist is not shy
process energizes a new perspective of self, about asserting worldview truths that are
community, and God’s world, that under- shared with the client, which is necessary
girds new behaviors. Clients are suppor- to avoid a purely individualistic critique.
ted by experientially and intellectually en- When the client begins to show energy to-
gaging the three Horizons through active wards a new understanding and choices,
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