There are many different interpretations of verses in Scripture about God and His justice and mercy. Pending on the era of time, you also have different theologians, saints and mystics expressing within God His justice or His mercy. Sometimes, one can review readings from a particular saint that produces a harsh and fearful tribunal seat of God, while others will show a loving and caring father. Even in modern times, Christianity seems to present a dual image of God. Progressives shower one with the idea of God’s infinite love, while more conservatives display a law bound God who judges and condemns. It is very important not to overweigh one attribute over the other. If one only focuses on justice, then only a half truth emerges, which only a refocus on God’s mercy can balance into the fullness of the truth. The reality is God is both just and merciful but various interpretations from Scripture or beliefs of saints and their writings can lead one to have an imbalanced spiritual view of this. Either one that is constantly fearful, or one who is too careless with the joys of the world. In addition, how God is viewed through human lens plays a big role. Scripture presents many images of God and some can be distorted when taken too literal or for that matter entirely dismissed. Anthropomorphism is common literal device used in Scripture. In these cases God can be given many human like attributes in regards to His emotional reactions to human activity as well as images as a judge in the strictly human sense. These images need to also be properly understood in context as well as symbolism to have a greater understanding of God. This blog will look at some of these realities and attempt to balance them in proper measurement in correlation with Partial Judgement of a soul who goes to Heaven or goes to Hell.
There is a balance between God’s mercy and justice. Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification
God: The Loving Father of the Prodigal Son or The Fierce and Avenging Judge?
The two images above create quite a contradicting imagery but both do point to truths but when not balanced become partial truths. So many times, preachers, priests, or pastoral leaders, and even oneself finds one particular imagery of God that is superseding over all others. One’s own experience can play a large role. Spiritual individuals are attracted to certain images of God in Scriptures because it meets a need or answers an existential question that is pertinent to oneself. One’s own mental and emotional state also plays key roles in which imagery of God best fits our current need. Those who suffer from low self-esteem, or have attachment issues due to past trauma live in a state of anxiety and that state of anxiety can play a role with their relationship with God. Person’s in such mental states may have a greater fear of God, or complete imbalanced feeling of unworthiness. They may also see God as a more fierce and avenging judge. Others with a more delicate conscience or scrupulous conscience may be tormented with obsessive compulsive disorder and see God more as a judge who keeps score on the day of judgement. On the other spectrum, those who live life carelessly may need to see a parental God that dismisses foolishness and error as if it does matter what one does in life. They need a God who does not reprimand sin, but a God who only sees love. In their mind, their love of others and overall good human nature is enough-“God will not judge me but only loves me for who I am!” As one can see, these are two equally dangerous routes. Both capture an element of truth, but without each other complimenting each other, the fullness of the truth is lost.
As seen in Scripture, despite literalism or symbolism, we see a balanced approach that displays both sides of God in different books. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, one can see the untamed and complete compassion the father has for his lost son. The father never gives up loving the son and upon the son’s return, offers complete forgiveness and restoration to the son. In other imageries, one can see God as a terrifying judge who he sends souls to Hell, and casts these souls into the abyss of the wicked. The words are strong and harsh and helps illustrate the extreme disgusting nature and true evil of sin. Christ originally came as a Redeemer, but in Revelation, He is also a judger of humankind, separating the goats from the sheep. Such strong phrases as “depart from me” and “cast into Hell for the fires prepared for the wicked” all show this other side of God and Christ when judgement arrives for a soul.
Ultimately, if one wishes to truly understand God’s justice and mercy, one must understand the expression of Scripture and its aim in its full context and not individual quotes. One must be careful to avoid cherry picking of verses out of context of the chapter or theme. In addition, one must closely interpret symbolism to avoid sometimes literal interpretations that promote an anthropomorphism of God which gives Him human qualities of revenge or rage. Also, one must understand other saints or mystics interpretations of God’s justice and mercy pending on the time period they wrote and the type of language that was used. Many times as well, saints wrote in particular styles to promote one theme of God and these writings can at times seem imbalanced, especially for individuals not trained in pastoral ministry and theology. A particular saint may be illustrating God as judge and the disgusting nature of sin which can terrify a delicate soul but also at the same time promote enough self inspection and fear for a soul to change. As well, a particular saint may present writings or mystical visions that portray the totality of God’s love and the immensity of it. This may be good for a more spiritual stable soul but a message that would be dangerous for a soul who has no boundaries with sin.
In essence and answer to the leading question, God is both loving Father and fierce Judge but how one understands the true dynamics of it from a theological standpoint is essential to avoid literalistic pitfalls that can lead to scrupulous and constant fearful behavior or lax and boundless carefree behavior.
Moral Theology and Sin
Pending on one’s image of God, incomplete truths can distort one’s views on sin, but it is only when one accepts the full imagery of God, can one see the full picture of sin, self and union with God. First and foremost, Original Sin or the sin imparted on humanity after the fall of Adam, left humanity with a broken nature. The gifts of great knowledge, stronger mind and body connection and control of the passions imbedded within Adam’s character were an abilities his descendants never experienced. Through Christ’s death and application of His graces through Baptism, one again enters into full communion with God and one’s soul becomes alive through Sanctifying Grace. This however did not restore the fullness of human nature. The temporal reality and the consequences of the sin left a scar that was not wiped away after Baptism. Humanity while redeemed still was broken. While Christ reopened grace and a relationship with God through His death, the temporal reality left individuals open to sinning. Personal sin could then undo the bond of Baptism. Certain particular sins could even cut grace off from the soul. In this state without remorse, a soul again became distant from God.
St Ignatius Loyola exercises helps one examine their conscience and reflect on the justice and mercy of God
St Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises describes sin as disgusting and deforming. Like a tumor, it tears into the soul, disfiguring it. Any sin rejects truth and the love of God. Sin is choosing self, or others over God and rejecting God’s authority. St Ignatius in his exercises challenges the soul to identify sin, to meditate on its grotesque form, and to imagine the state of a soul in mortal sin that rejects God’s love. He asks one to consider God as judge, but he also reminds us of God as father who loves. However, for whatever particular reason, in many of his meditations within the exercises, one solely focuses on God as a fearsome judge and the total worthlessness of the human person in comparison to the greatness of God. One is asked to meditate as one being a condemned criminal before a judge, as well as meditating the pains of Hell and the danger of one mortal sin. Much of this has to do with shocking the system into understanding the damage of sin and to induce a holy fear of Hell, but also a disgust for sin and a love for virtue. It also focuses to show how utterly dependent one is upon God’s grace to avoid such vile sins.
Sin is hence a great disorder and injustice itself towards God. In this way, all personal sin shares the same substance in that it damages one’s relationship with God. While all sin shares in this horrific substance, not all sins are equal in degree or depth of brokenness. It only took one sin to tear a division between God and man that Christ restored. This alone shows the vile taste of one sin and its shared characteristics but Moral theology helps one to better categorize sin, understand its objective nature, its degree, as well as the subjective interplay a sinful act has with the conscience and circumstances surrounding the agent or person committing the sin.
Personal sin is rightly divided into venial and mortal. Like human laws, degrees of severity of an offense are measured and consequences detailed through different levels of fines. A person who steals out of hunger sins differently than a person who steals from the poor. All is sin, all creates a barrier, but the level and depth of the barrier is measured by the basis of the severity of the offense. A person who commits a traffic violation remains still a good citizen despite his lapse in judgement of speeding, but an individual who murders, pillages and rapes, commits a far more grave offense to society and no longer remains a good citizen. Within the Mystical Body of Christ, offenses hurt, but the degree and multitude of the offense play a key role in whether the soul still loves God, possesses grace and remains attuned to God’s will.
Hence all sin is objectively disordered but the levels of disorder in regards to the relationship between God and the soul differ on severity. Objectively any sin remains a sin within itself. No subjective reasoning or indifference can mitigate the nature of an disordered act. The level of disorder can range objectively but the consequences of the sin can vary greatly beyond its objective label. The human act is more than a black and white event but something with multiple layers of grey. There are numerous subjective elements at play within the act of a sin. First and foremost, what is the intent of the agent committing the sin. Is the person free to act? Does the person fully intend to commit the act? In committing the act, is the person clearly articulating the acceptance of this act and all its consequences? In addition, what biological factors, psychological disorders and uncontrolled passions are at play that weaken the will? Is this act isolated or a continuous habit? Is this act done without remorse or guilt? Does one fully through this act wish to disown God? What other circumstances exist around it? Sometimes actions can become neutral that are otherwise naturally sinful-for example taking a life to defend one’s own life. What other external pressures existed? So in many cases, an objective action that is disordered possess less consequence for an individual based on other criteria.
Padre Pio saw the danger of any sin. Sin weakens union with God. Consistent sin wears one’s soul down and weakens it for greater infection. Padre Pio understood that a soul who goes to Heaven or to Hell does not randomly commit a grave sin and chooses Hell but that a soul gradually chooses Heaven or Hell over a life time. What one is when one stands before God is what one created oneself to be through a life committed and developed through virtue or vice. Habitual sin and lack of remorse leads the soul down the road of rejecting God. This is why it is critical to form a sound conscience that identifies sin as gross and disgusting and a conscience that when one does fall, immediately feels guilt and shame to confess and repent.
God’s Mercy
Sister Faustina reminds us of Christ’s infinite mercy and love
Sister Faustina is most known for her visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and His message of mercy. The Chaplet of Mercy as a prayer begs God for pardon and remembers the sacrifice of Christ. It repeats, “for the sake of Your sorrowful passion, have mercy on me and the whole world”. The mercy of Christ and the opportunities given by God through His sacraments seeks for all to be saved. Christ shed His blood for every soul. He shed tears for each soul lost. Many mystics claim this was one of Christ’s greatest agonies–the souls who would reject His passion and grace. Within the Sacred Heart image, Jesus’s Sacred Heart pours out beams of red and white rays from His heart. This displays His infinite mercy to sinners. Like the story of the Prodigal Son, God immediately forgives a soul that seeks forgiveness. This should not be taken for granted though. How many feel they have time to change? Instead of living in the moment, they postpone what matters most.
God’s Justice
God’s justice is referenced throughout Scripture and justice is promised to the faithful. God’s justice while merciful does not permit the wicked to go unpunished. While some may over emphasize this terrifying reality, or over humanize anger and vengeance in the Lord, many need to understand there are consequences of sin. Those who dismiss sin as trivial are led by a lax conscience that does not truly see the disgusting and foul order that sin infects the soul with. God’s standard, His commandments and His laws are not arbitrary but based in the fullness of His own essence. Something is not wrong merely by proclamation for a certain day but intrinsically is wrong for everyone and for everyday. Like evil, sin is a lack of good. It is what God is not. So when one sins, one is committing a grave injustice. Christ’s blood paid the price for sin, but as followers of Christ, we must apply the graces earned through Baptism. As followers one must adhere as best one can to the laws of God. One cannot through one’s own good works earn salvation but it is through faith in Christ and grace of the Holy Spirit that one can follow the laws of God and partake in salvation.
The Divine Judgement
In Christianity, there are two judgements. The Particular Judgement occurs at one’s death bed. The General Judgement is the proclamation and judgement upon all souls. In one’s Particular Judgement, one’s eternal fate is determined. There one sees the balance of God’s justice and God’s mercy. However as discussed early, there are many visual images in Scripture, as well as mystical writings that take these things into account.
One image, as illustrated in Scripture, displays God as judge but in a more human sense. In fact, even St Ignatius in his exercises, portrays an image of God that casts souls to Hell for their wicked deeds. This image emphasizes a strong justice display, with less mercy, but this literal image is an interpretation of that judgement. One can also from a different perspective and interpretation views God as judge from a more theological standpoint immersed in moral theology that balances God’s mercy and justice with the soul.
There are two judgements. Our immediate or particular judgement and the final and general judgement described in the Book of Revelation
One may be amazed, according to Padre Pio, how many souls who seemed evil are not in Hell, and how many souls who seemed so pious are not in Heaven. Only God knows the innermost workings of the soul. As Padre Pio also pointed out, one’s judgement before God is usually not based on one event but a life time of choices that led one to become good or evil or lovers of God, or lovers of self.
Ultimately, God as our moral standard serves as the soul’s mirror at judgement. God does not cast a soul He loves into Hell. The judgement speaks for itself. The soul as if looking into a mirror recognizes what it is in all its good and evil. It is left without distraction or excuses. It is stripped of all the noise of the world and only faced with its true reflection. Did it love God in this world or did it love self? According to Padre Pio, the soul who has rejected God is a soul who will reject God at judgement. It will acknowledge His truth finally but it will reject the truth and its implementation upon itself. The imagery of God casting a soul into Hell in some ways is hence misleading. God finds no joy in this. He loves the soul despite its total corruption but due to His standard, the soul cannot accept. Like the demons and corrupt souls before, the soul in mortal sin rejects God’s friendship, His love and companionship.
Many believe that one is saved by faith alone, but believing in God does not give one salvation. Satan and his demons believe in the reality of God but they are not with Him. The simple act of faith must be energized through the grace of the Holy Spirit to produce charity. This charity varies among individuals. Scripture attests that love can cover many sins. Ultimately, everyone is unworthy of God through one single act of sin, but it is through God’s mercy that saints and sinners alike are made worthy. So, while one’s good deeds are important choices to salvation, one must attest they are never enough. It is ultimately God’s mercy and reciprocal love that is fed through faith and grace that saves the soul before the Partial Judgement. A soul that still loves God, even imperfectly, can not cease loving God. If one loved God on earth till the end, one will love God at judgement. Hell’s greatest reality is the absence of any love. A soul at judgement who goes to Hell is a soul that refused on earth to love God and continues to refuse to love God at judgement. The soul may be well aware of what he is losing but this does not lead to contrition but only further anger , blaming and blasphemy.
Ignatius sometimes appears in his exercises to sow fear of how a soul can so easily lose God and at judgement be cast away by an angry God. There is good reason to mediate upon this, but a soul that loves God, even despite mistakes, even when some sins were in the past mortal, cannot lose God if the pattern of love remains. This entails remorse for serious sin, but God does not send a soul to Hell over a trip or fall, the soul sends itself to Hell for remaining on the ground and never acknowledging the sin or seeking forgiveness. A soul that maintains love of God, may trip and fall in life, but it always bounces back up. That same soul, no more or less than a far more virtuous soul, nevertheless shares one same common theme. No-one meets the standard of God, no mirror can display a an image that makes one worthy, whether mortal or venial, but it is the grace of God that reaches out and if love is returned, then salvation is procured. Learning to love more deeply may be required before standing fully before God, but Christ and His infinite mercy supplies the necessary gap through His blood that ultimately saves the soul.
What makes a soul choose Hell? Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification
Now I do not mean to dismiss the haste in which Ignatius says a soul can lose friendship with God through mortal sin, but the act of mortal sin as an objective act and its consequences upon the subjective agent can be quite differently applied. There are many souls who share sins committed on earth who are in Heaven as those who are in Hell. The difference is contrition but also charity. A soul that occasionally falls into certain sins that are classified as mortal, such as many sexual sins, does face severe danger than mere minor sins, but again all sin separates the soul from God to some degree and how the soul responds to hurting God via love matters. A soul that goes to Hell obviously exists in Mortal sin at the time of death. Obviously, these sins have defined the soul’s character and sealed its fate. Whether they were sexual sins, or sins of murder, rape, or even cases of extreme self love and unkindness to others and complete worship of this world over God, these sins represent a pattern. There are some sins especially among the deadly that represent a median line that show a point of no return or least hint towards it. Despite this, all can be converted and changed while alive, one merely needs to look at the story of St Augustine or even St Paul, but when a serious sin becomes more than an “oops” and “mistake” but enters into a habitual state of sin that renounces God and exalts self then a serious condition of darkness envelops the soul. Unlike the angels, the human intellect cannot make a decisive decision regarding to love or serve God, instead over time, the soul develops into what it will be. Hence eventually, a soul can cross a line that has led to a serious life threatening level that if one dies in it, will result in Hell. There are death bed conversions, but when one examines the life of Hitler, Stalin, or even pedofiles and sex traffickers or those consumed by lust and the sexual industry, one can see a strong difference in the deformation of the soul between one who occasionally yet with regret fell into a few serious sins as opposed to those who lived in it all the time and became committed it to the most extreme levels.
The biggest difference for the soul that chooses Hell is one that not only commits serious sin, but accepts it, loves it and live in it. I do not wish to dismiss the frightful examples of Ignatius in his exercises of one un-repented mortal sin, but I think if one understands moral theology, the psychology of the soul, as well habit in life, one is more likely to discover that most souls who go to Hell, choose it freely and not by accidentally and remorsefully tasting sin here and there. Those with broken natures who fall into serious sin as lost children can indeed if absence of remorse can find their soul in rebellion to God, but most who have conscience, who love God despite failings, rarely allow the life style to infect themselves. Instead they turn to prayer, humility and remorse. The soul that chooses Hell loves oneself over God. The soul in Hell has no charity for others. The soul in Hell sees no wrong in its actions. The soul in Hell lived in sin and embraced it. The soul in Hell does not love God, nor His laws. The soul in Hell, whether consciously or subconsciously, committed these actions with pure love and habitual opportunity without remorse. They were not merely serious sexual or selfish sins of occasion or weakness of moment, but conscious and autonomous choices of life. There was an autonomous intent and a complete disclosure in the choices it made.
These souls at the Partial Judgement are stripped of their distractions or excuses and left with the cold verdict of God. The verdict is a lack charity or love of God or others but instead complete love of self and the world. God’s verdict and justice is declared but His mercy still extends to these individuals. This may seem surprising but God still reaches out to those who even reject His love. God is still willing to forgive, but the judgement of His perfect and true self shines so brightly that such a broken and disordered soul cannot disagree with its own deformation and mutation. The soul going to Hell knows what it is and through this mirror and judgement openly rejects the mercy that comes with the justice. So, in a complete truthful image, God does judge, but God also grants mercy. In way, God’s justice does send the soul to Hell, but it is in a far different way than one’s human sense imagines it. The soul going to Hell instead rejects God and His assessment and mercy. It rejects consequences or needed remorse. It rejects even God’s mercy. This self inflicted wound is a continuation of the habitual sinful choices during life on earth that sends the soul to Hell.
On the contrary, a soul that is both saint and sinner, reflects on its image and is brought to shame and guilt but still expresses love. This soul did not die void of grace that serious sin strips from the soul but it died with grace and its most important fruit which is love. Whether more perfectly or less perfectly, a person’s love for God travels with person before the judgement of God. This love of God over love of self is the starting point of salvation for that soul. Again whether a great saint or a pitiful sinner who still finds love of God, neither are worthy of Heaven based on their individual merit due to one’s broken nature. It is solely the grace earned by Christ and one’s cooperation throughout life with grace that permits anyone to enter into union with God. The graces that energized faith and hope now fade because faith and hope have delivered what was promised. As Scripture foretells, what then remains is love. If love remains in a soul, then that soul remains in the state of grace. This soul tried its best to avoid sin, as well as serious sin, and when it fell, it humbly sought forgiveness and purged itself with tears and penance. Unlike the soul that chose Hell by its continual choices on earth, the same soul that chose Heaven chose God for most of its life and at the very end. Despite its sins, despites its failures, God and the saved soul share a reciprocal love that manifests acceptance of God’s love and will. The soul then understands clearly that it may not have loved God as much as it needed on earth but God’s love and grace has sanctified it and made it worthy.
Conclusion
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When exploring the judgement of God and his justice and mercy, the motifs of God as judge, are applicable, and true. God is just. However, He is also merciful. He is both the God of justice but also the God of mercy as the Prodigal Son illustrated in Christ’s parable. God understands human beings are broken despite His Son’s death on the cross. He is patient, He is loving and waits for His sheep like the Good Shepherd. He does not despise the wicked but rejects their actions. He judges them based on their own deeds and decisions in life. He offers justice but also offers mercy. Ultimately, the soul dictates its future. I think it is important pending on the season or need to review both God’s justice and mercy. Ignatius will presenting a merciful God, also presents a terrifying view of judgement, Hell and the nature of sin. In addition balance this with Padre Pio’s teaching on the choice of Hell being usually more so a life time choice over time and self love and to be aware of how sin breaks us down over time. We still must be alert of individual sin in the moment, but we must remain strong and steadfast to identify it and repent from it. Sister Faustina’s Divine Mercy also displays Christ’s great love and mercy that one can find. So balance in understanding God’s mercy but also justice can help one remain steadfast in confidence of God’s love but also our own important role in keeping the commandments.
In closing, f anyone is a parent, then one understands the deep love one has a for one’s child or children. One never gives up on a child and loves the child even when the child does wrong. When the child does not seek reconciliation, it painfully hurts. Even when they walk away, the hand still extends for the child who never looks back again. While God in Scripture is seen as judge and rightfully so, it is important to see God also as a parent. Unlike some of the more vivid meditations of St Ignatius, God’s judgement does cast those to Hell but not maybe the way one envisions it, but more so as a parent who displays what must be obeyed if one chooses to return and the consequences hereafter. If the child shows just the bit of love, God, like a parent, can capitalize on that but if the child shows no love or desire to obey, and chooses instead to reject the parent, then based off his analogy, God can only watch the person enter into Hell. The terrifying reality that one sends oneself to Hell. So remain vigilant to sin, but most importantly avoid serious sin. If one falls, allow one’s conscience to identify and seek repentance. Sin is deadly and builds upon the soul and hopes to turn one serious event into continuous a life style. Maintain charity and love of God with remorse. If so, when one stands before God, it will not be a strange judge, but a loving parent.
AIHCP has numerous blogs based on Carl Rogers and his Client or Human/Person Centered Based Counseling. This blog will focus some on the general themes, goals and history of the therapy and how it set the standard for many modern day counseling techniques. Whether one belongs solely to Rogerian Counseling, or instead mixes and matches some of the philosophies and skills where needed, it remains nearly impossible for numerous Rogerian ideals not to be part of any counseling curriculum and utilized within the professional and clinical spectrum.
Please also review AIHCP’s various Behavioral and Healthcare Certifications and see if they meet your academic and professional goals.
Rogerian Psychology and Counseling- A Client/Person Centered Approach
Rogerian or person centered counseling finds its roots in counselors who express empathy and unconditional positive regard
In essence, Rogers possessed a more optimistic account of human nature and believed that helping people involved helping them help themselves and find inner healing. Instead of diagnosis, or pre-determined psycho-analysis, Roger developed a psychology and counseling that frowned upon diagnosis as well as counselor authoritarian directives but saw the counselor more as a guide and helper in unlocking a person’s potential to find happiness and balance in life. This type of counseling took some key core concepts from Adler and then became a main stay in the counseling fields since the Mid 20th Century.
Rogers taught that counselors need to help clients self-actualize to become their best self. This was accomplished through guidance that helped the person choose what is best for them. The counselor could help a person reach self actualization by helping them find congruence or genuineness with their true self. When a person was at odds with their true self or their words did not match their deeds, a counselor could help a person see this incongruence (Tan, 2022). In addition to helping a person actualize self, counselors within Rogerian schools of thought help clients understand the value of their own subjective experiences. Rogers believed that the subjective experience of a person was the most true form of self and the best way to find congruence within a person. However, the most lasting and important aspect involves the client’s condition of worth. Rogers emphasized that counselors must show deep empathy, unconditional positive regard and genuineness as core concepts in helping people (Tan, 2022). Ultimately the basis of Rogerian therapy is to not solve problems but to unlock an individual’s own solving problem abilities (Tan, 2022).
In other blogs, we discuss the critical importance of unconditional positive regard, congruence and empathy. These again are the most lasing elements of Rogerian psychology. While many adhere to some of the other concepts of subjective experience, or the role of the counselor, these three standards of counseling remain core in most counseling schools as essential elements in helping people. Beyond just being taught, these lasting qualities of the counselor also show empirically and in clinical studies strong effectiveness in helping the client. While classic Rogerian counseling swayed away from diagnosis or various therapeutic strategies, it always emphasized the importance of the counselor/client relationship. In many studies, this is the most key part whether counseling works or not. While various therapeutic strategies are essential, which ones used or not used, has more power when amplified with the counselor/client relationship.
In recent years, Rogerian Counseling has also been transformed by modifications, such Motivational Interviewing. Tan points out that this is also a person centered approach and also has many shared core elements (2022). Initially developed by William Miller, Motivational Interviewing utilizes Rogerian strategies and counselor based qualities to help clients reach goals. Tan points out that Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative approach of strengthening a person’s motivation and commitment to change. He also points out that it looks to address the ambivalence about change and is designed to help the person’s motivation by assigning goals and also exploring a person’s reasons to look for change (2022).
Interviewing involves utilizing empathy, congruence as well as unconditional positive regard, but also involves the counselor rolling with resistance of the client in a non-confrontational way. Instead helping to facilitate a picture for the client to see on one’s own to desire the change. In doing so, the counselor helps to support self efficacy and freedom of choice to fully embrace a change and work towards a goal (Tan, 2022).
Strengths and Weaknesses
Like any counseling system or psychological school of thought, one can be tied down and limited if only subject to one way of doing things with the psychological mind. This bears true with one who only utilizes psychodynamic ways without integration of other possible therapies in the cognitive fields, or for that matter approaching one from a cognitive or behavioral school of thought. Like wise, person centered psychology and counseling has strengths that can be employed, but also weaknesses when isolated and used as a the only way conducting counseling.
From a strength standpoint, the utilization of the concepts of unconditional positive regard, congruence and empathy are all staples of modern counseling. Person centered therapy also has a very optimistic view of a the human person and is rich in encouraging and helping someone find the ability to change through one’s innate abilities. It treasures freedom to choose which is the only way true change can occur.
From a weakness standpoint, it ins purest form, it avoids diagnosis and some therapies which when involving deeper trauma or pathology require more than just discussing an issue but also helping the mind heal through other proven strategies. Also, it emphasizes a complete subjective form of happiness and process of making decisions. This can lead to one’s own selfish motives, as well as choosing incorrectly in the overall scheme of life. Counselors while observing need to sometimes direct. Rogers did point to empathetic confrontation, but it needs to sometimes go farther than merely helping a person see the contradiction in one’s life but to also sometimes guide the person to the right choice. In Rogerian psychology, the counselor remains as benign a source of authority as possible in regards to direction. Many clients need guidance. This is not to assert they need told what and how to do something, but sometimes, a person needs direction. The concepts of subjective truth also come into conflict with many ideals on objective truth, as well as the person belonging to more than merely oneself but also belonging to a social construct that includes other people, as well as religious beliefs. For some, God is the source of self actualization, not the human person. For others, self actualization can become a very selfish design that ignores others and their needs. (Tan, 2022).
So again, I feel there always needs to be a measure of balance with any systems of psychology and counseling. While schools of thought exist in their purity, many counselors utilize the best of all the schools and fit it to meet the unique needs of a client.
Conclusion
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Carl Rogers ideas and philosophies presented to counseling were revolutionary when compared to Freudian systems. It expressed that individuals were not preprogrammed and had the innate ability to find congruence when guided by a trained counselor. The counselor was not there to solve problems but help untap the ability of the client to solve their problems. This leads to a very subjective experience of self actualization which has its strengths and weaknesses in counseling. The largest contribution of Rogers was the counseling qualities he demanded from all counselors. Namely congruence, empathy and unconditional positive regard. These elements help forge a healthy counselor and client relationship which according to studies is more important and a bigger factor in client progress than any particular therapeutic strategy employed alone. It is the counselor and client’s relationship that is the biggest factor in whether the counseling experiment works or does not work.
Please also review AIHCP’s Behavioral Health Certifications in Grief Counseling, Christian Counseling, Trauma Counseling, Crisis Counseling, Stress Management and Anger Mangement.
Meaning of existence plays a key role in understanding one’s daily trials, anxieties, stresses, as well as losses. Meaning in life can re-interpret an event for a person. From an bad event, individuals with meaning, can move forward with a better understanding and a fuller interpretation within life. Those without meaning to loss, or meaning to horrible things can fall victim to hopelessness and despair. Without an anchor of meaning, one can be swept by the various currents of life with no true direction. Existential philosophy, as well as Existential therapy, looks to find meaning in life. In this short blog, we will examine Existentialism and its influence on Existential therapy, as well as address the critical necessity of meaning in grief counseling, as well as conflicting issues between Christian theology and Existentialism.
Existentialist therapy helps individuals find meaning in loss and to also face existential anxiety. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification as well as its Christian Counseling Program
Please review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification, as well as AIHCP’s Christian Grief Counseling Certification and see if they meet your academic and professional goals.
Existentialist Philosophy and Therapy
Existentialist philosophy has two branches. One which encompasses a theist and sometimes Christian perspective, as well as an atheistic or nihilist branch. Philosophers such as Gabriel Marcel, Soren Kirkegaard and Paul Tillich approach existentialism from a theistic perspective, while others such as Frederick Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger and Paul Sarte present a atheistic and nihilist approach to existence. The core of the philosophy addresses humanity’s existential realities without reserve. Death, choice, freedom, isolation and meaning or lack of meaning in life are all important aspects of that cannot be ignored. Within this state of humanity, existence and its subjective and phenomenological interpretation of that existence details what a person is to be or find meaning in. There is no collective pre-existing template or essence of the human blueprint, but merely existence. As Sarte famously stated, “existence precedes essence” which at its core puts a subjective morality and choice at odds with a pre-existing objective template of reality and moral choice.
Humanity’s freedom to choose and become without fear is one of the guiding principles of non-theistic existentialist approach. As Frederick Nietzsche proposed, one must courageously drop the shackles of objective morality or the concept of God and become a “super man” who forges forward with great courage in creating one’s own essence and identity. While this is not the purpose of this blog to counter theological arguments over moral objectivity and the existence of God, this type of existentialist thought obviously places more power over one’s own decision what is good or evil.
Existentialist philosophy looks at human experience as a way one encounters life and discovers meaning. Through one’s inner self, one’s self with nature and one’s self and experiences with others. Human beings are free to relate and form one’s own meanings based on these three basic levels of existence (Tan, 2022). In this self discovery, one must be true to one’s self or authentic. It is when one ceases to be authentic with self, that pathology emerges. This becomes difficult because of natural existential dread and anxiety which in itself is not a bad thing but quite a natural thing. Within existential anxiety, one must deal with death and life, the need to act or not act, isolation versus companionship, and finally meaning or meaninglessness (Tan, 2022). A healthy existence is when these issues are faced, discussed and analyzed. When one does not dismiss these truths, as well as live authentically with oneself, then one finds a healthy balance in life.
Nietzsche presented an atheistic and nihilist perspective to finding meaning in existence
Tan lists some of the key elements of existentialist philosophy of being human. He lists first, the capacity for awareness, second, freedom and responsibility, third, creating identity and establishing relationships, fourth, searching for meaning, fifth, accepting anxiety as part of life and finally, awareness of death and non being (2022). It is when one lies to oneself and avoids these principles that pathology can occur in life. Rollo May, a existentialist therapist contends that anxiety is a critical part of life itself and now all of it is toxic but something that needs faced and addressed. Clients need taught how to face anxiety and solve the issues and problems while remaining true to oneself (Tan, 2022).
Application of Meaning in Life
Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor, discussed in detail the grave importance of finding meaning in life, especially, in loss and suffering. He saw a deeper purpose that could help drive one beyond the mere presence of suffering. His meaning was found in love and the dignity of the human person to push beyond mere tasks and elevate them to a higher power. In this way, Frankl was not atheistic in existential thought and like others, saw the importance of spirituality as a way to find meaning. Kirkegaard also saw the importance of emptying one’s anxiety and existential angst into the grounding of all existence which is God. Hence, while to some therapists, meaning can be subjective and coming from within the person, other theistic existentialists promote the possibility that meaning can come from an outside source.
Regardless, the power of meaning is a strong driving force in interpreting life events. Frankl helped individuals find deeper meaning in his Logotherapy which utilized four primary techniques. First, he employed the Socratic dialogue, second, paradoxical intent, dereflection and attitude modification (Tan, 2022). Within the Socratic dialogue, one is directed to take a complete inventory of one’s life. This helps the person discover direction but also what matters most. Within paradoxical intent, Logotherapy looks to present the absurdity of a habit or behavior by exaggerating it. Within dereflection, the therapist helps the client see other elements of an event. In this way it hopes to utilize a type of behavioral cognitive therapy where the individual rethinks the event in different perspectives. The idea is not to dismiss or devalue the event but to approach it from different aspects. Finally, attitude modification, helps the client to change certain views or behaviors by not lamenting over the past which cannot be changed, but instead by learning from it and making good changes.
Frankl saw in humanity that all are good initially at one’s core and that it was the purpose of the therapist to help enlighten a person of one’s inner talents to utilize the goodness of the inner core. He also pointed out that life has meaning and it is one’s goal to find meaning, which usually should be in something transcending, albeit, life does not guarantee happiness even with meaning, However, it the meaning and finding that meaning in the moment that all can find direction even in the most worst case scenarios. In this way, a person retains his core, his uniqueness as well as his freedom.
Meaning and Grief
Finding meaning in existence is key but especially when loss and grief occur.
Existential philosophy and therapy plays a key role in grief and loss. Robert Neimeyer has emphasized the critical importance of meaning making in loss. Meaning is essential in understanding the nature of the loss and how the loss plays a role in the overall life of a person. Individuals who utilize meaning and find meaning not only in loss but overall life can find smoother ways to adapt to the loss and move forward with the loss incorporated into one’s life. Those without meaning struggle with suffering and loss. This was also the case that Frankl noticed in the Nazi concentration camps. Those who lost hope or meaning, even meaning in the most dire situations, would gradually fade quicker to despair and death.
Existential philosophy also demands that we do not hide from natural anxieties. In the modern world, death becomes a taboo subject, but in the lens of existentialism, it is something that should be addressed, confronted and spoken about. If we ignore death, if we ignore unpleasant thoughts of non being, then one is not living authentically according to existentialist philosophy. Existentialist therapists will help clients face the loss, understand it, and find meaning moving forward from the loss. These are all concepts and techniques that coincide with modern bereavement science.
Existentialism and Christian Counseling
As stated, there are many forms of existentialism. Some forms adapt a Christian view on life that surrenders the existential experience to God under the example of Christ. In addition, many of the concepts are concepts to use in counseling. Seeking to find answers about existence, freedom, responsibility and meaning are important concepts for the Christian but the answers from secular existentialism seeks the inner self and experience instead of the moral law of God and established dogma. In secular settings, existentialism can allow one to become one’s own god in decisions. It also tends to find most pathology from within or failure to acknowledge the existential anxieties of life and ignores many other sources of issues. Many issues stem from also biological or social settings, not just one’s imbalance with authenticity and existential anxieties (Tan, 2022).
Again, when one surrenders oneself to the autonomous self, one does not find true peace or meaning as secular existentialists would contend. That peace is through surrender of one’s anxieties to God, which is a self grounding in the Self (Tan, 2022). Kierkagaard illustrates this importance, and even Frankl addresses the surrender of self to something to a higher transcendence as something more benefitting and long lasting than merely surrender to the autonomous self. In these ways, some concepts of existentialism are useable in Christian Counseling with a strong precaution of avoiding its more secular and atheistic roots.
Conclusion
There are many good and bad aspects of existentialist therapy. Please review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certifications
Existentialist therapy while more so a philosophy than a true therapeutic concept employs meaning as a key concept for modern counseling. Meaning is essential for understanding loss, suffering and death. Existentialist therapy also helps one to not ignore the anxieties of life but to face them and find meaning in them. While some aspects of it have theistic wrappings, other elements are more atheistic in thought and look for the autonomous self and one’s authenticity to help build one’s character. This leads one ultimately to a subjective perspective on each person’s meaning of life as opposed to an objective and more dogmatic one. Regardless of belief, it has numerous benefits for counseling, in particular for Grief Counseling. Obviously, if not religious, the power of meaning in life, even if subjective, can be a powerful source for success in the world.
Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Program as well as AIHCP’s Christian Grief Counseling Program and Christian Counseling Program. AIHCP also offers a wide range of secular programs in grief but also as well in both healthcare and behavioral healthcare programs.
Producing change from a psychological standpoint is difficult. Subconscious trends and neuropathways make it difficult to change. This can make things difficult for changes in health as well as addiction. In addition, changes of habit from a counseling perspective can be difficult without a good plan and goals. Theologically, one can also see the idea of change and habit closely associated with vice and virtue which are considered habits of bad or excellence.
Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certifications and see if they meet any of your academic or professional goals.
Dreaming is essential to human health. When deep sleep such as REM or Rapid Eye Movement occurs, the brain waves of theta and delta occur in deep sleep. It is within these deep states that the brain and body replenishes itself with proper rest. Within the brain, critical storage and processing occurs that reviews various events, consolidates memories and removes waste products within the brain. Hence during the various cycles of sleep, both non-REM and the REM, the brain resets and restores the brain and body for the next day.
During this process, the brain dreams. Most dreams are merely reconsolidation of random materials, which is why few dreams make any sense. Furthermore, due to the deep level of sleep. many dreams are never recalled or remembered but forgotten. Despite this, many believe there is more to dreaming than mere consolidation that mere random events but a deeper psychological occurrence beyond basic physiological upkeep. Psychology points out that dreams are also unresolved issues that a person deals with at the subconscious level when the conscious mind forgets or refuses to face them. In addition, many believe dreams are even more than unresolved subconscious issues but also deeper levels of spiritual communication. This has credence in all religious cultures, as well as Christianity and is an important aspect of spiritual direction and Christian Counseling. In this blog, we will review dream analysis as well as spiritual communication in dreams.
Many dreams are merely basic noise of the brain, while other dreams may have deeper psychological meaning from the subconscious
Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung both believed in the mind’s subconscious effect on one’s conscious behavior and life. One of the ways the subconscious spoke out the most is during dreams. Freud emphasized that dreams were our unconscious voices reflecting wish fulfillments or repressed conscious materials (Tan, 2022). Jung believed beyond this and saw drams as reminders of what an individual should be aware of. In this way, dreams had a variety of possible messages, including a reflection of fears, wishes, repressed impulses, or possible solutions to problems (Tan, 2022). Jungian psychology emphasized the importance of dream analysis. Therapists trained in Jungian psychology help clients understand their dreams to find possible purpose or even create a better balance between their conscious and subconscious self.
Jung differentiated between the physiological process of dreaming and dreams of meaning. Little dreams were the physiological process but Big dreams were dreams of purpose that manifested from the collective conscious (Tan, 2022). These Big dreams were remembered and not forgotten throughout the life time. Some were very impactful and others reoccurred. Others possessed material from one’s darker side or Shadow side which exhibited violence or one’s more primitive desires and impulses. The Jungian therapist goal was to help the client understand the interpretation of the dream through both objective interpretation and subjective interpretation of the dream. Objectively, the therapist identifies the characters or events as themselves, while subjectively delves into how parts of the dream represent parts of the client, or how symbols of the unconscious relate to the conscious mind (Tan, 2022). Jungian psychology has a multitude of various archetypes that Jung believed transcended all of human cultures and found itself within the collective subconscious of most human beings.
In the fields of grief and trauma, dreams are considered to be ways the mind looks to heal as well as understand unresolved trauma and pain. Nightmares can be a source of trauma that is unresolved or grief issues not faced.
Christian and Biblical Dream Analysis
It not the purpose of the Christian to denounce the science of dreaming, nor counter the many logical theories on the acts of the subconscious mind, but these truths need to be held within the constructs of the Christian world view itself. While many subconscious elements of the psyche emerge during dreaming through grief, unresolved trauma, and various nightmares, Christians believe that not all dream source material originates from the self.
Biblical dreams can be of prophecy, warning, or guidance.
Biblical sources are very clear that dreams are not merely the subconscious reflecting on itself but also the subconscious and soul communicating with the supernatural. Since the brain and mind is not only material but also metaphysical, it connects with the soul and the soul as a spiritual being is open to communication beyond the mere physical. One merely needs to review the many stories in Scripture where God, or angels spoke to individuals about important events. The dreams of Joseph in the Old Testament, as well as his ability to interpret dreams to the Pharaoh illustrate the ways God communicated and spoke through dreams In addition, one can see the importance of divine communication in the dreams of St Joseph to flee Egypt, as well as the dreams to the Magi to avoid King Herod on their journey home (Mat: 1: 18-2:23). These examples serve but a small example of dreams and their use in Scripture. Dreams can hence serve as symbolic visions in the subconscious state, warnings, prophecy, as well as guidance and protection in Scripture.
Some may ask why does God sometimes choose dreams over conscious interaction? We can see both examples in Scripture, where God sometimes, like in the case of Saul, consciously and physically blinds him, while in other cases, God chooses more subtle forms of persuasion. Dreams are far more less abrupt on the delicate nature of the soul, they tend to whisper instead of scream, and are more gentle on free will. Most cases, the person’s spirituality level and ability to commune with God is only at the subconscious when the spiritual is most awake and alert to the voice of God. The conscious mind and its Beta waves is more alert to the senses and empirical locus while awake and is more distracted by the temporal reality, while the subconscious mind allows the soul to focus more on the metaphysical that surrounds it.
Spiritual Warfare
If the subconscious mind is more open to the Divine and angelic, it is also more susceptible to all metaphysical actors, even the bad and evil ones. While it is critically important to protect our soul and its ability to open itself while conscious to untapped sources, the mind and soul become more alert to all voices. Of course, through the protection of the Holy Spirit, a Christian can sleep well knowing God and the angels watch over, but it is at night that our soul is still open to other noises of the devil. This is why is it so important to digest good content and virtuous material before sleep, instead of immoral activity and imagery. Nightly prayer for protection should be a key part of our spirituality.
Sometimes, spiritual warfare can still occur at night. Satan can influence the mind while the soul sleeps to put into our mind images of hate, lust, anger and immorality. It can sometimes be difficult to discern if this is merely our own nature, or an outside influence, but usually dreams that are recalled and truly felt as evil, are good signs of the presence of the demonic. Where the devil cannot reach physically, he sometimes can whisper from a distance in one’s dreams. Many saints experienced not only spiritual warfare in the dream state, but also physically, but for many Christians, dreams can play an arena for spiritual warfare. The devil may seek to lash out, or tempt through sexual and sensual imagery. A Christian should take consolation that these acts are cowardly and desperate attacks by Satan and to give them to God. When the conscious mind rejects sin, Satan will sometimes attempt to enter through the subconscious, but God grants us these trials and gives one the grace to see the tactics of the enemy and to grow even stronger and more committed to adherence to His laws.
It is important when such dreams occur, upon awakening, to call upon the Holy Spirit, to chase the demon away and to bind it to the foot of the cross through Christ’s precious blood. Spiritual Directors and Christian Counselors can better help individuals interpret if these dreams were of a subconscious level or demonic level. In addition, Spiritual Directors and Christian Counselors can help guide individuals understand dreams that are from God, much the same way, Joseph and Daniel interpreted dreams in the Old Testament. This is truly a charism of the Holy Spirit to have the wisdom and understanding and counsel to help discern dreams.
One’s dreams must if from God must be separated from natural noise or deception hence it must pass various tests. Does the dream conform with Scripture and the teachings of Christ? Does the dream exalt self or God? Does the dream push us to better union with God or away from God? Has the dream been discussed with other spiritual advisors on its meaning? While there are many interpretive language in dreams, one must ultimately submit one’s will to God’s will. If the dream matches God’s will as well as leaves a lasting and good imprint, it is more than likely something influenced by an outward source of goodness. It is by somethings fruits that will help anyone in any type of discernment. Something from self is less impactful, while something demonic grants no peace or good fruits or truth.
Conclusion
It is important to discern properly dreams that originate from the supernatural. Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification
It is important to understand the basic physiology of dreaming and sleep before attempting to diagnose dreams. It is even critical to evaluate if dreams do instead stem only from the subconscious as dictated by Freud and Jung. However, as Christians, at one point we understand as spiritual beings, sometimes dreams do not just stem from ourselves but are ways of communication at a metaphysical level. Understanding if these dreams are warnings, prophecies, or guidance is essential when God speaks to us through our dreams. It is equally important to understand that we sometimes will also face the evil one in our dreams. It is important to be able to not only interpret dreams but discern them as good or evil. Christian Counselors, pastors, or Spiritual Directors who have been blessed with the charism of the Holy Spirit to interpret and discern dreams can help individuals understand what God is saying and to better heed the call of a message found in a dream.
Natural responses to survive are not pathological but healthy. However, human beings whose natural survival mechanisms become survival strategies that leave the person in a constant state of hyper or hypo arousal. This video takes a closer look at the neurobiology behind the brain during and after trauma responses.
Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.
Carl Jung is one of the pioneers of modern psychology, along side Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler. In fact, Jung for the longest period was part of Freud’s Psychoanalytic society, but like Adler, Jung also soon became at odds with all of Freud’s concepts. Despite this, Jung nevertheless maintained a strong affinity for the study of the conscious and unconscious mind and how they can be better aligned for optimal health. In this blog, we look briefly at some key concepts of Jungian psychology and what aspect of these theories hold strong modern day weight and significance for counselors.
Please also review AIHCP’s numerous behavioral and healthcare certifications, including programs in Grief Counseling, Christian Counseling and as well as Trauma Informed Care and Crisis Intervention.
Jungian Psychology
Jungian psychology looks at the conscious mind, subconscious mind and collective subconscious as the three tiers of one’s psyche
Carl Young’s psychology was based upon the conscious mind, subconscious mind and collective unconscious. Jung looked to help individuals find find individualization by awakening the subconscious mind but also integrated both the subconscious and conscious for a more healthy and whole person (Tan, 2022). Jung considered the conscious mind to be a person’s accessible aspect of one’s nature in which the psyche or personality of the person resided. Within the psyche, the ego exists as a unifier of memories and conscious thoughts of the entirety of the person. Within this development, the self emerges as the center of self realization. One’s personality is comprised of both the self and persona. The persona is the mask or behavior one exhibits in public, but the true self is what defines the person. Personas that overlap to far into self, can cause complexes and deeper issues in knowing oneself perfectly. Jung, also developed theories that have been more developed today with two of the most core basic personality traits of introvert or extrovert (Tan, 2022).
Beneath the layer of consciousness, the personal unconscious exists. This, according to Jung, is the aspect of one’s personality where thoughts, feelings, experiences, as well as perceptions are screened out of the conscious mind. These unconscious aspects of oneself need to be discovered and integrated with the conscious self. It is there that one can find repressed memories, forgotten experiences or various personal complexes. Finally, unique to Jung was the concept of the collective unconscious which consists of all universal human qualities that are shared and transpersonal to all human beings. People, according to Jung, are predisposed to certain feelings or archetypes in how one perceives oneself and experiences. Archetypes have form but not true content (Tan, 2022). Archetypes work in such a way to help the unconscious connect to the conscious and influence one’s behavior.
Jung spent many years studying diverse populations and cultures to try find universal archetypes and symbols of those archetypes in the human collective unconscious. Among the many included death, birth, power, the child, the hero, the sage, the earth mother, the snake, the demon and unity (Tan, 2022). Also included were the anima or animus sexual archetypes that exist within male and female. The anima representing the female qualities within a male, and the animus representing the male qualities within a woman (Tan). Also of importance was the persona or mask of the individual’s personality as well as the darker more primitive side of the shadow, which correlated with Freud’s ID.
Jung believed that through understanding one’s unconscious mind, both personal and collective, as well as identifying one’s archetypes, one could find self actualization and balance in life. However, since many of these concepts took time to unearth, he did not feel that anyone until their middle age could truly emerge as their true self.
Dream Analysis
Understanding archetypes and dream analysis is a major component of Jungian counseling. Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certifications
A key aspect of Jungian psychology and therapy involves dream analysis. The trained Jungian therapist is able to help individuals understand the subconscious and collective unconscious mind through dreams and better identify one’s true self. Jung did not necessarily see dreams as repressed thoughts as did Freud, but Jung saw dreams as reminders to important things or what one should be attentive towards. He believed dreams could display a person’s fear, wishes, impulses or solutions to problems (Tan, 2022). In analysis, the parts of the dream, if recalled, are divided and interpreted through various symbols in dreams. Jung, believed that therapy is a journey between therapist and client, not so much a distant observation. He believed that through thee interpretation of dreams, as well as other techniques, therapists could help clients transform, individualize and self actualize their true self.
Modern Significance
While only a small percentage of therapists identify as Jungian or for that matter train within the school of Jungian Psychology, there still exists therapists who employ his methods and train under this discipline. Like Freudian Psychology, there still are many benefits that can have been seen in case studies to show benefit, although many lack a more intensive case study with controlled and uncontrolled groupings. Many counselors may utilize some concepts from Jung and apply as needed to individual cases, while not completely and totally undertaking a Jungian theme in their practice.
According to Tan, Jung made meaningful contributions to the developments on the study of personality, the focus on midlife, and the potential of wisdom and knowledge latent within the unconscious mind. In addition, Jung emphasized in these dialogues of self with the unconscious to become aware of the shadow self, or the darker side of one’s nature, to not free it, but to acknowledge it and learn to control it. Finally, Jung contributed greatly to the concepts of dream analysis as well as transference and countertransference between counselor and client.
Tan also discussed possible weaknesses within Jungian psychology. He points out that the concept of the collective unconscious as theory remains impossible to verify empirically and also the lacks controlled case studies. In addition, many of the concepts are very gnostic in theory. Tapping into unknown levels of unconsciousness to discover knowledge resembles a gnostic ideal, as well as Jung’s belief in the spiritual realm, which instead of finding a spiritual relationship with a personal God, views this spiritual relationship as a archetype to help one to know thyself. Obviously, Jung’s spirituality was something that drew a wedge between Freud and himself. Jung’s spirituality is far from one that would resemble most Christian traditions but better resembles those who consider themselves more spiritual than religious. In addition, evil or the shadow side of human nature while identified as not good, remains in many ways more so like an equal power to the good that must be balanced. This also differs greatly from many monotheistic ideals on morality.
One can still state overall that Jungian psychology has numerous unique elements and many useful techniques and tools in understanding the human mind. For that reason, many of his concepts are still studied and adapted to modern therapies and can be used for a wide variety of issues ranging from anxiety to depression, to phobias and and issues of self esteem.
Grief and Trauma
Carl Jung remains a pioneer in the area of psychology and one would be very naive to discredit many of his contributions or even not apply when applicable some of his ideas, especially in the areas of human philosophy, personality, human development and self actualization and individualization to a more holistic and mental health.
From a grief perspective, human loss and pain involves adjustment and change. Jungian concepts of helping the conscious mind and subconscious mind find each other can help one find more meaning in loss and work out any pathological reactions to loss itself. Dream analysis can also aid the person in understanding the loss and the time it takes for the mind to process the loss. The same can be true for trauma. Trauma exists within the subconscious mind. Traumatic memories due to intense emotional imprinting and survival mechanisms can leave the subconscious mind in a survival default mode causing anxiety. Understanding the unconscious mind, finding balance and self actualization can all play key roles in helping one process trauma properly.
Conclusion
Jungian psychology looks to unlock the subconscious and help one reach self actualization by knowing oneself through integration of conscious and subconscious mind
Please also review AIHCP’s numerous Healthcare Certifications, as well as its Grief Counseling Program. Other programs include Christian Counseling, Trauma Informed Care, Anger Management, Crisis Intervention and also Stress Management. Many Jungian theories can help counselors in these areas.
Christians believe truth is truth and God is the author of all truth. God is the author of Scripture, but also the author of creation. All sciences and studies that investigate the nature of creation, from biology to physics, to mathematics to astronomy, or even medicine and psychology are products of God’s truth. Hence, when contradictions appear between faith and science, the contradiction is not the truth of God, but errors of men. The error either lies in poor interpretation of Scripture, or poor application of science. In this short blog we will define what integrated Christian Counseling entails as well as examine it’s critical importance in psychology and counseling.
Integrated Christian Counseling presents a Christo-centric morality but also utilizes modern psychological therapies to help people heal physically, mentally and also spiritually
Distrust of the Scientific Method within Christian Communities
Since the age of “reason” as well as the scientific revolution, the empiric method emerged. The empirical method of science is not the enemy to the faith, but when molded by agnostic or atheistic minds, it can be utilized to remove God or any theological and metaphysical ideals. This is simply because the empiric method is a tool to examine the natural world not the metaphysical one. It is based on observation through the senses, it is tested, verified and proposed as theory to later be seen as a law. It dismisses past superstitions, or over-emphasis on attributing natural occurrences as spiritual. As a tool though, it has a purpose but when its purpose is used to analyze all of human experience that is spiritual or metaphysical, then it no longer serves a purpose. This is the error of many atheistic or agnostic scientists. Their religion and altar becomes the empiric method and anything that does not fall under its shadow is dismissed as myth or fantasy.
Naturally then, many Christians may fear the chosen weapon or tool of the scientist, not so much because of the weapon itself but because of who wields it. By rejecting modern empiricism, the Christian isolates himself or herself from many truths of God’s creation. Whether a natural law was observed by an atheist or agnostic has no bearing on its reality and truth in the natural world and its conformity to the natural law. So when studying theology, or Sacred Scripture, one enters into a new science, one that is not based upon the scientific method, but one that is based on different levels of human experience, as well as the virtue of faith. This does not make Theology inferior, for it is the highest science because its end object is God.
Modernism attempted to bridge empiricism with faith, but the failure of this heresy lies in the fact that is placed theology as well as Sacred Scripture second to empirical verification. It retained spiritual experience to only vital immanentism, where faith and belief was constrained only to human subjective experience. Modernists refused to correlate miracles and acts of God with natural science. They mused that since God is the author of both natural science and theology, then theological stories that support supernatural events are impossible since they go against the empirical method. Because of this, modernists rejected many stories of the Bible as myths, as well as even doubting the Resurrection of Christ. Since supernatural events cross into the threshold of the natural law and its world, they reduced faith to only subjective experiences that could not contradict the laws of nature. So while still remaining theists, they limited God’s power in the natural world and attempted to re-interpret Scripture to meet the demands of the empirical method. As stated earlier, sometimes improper interpretation of Scripture and its miracles can lead to a conflict with the natural world and its laws, but the Modernist heresy not only re-interpreted the Bible, but outwardly placed it under the foot of empiricism. By reducing anything of supernatural power to mere mythical language, it violated Scriptures integrity and denounced God’s power over nature.
I do not suggest such an extreme and heretical approach to implementing true science with faith, but instead presents a more complimentary approach that respects dogma, morality and teachings of Scripture with the natural and health sciences of the world. This protects both Scripture from heretical rebranding, but also accepts the many truths discovered by science through the empirical method. They both can stand side by side because God is the source of both.
So, while many fundamentalist Christians suffer from a complete distrust of science in the fields of natural history, geology, evolution, and other sciences, it is important to not simply disregard these findings based upon the name of the person who presented it. In fact, disregarding is not only dangerous to truth, but it can also limit those within the faith in their own exploration of Scripture, as well as misuse of it. For instance, while integrated Christian Counseling endorses both science and the Bible, it does not look to find all answers about physical and mental health, or the natural world in the Bible. The Bible is collection of sacred books, inspired by God and written through men, to lead one to spiritual salvation. It was never intended to become medical manual or science text book. The Bible teaches foundational aspects about humanity’s broken condition due to sin which is a crucial starting point, as well as laying foundations on morality and good living, which serve as important launching points in counseling and psychology.
Types of Approaches
Just as modern psychology has many schools of thought, Christian Counseling also has various schools of how Scripture is utilized in counseling
Contrary to popular belief, psychology did not start with Sigmund Freud. While Freud and even Alfred Adler raised the level of psychology to a deeper empirical science, there idea of helping people through mental and behavioral issues was done well before them within the Christian tradition. From the Patristic Fathers and throughout the history of the Church, spiritual direction and moral guidance has been a hall mark of helping individuals find balance and peace. Christian Counseling thus has existed for centuries before the new findings about the brain and psychology of the human person. These new findings are helpful and can only add to the richness of a theologically based Christian Counseling.
In psychology there are various approaches, schools of thought and therapies. One needs to merely look at the differences between psychoanalytic theories to more modern human centered theories or even behavioral and cognitive therapies. No true school holds a monopoly on what is the best type of counseling. There are important truths found in all schools of thought that help in certain cases, despite the fact that certain counselors and psychologists may adhere to one primary school. So to truly find one counselor in this day age who adheres to one school of counseling and psychology is more rare. The same can be said with Christian Counselors.
All Christian counselors believe that God and biblical sources are the foundational piece. They believe a Christo-centric world view to manage counseling. The basic premise is humanity is broken through sin and as a result of sin, all evil and suffering exists. The extent to which everything clinically is a product of sin differs. While sin is the source, there are still detailed explanations about why we suffer. If one goes to a physician, whether religious or not, the physician consults medical practices consistent with evidence based support and testing. Obviously, the ultimate first cause of sickness is sin but that diagnosis is redundant in healing. Sin is the cause of it all but helping one heal is based on the proper medicine for the acute condition. The same is true for Christian Counseling that is integrated. It acknowledges sin as the root and also encourages Christ like remedies in the moral life to produce true change, but it does not ignore the pathologies or issues that exist within the brain, or the numerous case studies that show productive therapeutic results.
With that said, some schools of thought within Christian Counseling are far more biblical and suspicious of modern psychology, while other schools are far more welcoming. Biblical Counseling in its truest sense is one of the far right extremes. I would consider it more extreme because it finds all answers in Scripture. It is more suspicious of the empirical sciences and looks to find most of life’s solutions in Scripture. Strictly Biblical Counselors will resort to more faith based answers than modern psychological therapies. This is not to say Scripture does not provide a broad frame work of moral information to cultivate healthy change in life, but in extreme cases, it can look to replace even proven modern methods. Obviously someone facing depression, or PTSD or extreme trauma will benefit from Scripture. One can even find helpful concepts and soothing ideals of love. However, Scripture does not provide guidelines for treating depression or PTSD which are issues associated with the brain’s chemistry. While Scripture supplies a strong foundation, it is not meant to be utilized as if the DSM-5 to treat pathology.
From the opposing side, Christian Counseling falls also into some who apply the Levels of Explanation approach. This approach accepts the human condition based on Scripture, but is more interested in approaching mental health through the secular psychological schools of approach. For a Christian, it may not be enough biblical based or emphasized.
Within the middle ground exists Christian Psychology which embraces the entirety of Christian thought on people helping and implementing also modern psychology, as well as Transformational Christian Counseling that uses Scripture to help transform a person spiritually from their issues. The integrated Christian approach best captures Scripture, the Christian tradition and modern psychology.
What one tends to see are more clinical counselors in levels of explanation, as well as more devout clinical professionals in the integrated approaches, with more pastors strictly within the biblical approach.
Like secular psychology, no one school holds a monopoly on what is best or better, but it depends on the person’s needs and faith base. AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Program is more so based within the integrative school. This is especially so because AIHCP certified healthcare and mental health care professionals with academic background. Nevertheless, many pastors still see the value of AIHCP’s program since it believes in a strong biblical presence. Biblical exegesis and Biblical advice protects the person from the advice of the world which in secular society can break from the morality of God’s law. Christian Counseling adheres to Christo-centric ideals of behavior and necessary changes. Underuse as well as overuse of Scripture in counseling can produce negative things. If overused, good and proven therapeutic strategies can be overlooked with suspicion, while if under used, the strong moral tradition of Christianity can be ignored. The importance of mental care but infused with spiritual care to produce true transformation via the Holy Spirit is essential in change. One cannot simply rely on physical and mental remedies but also spiritual wellness and healing. Christian Counseling that is properly integrated can achieve both.
Of course, not all Christian Counselors are clinical and because of this can be limited within their scope of practice, but those with clinical licensures can employ these ideals to their clients who wish for a Christian perspective and also require therapies beyond the scope of a minister or pastor. And also important to remember, whether clinical or only pastoral as counselors, all schools of thought, whether secular, religious, or both, must adhere to the ethical and legal standards of the profession.
Conclusion
Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals
When counseling acknowledges the Christian tradition, as well as the broken human nature and sin, then it has a true foundation to find true healing for the person at every level of existence. Integrated Christian Counselors, utilize Scripture, Christian tradition and modern psychology to present the most holistic and best healing practices to mind, body and soul. It presents a perfect balance to the client. It understands that God is the author of both Scripture and psychology and that they can compliment each other in the full healing of a person. Incorporating various techniques and principles from all schools of psychology, as well as Christian counseling approaches can be useful in giving the best client care. Whether pastoral or clinical, all Christian Counselors are called to apply good Biblical morality and best tested therapies to their client while adhering to counseling laws and ethics.
Predators and perpetrators groom children in advance and usually know the child as compared to the more rare brazen kidnapping scenarios. This video takes a closer look at grooming. Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certification Program as well as AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program
