Healing the Butterfly
Reflections on the Relationship between Psychotherapy/Counselling and Christian Spiritual Direction
Keywords:
Spiritual direction, counselling and psychotherapy, voluntary involmvement, generous fashionAbstract
Spiritual direction, counselling and psychotherapy are all concerned in creating a helping relationship which has at its heart the facilitation of growth and transformation of the client/directee/pilgrim. It is a workout led by the client, while the therapist/counsellor/director interprets or comments upon material that the client brings to the relationship. It is a voluntary involmvement with a sense of trust between the two, creating a ‘safe space’ in which material is explored in a gentle and generous fashion. Christian spiritual direction presupposes a whole hinterland of faith development, prayer and the ecclesia that is not necessary for psychotherapy. Just as Christians need to be cautious in adopting too easily the tropes and forms of psychology, so psychologists too must be cautious about how they tread on the sacred ground of the spiritual.
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