Page 24 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 22
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faith. In my opinion, this is the task of the and projec�ons that burden and alienate the
church and should not be taken away from it. image of God. He is able to look at and reflect
Similarly, the therapist should refrain from on this image of God together with the person
performing certain priestly acts. This could lead seeking counselling and also to sense and ac-
to role confusion and cause a conflict of cons- cept complaints and bi�erness towards God.
cience, especially for Catholic clients. Such ac�-
vi�es can be experienced as very powerful by In Chris�an-orientated therapy, people can
clients who may already have a tendency to be- evaluate their life experiences, crises and rup-
come very a�ached to the therapist. The thera- tures against the background of faith and per-
pist may then be a�ributed with healing pow- haps reclassify them. This promotes a meaning-
ers or supernatural abili�es that promote a re- ful view of one's own life, which can make a de-
la�onship of dependence. This could also be cisive contribu�on to improving life sa�sfac�-
one of the points that specialists have in mind on.
when they speak out against ideologically ori- The therapist is aware that even his own faith is
entated (Chris�an) psychotherapy. only a piecemeal realisa�on that con�nues to
It is therefore important for us, as representa�- develop and also grows in fellowship with other
ves of Chris�an psychology and therapy, to em- Chris�ans. He reaches out for an inner a�tude
phasise that Chris�an psychotherapy can inde- of neither saving nor judging and of allowing
ed be professionally measured against other faith, hope and love to be strengthened by God
forms of therapy, at the same �me taking into again and again in order to bring them into the
account the principles of psychotherapeu�c ac- process with the client as effec�ve factors.
�on. I would like to thank Miguel Ángel Alcarria for
In Chris�an psychotherapy, the therapist un- his ar�cle, which encourages us to con�nue de-
derstands the client's faith as a resource and veloping Chris�an therapy methods in order to
can specifically address and encourage it. He support people holis�cally in their processes
can accept ques�ons and doubts and does not and incorporate their faith. A healthy faith pro-
have to make himself God's advocate. They can motes and enables matura�on and growth and
refrain from imposing their own understanding can be part of a holis�c psychotherapeu�c pro-
of faith on the client and recognise transfers cess.
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