Page 111 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 22
P. 111
Using the seven statements of EMCAPP (h�ps://www.emcapp.eu/who-we-are)
Werner May (Germany) the president of EMCAPP set the vision for the symposium: "Truth can be
discovered in conversa�on between friends who are different. - We have experienced this at EM-
CAPP over the decades, and I am pleased to be able to con�nue this experience at this conference,
and not just to see old friends, but to get to know more colleagues from different countries and
denomina�ons, for whom it is important to bring together psychology and Chris�an faith.”
The lecture series opened with Anna Ostaszewska from Poland, Vice-President of EMCAPP: Spiri-
tual Aspects in the Background of Psychotherapy.
Anna Ostaszewska (Poland), psychotherapist, supervisor, lecturer and trainer in psychotherapy is
co-founder and the past president of the Associa�on of Chris�an Psychologists in Poland
(www.spch.pl), which organizes this symposium.
Anna reported about actual posi�ons of Psychotherapy and Psychiatry, the Integra�ve Psychothera-
py as a Chris�an Approach, specific subjects and techniques, and at last about Integra�on of spiritu-
al dimension in psychotherapy.
Her conclusion: In the last 20-30 years psychotherapy and psychiatry are more and more interested
in the importance of spirituality and religiosity in clinical praxis.
Psychotherapist’s a�tude should include typical professional knowledge and skills + knowledge
about spiritual / religious issues + humility and inner openness for the Holy Spirit.
Małgorzata Surma (Poland), psychologist and psychotherapist, is the vice-president of the Main
Board of the Associa�on of Chris�an Psychologists in Poland (ACP www.spch.pl). Her lecture „Ta-
king into account the pa�ent's spirituality/religion in the psychotherapy process” was about: Dis-
�nguishing between spirituality and religiosity and between spiritual/religious maturity and imma-
turity – How does an anxiety, personality or psycho�c disorder affect spiritual/religious experi-
ences – Guidelines for the psychotherapist – and examples from her psychotherapy prac�ce.
Joan D.A. Juanola (Spain) from the University Abat Oliba in Barcelona, Department of Psychology
spoke about „The integra�on of Chris�an anthropology in the university degree in psychology“
Here is the abstract of his lecture: Most universi�es seek to offer a technical educa�on to future
psychologists, through a thorough forma�on on methodology, sta�s�cs and biology. However, fe-
wer of them offer any humanis�c content, and nearly none of them offer an integrated scien�fic
educa�on with humani�es.
Chris�an universi�es have the responsibility to present their degrees in connec�on with the Chris�-
an message and its anthropological basis, but, usually, they simply offer some subjects on theology
or Chris�an ethics, while the rest of the subjects of the degree remain water�ght from the implica-
�ons derived from the Chris�an educa�on received. This situa�on is the result of different causes
that could be grouped under the phenomenon so called seculariza�on.
Therefore, it is a must to be conscious about the seculariza�on that scien�fic knowledge has suffe-
red, that some refer as scien�fic naturalism, and to claim against the prejudices assumed towards
Chris�an anthropology. This reduc�ve point of view is especially inconvenient in Humani�es and
Social Sciences, and it has also a big impact in Psychology.
111