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courage to accept everything that he sends us, made us for yourself, and our heart is restless
and to give to him what he asks of us with a big until it rests in you. (Confessions, I.i.1)
smile” (p. 121). The human heart may be tried Irenaeus recognized that human fulfillment re-
in the crucible and tested in the furnace and yet sides in God: “The glory of God is man fully
rejoice: “Blessed is the man who endures trial, alive; moreover man’s life is the vision of God”
for when he has stood the test he will receive the (Adversus Haereses, 4, 20, 7; as cited in CCC, n.
crown of life which God has promised to those 294). The Christian therapist seeks to help the
who love him” (James 1:12, RSV; cf. Proverbs client to approach human flourishing in this life,
17:3; 1 Peter 1:6-7). The Christian therapist and keeps eternity in mind, hoping and praying
seeks to help the client to bravely endure una- that they will attain beatitude in the next.
voidable suffering, and perhaps even to offer it
as a sacrifice or accept it with a smile. The Christian psychologist thus maintains clear
vision of “the integral, personalistic concept
Attain happiness. The human person is made of man” and considers “the totality of human
for something more. We know it in our hearts. aims” (Wojtyła, 1960/1981, p. 287). In the esta-
Wojtyła (1960/1981) held that the very word blishment of therapeutic goals, the Christian
“person” signifies that there is “something psychologist devoutly observes the law of God,
more” about the human person, “a particular expresses genuine care and concern for the per-
richness and perfection in the manner of his son of the client, and encourages self-possessi-
being” (p. 22). Following Aristotle’s notion of on and the gift of self with reliance upon God:
eudaimonia, positive psychology considers cha- But stay constantly with a godly man whom you
racter strengths and virtues that contribute to know to be a keeper of the commandments,
human flourishing, human thriving, happiness, whose soul is in accord with your soul, and who
and the good life (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). will sorrow with you if you fail. And establish
Augustine (398/1991) recognized a universal the counsel of your own heart, for no one is
desire for happiness: more faithful to you than it is….And besides all
The desire for happiness is not in myself alone this pray to the Most High that he may direct
or in a few friends, but is found in everybody…. your way in truth. (Sirach 37:12-15, RSV)
What all agree upon is that they want to be hap-
py, just as they would concur, if asked, that they
want to experience joy and would call that joy
the happy life. Even if one person pursues it in References
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re is one goal which all are striving to attain, na- pretation. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
mely to experience joy. (Confessions, X.xxi.31) Alsdorf, F. (2012). My therapy goal – Your therapy goal
– God’s therapy goal. Christian Psychology Around the
We sense that we are made for eternity: “He has World (EMCAPP Journal), 2, 65-72. Retrieved from
put eternity into man’s mind” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, http://emcapp.ignis.de/2
RSV). Christian tradition recognizes that our Aquinas, T. (2012). Summa theologiae. In L. Shapcote
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Nevertheless, to praise you is the desire of man, (E. Hill, Trans.; J. E. Rotelle, Ed.). Hyde Park, NY: New
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