Page 61 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 9

Paul Vitz (USA)
Comment to

“From brokenness to
Beatitude: Therapeutic

Goals of the Flourishing
Person” Paul C. Vitz,
Ph.D. Professor
and Senior Scho-
lar, Institute for
the Psychological Sciences, Divine Mercy
Congratulations, to Dr. Houde, for his clear University, Arlington, Virginia; Professor
statement of the problems faced by today’s Emeritus, New York University.
world of secular psychotherapy in your very
succinct first paragraph. Even more important- Former articles by you can see here:
ly, congratulations for laying out some of the http://emcapp.ignis.de/5/#/128
positive ways in which Christian psychology
can address the secular problems, to move men-
tal health practice in a positive direction.
More specifically, how do I like this paper? Let be others who are beginning to focus on beauty
me count the ways. I like all the topics he addres- and reverence for life.
ses because they represent important issues for
all therapists but, in particular, I will count the Alfred Adler with his emphasis on “Gemein-
ways he identifies issues that have been omitted schaftsgefuhl” (“social interest”, in English), had
or neglected by secular therapists. They are: an early awareness of the importance of both
work and of the need for contributing to society
1. The importance of contemplating beauty. and social solidarity. In addition, Viktor Frankl
2. Having a reverence for life, especially our emphasized the search for meaning and reco-
own life. gnized the transcendent nature of this search.
3. Seeking truth and recognizing different He also was quite aware that the meaning of
kinds of intelligence. suffering could be transformed in a positive way
4. Purifying our memory especially through by understanding it from a higher perspective.
prayer.
5. The practice of the good and the forming of Moreover, thanks to the work of Martin Selig-
character--- that is, developing virtue. man and to “Positive Psychology” others are be-
6. The importance of work. ginning to understand virtue and character are
7. The foundational need for the giving and re- important in going beyond our problems to ac-
ceiving of love. tual flourishing. No doubt, also, the “New Age”
8. Enduring suffering by finding a positive un- psychologists have accepted the importance of
derstanding of it when possible. transcendence.
9. Acknowledging the relevance and impor-
tance of transcendence in dealing with Nevertheless, the Christian approach of Houde
mental disorder. allows all these otherwise diverse and hel-
pful concepts to fit the same basic framework.
There have been a few significant exceptions to Houde in his approach leans heavily on the
the secular neglect of the above positive aspects work of John Paul II. I don’t think this Catho-
of a Christian approach. In important but limi- lic anthropology involves any major difficulties
ted ways, Cognitive and Behavioral psycholo- with most Protestant or Eastern Orthodox ap-
gists accepted a search for truth, and there may proaches, but that remains to be seen.

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