Page 46 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 2

Christian Psychology

Comment

on Werner May

„The Healing No, an example of
Christian psychology“

Gilberto Safra

To turn our attention to the healing potential of saying We may say “no” as care for the other when we respect
no as proposed by Werner May in his paper is to have in and consider him and all his singularity. We are able to
mind Christian anthropology, in which man is presen- say “no” in loving care when we are able to say yes to the
ted as a being of freedom. Man was created in the image “No” said by The One Who is Love and Who said: If an-
of God and has as part of his destiny to strive to acquire yone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will
the likeness of Christ. In this perspective it is essential, as love him, and we will come to him and make our home
Werner May has shown us in his text, that we figure out with him.
how the “No” is posited in man´s relationship with God.
Werner May chose the Ten Commandments as a focus of
his consideration. What are the possible meanings of the
“No” in the Sacred Commandments?

Werner May points to us that a huge difference exists if
we receive the “No” as a way of loving care or if we consi-
der it a mere prohibition. The key word here is confidence
and love. In this perspective “No” is one of the guardians
of our freedom. Is it possible to approach the question
of freedom saying at the same time that, to reach it, is
necessary to obey?

The gift of freedom offers to man the possibility of crea-
tivity. However, to create without considering reality or
others could not only lead someone to madness but also
to a spiritual disease. Here is one of the paradoxes of hu-
man life: to create is only possible with obedience: obe-
dience to God, to the reality of other human beings, to
the context of existence of human life.

Clinical experience shows us that obedience, the accep-
tance of the “no” is possible if the one that posits the
healing word is loved and if the word “no” is offered as
an act of loving consideration. In this perspective, as
Werner May tell us: “The Healing No”, a no which creates
and deepens relationships and also enables wounds to be
bound and healed.

Maybe we could see the question of saying no as close to
the point of view of obedience to the different aspects of
reality: God, the other, our inner reality. As we say “no”,
we not only establish boundaries, but at the same time we
respect the boundaries that already exist. We may say that Gilberto Safra
the word “no” is not only the guardian of our freedom, Full Professor in the Institute of Psy-
but is principally the guardian of our ethos, the image of chology of the University de São Pau-
Christ in us. lo, Brazil. Teaches psychotherapy and
psychoanalysis and is a researcher
I must agree with Werner May that the appropriate me- on contemporary psychopathology,
thod to discuss the question of “Healing No” is the dia- psychology of religion. Presents a
logical perspective, because this approach is the one that perspective in psychotherapy where
contemplates the essential aspect of Christian anthropo- there is a need to approach the human
logy: Love. being in his ontological perspective.

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