Page 106 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 7

Christian Psychology alive

Carissa Muth Carissa Muth,

Response to “The Roles of M.A., student
P r o v iden ce
Automatic and Conscious Th e o log i -
cal Seminary.
Thought in Worldview Carissa’s re-

Consistency” by C.E. Jones search interests
self-
include
differentiation,
While I would like to imagine life to be simple identity, and
and predicable, both experience and now sci- boundaries.
ence has shown me otherwise. Change, a fun- She enjoys re-
damental aspect of life, is the epitome of such searching and developing applications for
complexity where a concept basic in its descrip- direct client treatment.
tion- the act of becoming different- is discove-
red to involve an elusive depth. In his article ves the alteration of the brain.
considering the empirical study of sanctificati- In his work on the brain, Daniel Siegel (2012)
on, C. Eric Jones (2014) proposes and confirms emphasizes the necessity of integration for who-
the hypothesis that a changed mind involves leness and the need for communication bet-
not simply the decision to change but the ability ween both sides of the brain. Implicit memory
to integrate a thought pattern into an implicit stored in the limbic and subcortical regions of
memory. Rather than simply presenting sanc- the brain regulate not just instinctual memory
tification and change as choice, instead Jones but also can contain the emotions and expe-
links it with neuroscience providing evidence riences of trauma (Cozolino, 2010). Without
that in order to become instinctive, change the involvement of the neocortical conscious
must move past the conscious mind. memory traumatic experiences are left out of
Change, in the field of counselling psychology, context and fragmented (Cozolino, 2010). Ho-
is more than simply an encouraging phrase. In wever, when the implicit is brought forward by
many ways it is the focus of sessions, the pur- considering emotion and given the context of
pose of the entire field of study. While resear- the conscious, integration and healing can oc-
ching neuroscience and social phenomenon is cur (Siegel, 2012).
beneficial, without the application to the lives of In the context of sanctification and change,
the individual, it is futile. Clients come to sessi- bringing forth the emotion contained in a lo-
ons with their hope rooted in the possibility of ving relationship with God elicits the implicit
change and improvement. In considering sanc- and offers the motivation necessary to con-
tification as connected to not only the mind but sistently practice a conscious worldview and
also how the mind changes, Jones (2014) links see a progressive movement towards change.
the purpose of counselling psychology with the This goes beyond simply rote application of
growing field of neuroscience research. one worldview over another and attempts to
With further understanding of the brain, re- entice the emotional and cognitive aspects of
search has been able to develop psychological the brain, which in a healthy mind, are linked
concepts within a biological framework. Jones in the process of decision making (Cozolino,
(2014) captures this demonstrating that co- 2010). With integration then, there must be a
gnition is not enough for addressing concepts connection between emotional and cognitive
that popular theories such as Cognitive Beha- memory. In order to move a worldview from
vioral Therapy have attributed as maladaptive explicit to implicit, it seems to me, motivation
thoughts. While he does affirm the place of co- to choose to follow a Christian worldview must
gnitive therapies, Jones broadens the topic and also be implicit and driven by an emotional at-
explores the partnership between choosing to tachment to God. Only then will the change
change and the process of change, which invol- not only occur but be lasting.

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