Page 186 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 5

Trauma Recovery Training at a Seminary? Introducing Global Trauma Recovery Institute

confusing position. Indeed, sin is a disease. Ho- the live person and becomes a schema. „Holi-
wever, we cannot leave out of consideration that ness, humility and righteousness will become
the two natures of Jesus Christ that shape Him goals or standards“. This makes us as helpers
as a Person (divine and human), reveal them- to imitate His character, but would hardly be
selves differently, directing us into two basic do- the way of truth and healing in the therapeutic
mains of experience (religious, theoretical and process. We, as therapists, may pretend we are
clinical): sin and redemption, and health and Jesus Christ in a therapeutic chair, but what is
pathology. Hence, the notions of health and pa- a client, as a „fallen creature“, to think of him-
thology for the frame of Christian psychology self at this moment? „Is it a therapeutic session
need to be more thoughtfully and strictly de- or Doomsday?“ „Is this Apocalyptic therapy?“
fined. If we underestimate the research of two The person of Christ is a living person. Spiritual
natures of Christ applied from theological an- healing outflows from live personal interaction
thropology to theory and practice of Christian with the living Christ, but not from emulating
psychology, the living Christ as a Person is at his attributes, as well as mental healing resul-
risk of being transformed into, symbolically sta- ting from live interaction with the therapist.
ted, „the Person of Jesus Christ“, „Lamb slain“, Jesus said: „Take my yoke upon you and learn
„Word became flesh“ on the one hand, and to the from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
set of theoretical conceptualizations of some at- and you will find rest for your souls“ (Matthew
tributes of Christ‘s personality to be „practised“ 11:29). He does not say: learn from me how to
or used as norms and frames for clinical inter- represent my character, „exercise the power“
pretations, a therapist‘s rule of conduct, and and „utilize the emotions“. He speaks of the
theoretical models for Christian psychology on deepest knowledge of what is inside every per-
the other hand. Following this way, we would son, and what is the subject matter of Christian
lose both God and Man. psychology - the unique unity and diversity of
The divine nature of Christ is an unalienable divine and human in each of us.
part of His personality, and this seems to be the It is important to highlight that Christian psy-
biggest problem for Christian psychology, its chology through its theory and clinical practice
methodology and practice. Christ is perfect be- is meant to mediate in the acknowledgement
cause He is God incarnate. There is a strong im- and coordination of the two natures in every
pression from the article that the perfection of human being for personal perceiving of God.
human nature of Christ in all its manifestations Thus, Christian psychology is about the way
is not associated with the humanity of oursel- of being of the divine and human in a human
ves. Since my neighbor is a fallen creature, I creature in the Face of Christ.
cannot find in them any model to learn how to
feel, behave, relate or know. If nothing in my Elena Strigo (Russia)
own and my neighbor‘s humanity correlates to psychologist, psycho-
Christ, His Person is idealized. Jesus said: „I am therapist, European
the way, and the truth, and the life; no one co- Certificate in Psycho-
mes to the Father but through me“ (John 14:6). therapy (EAP). Full
Do we read from His words that his human per- member of the Profes-
sonality is, in a way, „divinely licensed“? This sional Psychotherapeu-
refers us to the position of Monophysitism of tic League of Russia.
the early ages of Christianity. It pointed that the Head of the Psycholo-
dominant divine nature of Christ transforms gical Counseling Cen-
His human nature so much that His human tre ABIGAIL, Kras-
nature is transmuted; that makes it unreachab- Article by Elena Strigo noyarsk, Russia. Presi-
le for the flaws of human beings. His Person in you can see here: dent of the Krasnoyarsk
His humanity is too perfect, too divine, too far Journal 3, page 102 Regional Society of
from the fallen being. This „over-perfect“ hu- Christian Psychologists
man nature of Christ casts of the character of and Psychotherapists.

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