Page 25 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 8
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Christian Psychology as a Challenge
A. May: Since 2001, you have certainly had his community as the manager of HIV/Aids
quite a number of students. Can you tell us some Counselling Centre that he has founded.
often mentioned motivations and feedbacks to
studying at the ICP? Elize Visser
Elize Visser has a Master’s degree in Policing but
N. Joubert: Students enroll with the ICP because left the South African Police Force a few years
they are seeking answers to both spiritual and ago. She was seeking a training institution to
psychological challenges. They are looking for further her studies in counseling and enrolled
knowledge from both fields and a balance in with the ICP in 2014.
how to integrate input from both fields.
In order to answer this question thoroughly I She reports the following:
am using the feedback from various students “When I embarked on the quest to finding an
that studied at the ICP over the 15 years of its institution of learning that presented Psycholo-
existence. gy from a Christian perspective I read an article
about the Institute of Christian Psychology in
FH Havinga the Joy magazine and immediately knew that
FH joined the ICP in 2001 as one of the first this was the kind of approach towards Psycho-
students. He already had training in Theology logy that I have been looking for - and I have
and Christian Lay-counselling and worked as a not been disappointed! The ICP provided the
youth pastor in a church. He describes his mo- perfect opportunity to learn more about the
tivation to study at the ICP as follows: unique scientific composition of the human
“I realized that there was an area lacking in my brain and the behavior of mankind. But this
counselling. Thus, I decided that in order to was not all. It contributed much towards a dee-
help people in a more balanced and professional per understanding and importance of the spiri-
manner I had to study psychology and did not tual component in the mental healing process.
want to study it purely from a secular or huma- In reflection after two years of study - it was a
nistic perspective but rather from a Christian wise choice! “
worldview as people had a need to include their
belief system during the counseling process.” A. May: Nicolene, congratulations for already
fifteen years of teaching students in Christian
Estelle Ferreira psychology and many more years of supporting
Estelle is currently in private practice and also people by Christian counselling, and thank you
runs a Live and Learn Centre working specifi- very much for this interview! Maybe, you would
cally with children with Autism and other lear- like to share a last conclusion with the readers
ning disabilities. of “Psychology around the World”?
She joined the ICP in 2001 and as a student in N. Joubert: Yes. I encourage every Christian to
Theology with a great interest in Psychology. follow the path of integrating Christian faith
She is a mother of a severely handicapped child explicitly with your psychological approach.
and faces MANY challenges on a psychological Hone your spiritual ears to be able to hear the
and spiritual level. She states the following: gentle voice of the Holy Spirit and you would
“Christian Psychology helped me to overcome experience recovery and change in clients that
emotional challenges, as well as find a balance will be beyond scientific explanations. This
on a spiritual level.” decision might bring new challenges but do
not fear, because God will never leave you nor
Pule Pule forsake you.
Pule became aware of Christian Counselling
in 1996 when he was working at the National My decision to follow an explicit Holy Spirit
Initiative for Reconciliation to inform people led integration approach in the face of many
about the Truth and Reconciliation Commissi- adversaries was not without challenges on a
on. Despite coming from a disadvantage back- personal and professional level. I was challenged,
ground and without money he enrolled at the ridiculed and rejected by other professionals
ICP and graduated in 2006. He is now serving because of my stance that the Holy Spirit
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