Page 21 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 8

Christian Psychology as a Challenge

argue against their statements. However, their inclusion of spirituality in psychotherapy sup-
remarks stuck with me and later on when I star- ports the notion that there are potential healing
ted to practice I realized that I could not align qualities embedded in a person’s spirituality.
myself with such a view point. My own journey
with Jesus Christ led me to a profound experi- I find this extremely encouraging and inspiring
ence and understanding of His Grace and I rea- for my professional vision and mission to esta-
lized it would be impossible for me to practice blish legitimate and valid integrative Christian
if I do not acknowledge the calling of Christ in faith approaches to psychotherapeutic proces-
my work. ses.

My thought and decision at this stage was to do
a PhD research on the topic of the integration A. May: Have you had particular persons from
of Christian faith and psychotherapy to get a whom you could learn how to develop and/or
scientifically based voice that I could use to ar- practice a Christian psychology? What about
gue the impor- the process of
tance of faith writing your
in a therapeu- PhD thesis?
tic process.
N. Joubert: My
My develop- PhD journey
ment with re- was challenged
gards to inve- right from
stigating the the start as I
role of faith in battled to find
a psychothera- a university
peutic process and promoter
was further prepared to
impelled by accept my idea
early expe- for research.
riences with Finally, with
clients that Ms Dorcas Khomari and Prof Nicolene Joubert (2006), the help of a
wanted to talk Ms Khomari received a certificate for Post-Graduate studies theologian, the
about. Some in Christian Psychology from the Institute Potchefstroom
of these questi- of Christian Psychology. U ni v er si t y
ons were direc- accepted me
ted at my faith Ms Khomari is a lecturer at MEDUNSA and for a PhD in
position and an Advisory Board Member Psy c h o log y
I shared my of the Institute of Christian Psychology. for Higher
views carefully Education, in
and cautiously. I soon realized that the deeper South Africa. This university is now the North
reason for these questions was existential in na- West University and no longer Christian. The
ture. These clients were trying to find meaning theologian, Prof Cassie Venter, was a great
in life and meaning in suffering. help and support during the whole process of
submitting a proposal, executing the empirical
My increased awareness of clients’ need for research and to write the PhD thesis. Prof
more meaningful process and deeper change, Venter offered to act as co-promotor to ensure
instead of only alleviating symptoms, prompted that the theological aspects of the thesis were
me to investigate the interface between Christi- sound.
an faith and psychotherapy. My promotor from the Department of Psycho-
logy, Prof Chris Venter, did not know anything
The recent development in the field of psycho- about the integration of Christian faith and
logy with regards to a holistic approach and the psychology but was committed to oversee my
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