Page 59 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 3

Christian Anthropology

Comment

to “Prayer and experiencing in the

context of pastoral care”

Fernando Garzon

Dr. Feodor Vasilyuk has written an excellent article in- applying these principles shifts from merely developing
spiring the Christian psychological community to delve the horizontal therapeutic alliance to a quest to help the
deeply into the interaction between prayer and experien- counselee develop a “God alliance” (a sense of God with
cing in counseling. I approach his work from the perspec- the person in the midst of pain and suffering).
tive of an evangelical Protestant clinical psychologist in
the U.S. and a researcher on Christian models of prayer
(primarily in lay counseling approaches). I will comment Coping with Suffering versus Symptom Reduction
briefly on the many positive elements I see in his work, Dr. Vasilyuk’s descriptions of helpful as opposed to un-
the role of empathy in his model, the question of coping helpful approaches to prayer in the midst of suffering
with suffering versus symptom reduction, and the role of remind me of the researched religious coping concept
empirical research alongside theory development. of Surrender (See Cole & Pargament, 1999, for detailed
exploration of this concept; Clements & Ermakova, 2012,
for an example of recent research). Surrender involves
Many Positives the denial of self for a perceived divine purpose or an
Many positive elements permeate this article. I appreciate active choice to relinquish one’s wishes in the service of
Dr. Vasilyuk’s Russian Orthodox perspective on Christi- what one believes to be God’s will. Self-will is transcen-
an psychology. The Orthodox appreciation for the sense ded through trusting in God’s character and divine pur-
of mystery surrounding faith and suffering keep his work poses. Some research suggests that surrender may reduce
grounded in the realities we see each day in the coun- stress symptoms (such as worry), although a reduction in
seling room while reminding us of the Spirit’s presence symptoms clearly is not the primary goal.
and availability to console and encourage our fellow pil-
grim. Dr. Vasilyuk offers a broad definition of Christian I strongly agree with the value of Surrender as a helpful
counseling that includes laity helping one another instead stance that prayer can cultivate in Christian counseling.
of just focusing on pastoral care and professional mental I also wonder if there are other ways that prayer can be
health services. This fits the reality of what is occurring in applied in Christian counseling than what Dr. Vasilyuk
the church throughout the world. He also seems to take suggests. Symptom reduction is a paradoxical by-pro-
a broad definition of prayer. Though not specifically de- duct of Surrender. Are there prayer approaches that more
fined in the article, I sensed that he moved beyond the directly reduce symptoms? Is this an appropriate goal
common categories of petitionary, contemplative, and of Christian counseling? I am unclear on this from Dr.
liturgical prayer. His “spiritual participating” approach Vasilyuk’s work. I am sure the length limitations on his
(mental empathy, spiritual grafting, verticality, and the article prevented greater clarity on that point.
journey) provided an intriguing model for comforting
the sufferer that he seeks to ground solidly in a psycho- I research Christian lay counseling models. Some mo-
logical anthropological base in addition to a theological dels use forms of prayer for spiritual development and
one. I appreciated that his case examples and classic book symptom reductions more directly than Surrender types
examples allowed his article to both address practical ap- of prayer, although these models also encourage Sur-
plication and theoretical concerns. render when appropriate. For example, Neil Anderson’s
(2000) prayer model, Steps to Freedom in Christ, bears
resemblance to the classic prayer of examen. The focus of
Empathy with a Higher Purpose Anderson’s adaption however is resolving spiritual con-
As a clinician, I greatly appreciated Dr. Vasilyuk’s ap- flicts and reducing psychological symptoms (See Garzon
plication of empathy in the care of the hurting soul. Ty- & Tilley, 2009, for a review of the preliminary research
pically in the secular psychological literature, empathy on Anderson’s model and a variety of lay counseling mo-
is framed as the primary tool for developing the thera- dels).
peutic alliance. Many psychological theories emphasize
the “horizontal” importance of the therapeutic relation-
ship in the healing process. Dr. Vasilyuk goes beyond Empirical Research and Theory Development
such concerns to apply empathy in a way that helps the Dr. Vasilyuk has broadened my understanding of prayer
counselee connect deeply with God. It is a stepping stone in counseling. As a researcher, I find myself wanting to
that permits “spiritual grafting” and the construction of a operationalize some of the principles he describes in a
“vertical ladder” to God. Thus, the focus for the therapist way that would permit investigation. This indeed would

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