Page 108 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 24
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se who have gone before us, like Cowper, can and deeply theological, as every exposure exer-
help us to firmly situate our own stories within cise is also a conscious act of trust in God and a
the context of the broader story of the death conscious rejec�on of the a�empt to control
and resurrec�on of Jesus Christ, where much the feared circumstance through our own
beauty can be made of much suffering. strength and striving. It is a concept that I like to
think would have resonated with William Cow-
I encounter such suffering on a daily basis in my per. Finding himself unable to push back against
work as a therapist trea�ng anxiety and obses- the waves of sorrow and fear that sought to
sive compulsive disorder. Through Cogni�ve Be- drown him, he chose to anchor himself to the
havioral Therapy, and more specifically Expos- one who “plants his footsteps in the sea, and ri-
ure and Response Preven�on, we iden�fy prac- des upon the storm.”
�cal ways to allow anxiety to be experienced
without a�emp�ng to neutralize or offset it, al- First published here: h�ps://chris�anpsycho-
lowing for habitua�on and ul�mately relief logyins�tute.org/william-cowper-suffering-
from the anxiety and discomfort over �me. It is crea�vity-and-chris�an-psychology/
a therapy model that is both incredibly simple
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