Page 25 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 21
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Rosemary Steer MAPS,
Over 30 years
Counselling psychologist,
Team Leader counselling
Endeavour Ministries,
Melbourne Australia
Rosemary Steer
(Australia)
Comment to
„Ac�ve love as psychotherapeu�c telos“
I enjoyed reading Andrey Lorgus’ essay on te the client’s inner processing towards ac�on
“Ac�ve love as psychotherapeu�c telos”, and and outcomes.
the wisdom of ac�ve love therapy, with its em-
phasis in therapy on facilita�ng loving ac�on, If I can venture to add some thoughts …
rather than emphasising feelings or even Would we not agree that the telos or goal has
thoughts, which can accentuate “stuckness” its highest des�ny (as expressed in the first
for people wan�ng help from counselling. commandment by God, as brought down by
Thank you, Andrey, for your essay. Moses); to love the LORD our God with all our
heart and soul and mind and strength? As the
Emphasis upon ac�on can help release a fol- great source of love is God, our Creator, then to
low-through of the process, in this case, of accept the love of God and be loved, to love
love, in rela�onal responses. God in response, and to extend this love to all,
and with all, within the context of God’s crea�-
Of course, the inner life of a person is so rich: on, is our calling.
in its will, mo�va�ons, reac�ons, beliefs, valu-
es and evalua�ons, thoughts, a�tudes, consi- We might name this (that is, the love and wor-
dera�ons and reflec�ons, emo�ons, sensa�- ship of God as God) the ver�cal rela�onship,
ons, and so on. Emo�ons (as the name sug- upon which the horizontal rela�onship – of
gests) do move us into ac�ons or responses loving others – depends. This horizontal rela�-
(which can some�mes appear to be inac�on), onship between people ul�mately depends
but o�en thoughts and feelings either become upon the greater, higher rela�onship with God.
a preoccupa�on or else are simply not resol- Otherwise -
ved for decision towards ac�on (or response) ‘ ”love” of neighbour’ can become mere co-de-
in fulfilling a (hopefully) good and proper out- pendency, or even mindless subjuga�on and
come. The therapeu�c rela�onship can facilita- slavery to the dominant one(s), or to the Group
(whatever group that might be), where ‘love’
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