Page 33 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 7

Foundational Discussions in Christian Psychology

a relationship with God. When the first humans Toronto Institute for Relational Therapy (n. d.)
disobey, all relationships are disrupted: with lists the following principles on which relatio-
God, each other, and within themselves. But nal psychotherapy is based:
God desires loving intimacy with his people, so
He provides a way to reconcile and repair those 1. Emotional well-being depends on having
relationships, through the incarnation, crucifi- satisfying mutual relationships with others.
xion, and resurrection of Christ. God is always 2. Emotional distress is often rooted in pat-
faithful to his relationships but humans have terns of relationship experience, past and
responsibility too. Relational theology empha- present, which have the power to demean
sizes human agency and the ability to resist the and deaden the self.
divine will. In this respect, it also offers a theo- 3. The relational therapist tries to understand
logy of suffering and evil (e.g., Pinnock, 2001, the client’s unique self-experience in its so-
pp. 131–34, 176–7). Pain is present partly be- cial/relational context and to respond with
cause God values freedom and does not coerce empathy and genuine presence.
people, even when they choose evil. 4. Together, client and therapist create a new
in-depth relationship which is supportive,
Some evangelical Christians may be concerned strengthening and enlivening for the client.
by the fact that many scholars who endorse re- 5. Within this secure relationship, the client
lational theology are also liberal and/or pro- can safely re-experience, and then find free-
cess theologians. However, it is important to dom from, the powerful effects of destructi-
recognize that there is much diversity—many ve relationships, past and present.
evangelical theologians favor a relational view
of God. Other criticisms include a concern that Relational therapy has been used by Christian
overemphasizing love may lead to a denial of counselors. James Olthuis (1994) develops a re-
divine righteousness and judgment. I agree that lational psychotherapeutic model based on the
sometimes correctives may go a little too far, but concept of Immanuel, God-with-us. He belie-
I believe love and judgment, like many other bi- ves “being-with” is at the heart of psychothera-
blical concepts, can be held in tension with one py and uses the biblical idea of covenanting as a
another. The emphasis may vary according to metaphor for healing relationships, noting that
circumstances, but I suggest that love should al- counseling can assist people in reconnecting to
ways be a dominant concept in psychotherapy. God with respect to all aspects of self and self
in community. More recently, McMinn and
Relational Therapy Campbell (2007) have proposed a relationally-
Relational therapy, although rooted in psycho- based integrative psychotherapy, which can as-
dynamic, humanist, feminist, and attachment similate different types of psychotherapy and
theories, has developed in its own right over offer a biblically-based worldview from which
the last 20 years. It is a general therapy appli- to practice therapy. They note that three theo-
cable to many types of problems and follows ries of the imago Dei (functional, structural,
the assumption that since wounding occurs in and relational) correspond respectively to three
relationship healing needs to occur in the con- domains of psychotherapy (adaptive behavior
text of a positive psychotherapeutic relation- or symptom-focused, cognitive behavior (CBT)
ship. “This relationship is a mutual risk, a joint or schema-focused, and relationship-focused).
commitment, an interactive process, a shared A skilled therapist travels between all three do-
journey” (DeYoung, 2003, p. 42). It also offers a mains. For example, CBT (structural domain)
way to integrate various types of therapies, and is done in the context of a healing relationship
can include the triadic relationship between cli- (relational domain). The domains are inter-re-
ent, therapist, and model (Faris & van Ooijen, lated: a client who is irrational is likely to suf-
2012). Therapists note that if improvement is fer difficulties in interpersonal relationships;
attained in one area, it impacts other areas; e.g. conversely someone who is struggling with
relationships improve when thinking is less ri- their marriage may exhibit irrational behavior
gid (Faris & van Ooijen, 2012, pp. 5–23). The at work. McMinn and Campbell emphasize the

32