Page 151 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 6
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Christian Psychotherapy



             Olga Krasnikova (Russia)                          Olga    Krasnikova,

             Comment to                                        counseling psycho-
                                                               logist, psychology
             “A Case Study: How                                lecturer,   assistant
                                                               rector at the Institu-
             Individual Therapy                                te of Christian Psy-

             can help with Marital                             chology (Moscow)
                                                               and author of publi-
             Problems“                                         cations and books
                                                               on personal deve-
                                                               lopment.

             Saara Kinnunen has described a very interesting
             and illustrative case of psychotherapy practice.
             Indeed, depression, panic attacks and emo-        agonist”  of  the  psychotherapy process,  out  of
             tional exhaustion are frequent consequences       reverence for God and the mystery of what is
             of problems connected with inadequate self-       taking place in the client‘s soul. We can not con-
             esteem, excessive self-expectations and failure   fidently distinguish between the changes which
             to set healthy personal boundaries.               have occurred as a result of psychotherapy and
             Important steps of therapeutic work are cla-      those that happened by God‘s  direct volition,
             rifying the conditions of personal development    but initially we believe that all that happens in
             in childhood and realizing the specifics of rela-  personal life takes place by God‘s will or by His
             tionships with parents in childhood and at pre-   allowance. Still, the meaning of what is happe-
             sent.                                             ning may remain a mystery.
             We can note the differences in  conducting        I highly appreciate the analysis given by the
             Christian psychotherapy sessions in Russia and    author of Anna‘s psychological changes: how
             in the example presented by Saara Kinnunen.       her self-attitude has been changing, as well as
             These differences may be the subject of spe-      the attitude to the relations with her husband
             cial discussion, but now I would like to mark     and with the church community. It was a joy to
             out some distinctive features. In the Orthodox    read that finally personal changes in one of the
             tradition there is a practice of shared prayer    spouses had a beneficial impact on the couple
             and praying by agreement, but in the work of      relations.
             Christian psychologist it is not a required part   Unfortunately, it is not always so. Sometimes,
             of therapy. The psychologist may devote some      starting the therapy, we have to warn our clients
             time at the session to joint prayer at the client‘s   that their personal changes may have unpredic-
             request, but as a rule he does not suggest him-   table consequences  for their marital relations,
             self or insist on the prayer. At the same time, the   as the second spouse, who refuses to go through
             psychologist can pray for his client at his will   couple therapy and does not recognize the exi-
             and in his private spiritual practice, asking for   sting problems, can offer resistance to any
             wisdom and God‘s help for them.                   changes. As a result, the client or his partner
             In other words, the spiritual component of Chri-  may consider the further marital relations im-
             stian psychotherapy in Russia is reflected not so   possible. And here we are facing one more pro-
             much in certain actions (praying together), but   blem that has to be considered and discussed by
             more in a general Christian-anthropological       Christian psychologists: what is more valuable
             approach to the human person, to personal de-     from spiritual point of view – personal develop-
             velopment, human suffering, to the meaning of     ment, or saving the marriage at any cost?
             life. In that way we express our respect to client‘s   I am grateful to Saara Kinnunen, that her con-
             freedom concerning his spiritual life.            tribution has raised so many questions for me.
             In the Orthodox therapeutic tradition we are      In my opinion, such presentation of case studies
             also not used to speaking of “God‘s interven-     creates an excellent basis for future discussion,
             tion”, that is, considering God to be the “prot-  as it makes clear our diversity and similarity.
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