Page 171 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 7

The Work and Thinking of David Benner

sent are incomplete. Loewald (I960) has fo- Perhaps it also represents one of the basic cura-
cused on the therapeutic effect of the patient in- tive factors in psychotherapy. Obviously it is not
ternalizing the positive interaction of the thera- the only one and taken alone it de-emphasizes
py situation. This is reminiscent of Alexander‘s the role and responsibility of the patient. It also
(1948) concept of the “corrective emotional is not the only way in which the therapist relates
experience.“ Bion (1968) and Winnicott (1965) to the patient; thus, if this mode could be view-
have both emphasized the integrating function ed as corresponding to Christ‘s priestly role,
which occurs within the patient when the the other aspects of the therapist’s modes of rela-
rapist emotionally and cognitively absorbs the ting could be tied correspondingly to Christ‘s
patient‘s inner chaos. They view this as relieving prophetic and pastoral roles (Carlson, 1976).
pressure on and in the patient, thus allowing a However, behind these various roles lies the
new degree of integration of personality. relationship of the patient and therapist which
is basic to all else that is done. Involvement by
Saretsky (1981) places more emphasis on the the therapist which allows for absorption of suf-
healing of splits in the internal self-represen- fering and sharing of strength may well be the
tations (corresponding to the different ways of essence of this relationship.
experiencing self). This is made possible by the
projections put onto the therapist being gra- Obviously it is possible for psychotherapists to
dually re-owned and reabsorbed. Saretsky sees avoid this sort of incarnational involvement.
this as the „natural outgrowth of the rich tape- Those who fear such engagement often hide be-
stry of healthy interchange“ (p. 93) between the hind professionalism and technical rules. Both
therapist and the patient and not primarily as a of these have an important role in disciplining
result of correct technical interventions. our involvement to ensure that it is not primari-
ly meeting our needs but rather those of our pa-
But perhaps it is more parsimonious to view tients. Professionalism also serves to maintain
the curative factor in this basic process as love. the necessary degree of separateness. However,
Love involves giving of oneself to another, ma- Rogers (1961) was probably correct when he
king oneself available to bear someone else‘s argued that professionalism in psychotherapy
burdens and to share in their struggles. This is has done more to protect therapists from their
not „sloppy sentimentalism“ but rather tough, fears of involvement than it has done to aid the-
disciplined, and personally costly love. Its mode rapeutic practice (p. 52).
of communication is involvement. Its effect is
healing. Implications
The Apostle Paul calls all Christians to the
Such love can be communicated in a great many challenge of bearing each other’s burdens. This
different ways. This is precisely why it may be is what Christ did and continues to do for hu-
seen to be present in each of the approaches to mankind, and it is this which we do in psycho-
therapy. Well-conducted behavior therapy, ge- therapy. But who is capable of bearing not only
stalt therapy, existential therapy, and psycho- one‘s own burdens but also those of others?
analysis all involve the therapist entering the What enables the therapist to share personal
patient‘s world and becoming available to the health and absorb the illness and suffering of
patient. In one way or another all these (and another without personal hazard? The answer
other) modalities then encourage the patient to is that therapists must have their own health
put inner confusion and chaos onto the thera- continuously ensured by ongoing relationships
pist who then attempts to render it less chaotic where their needs are met and burdens shared.
and frightening, more intelligible and benign. It is important to emphasize that the sharing of
This assumption and transformation of the strength and health does deplete the therapist‘s
patient‘s inner world constitutes the incarnatio- resources and that they must, therefore, lie con-
nal element of psychotherapy. tinuously renewed. In Luke 8:45-46, Jesus re-
ported an experience quite similar, even if not

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