Shalom, Multiculturalism and Christianity

Keenan Cleary is a graduate student here at TCC in the Counseling Psychology MA program.

The reason we engage in multicultural counseling is a direct attempt to restore shalom. While shalom will never truly be reached, it is something that we should continuously strive for in order to better humanity. Sin has lead to racism and bigotry, which not only separates us from shalom, but keeps us from a true sense of community. Shalom, or the attempt to reach a true sense of shalom, impacts counseling in multiple ways. Shalom guides how we should approach counseling, and acts as an example as to what should be achieved through counseling. There are obstacles to shalom in counseling though, including classism, racism, and an ignorance of culture and cultural context. 

Multicultural counseling helps us reach Shalom in three key ways. First, multicultural counseling helps us understand the views and motivations of others. When counselors are able to work with people from a variety of backgrounds, people are able to grow in their understanding of one another, as well as grow within their knowledge in other cultural groups, separate from their own. Second, multicultural views help us understand ourselves in new ways. When encountering other cultures, we are encouraged to analyze the way we do things, and the way we interact with people, which helps us grow and develop. The final way is through uniting these different cultures in their new understanding. Once people are able to understand others differently, and themselves differently, multicultural bonds can begin to form, and restore us to this sense of Shalom. This is necessary in the first place because of how far we have deviated from this idea of shalom in reference to multiculturalism. Because we have fallen so far from multicultural shalom, we must work to reclaim it, and a large part of that can be done through multicultural counseling (Plantinga, 1995).

One of the biggest threats to this multicultural shalom in the USA is the lingering effects of racism and bigotry, beginning with slavery, and going through the civil rights movement, and even into today. While racism and bigotry have evolved, both still exist, and all cultures suffer from the residual effects. In his film The Psychological Residuals of Slavery, Dr. Hardy discusses the true repercussions of slavery, and how they still, to this day, effect African Americans, and their relationships with Whites. Feelings of hostility, as well as deep feelings of shame are usually associated with the residuals of slavery. These residuals have also kept African Americans separate from many major parts of culture like television, movies, and even toys. This has lead to a great psychological trauma, as many African Americans have reported feeling like second class citizens. This is where sin has fragmented the true idea of shalom. When Whites are thought of more highly than African Americans, our true sense of Shalom has been forgotten, and the issues of sin become evident as a result (Hardy, 2008).

This not only shows an oppression of African Americans, but a lack of cultural knowledge by those who are white. Many white people do not understand the extent to which separations between white culture and black culture are made, and this is in part due to the lack of clarity around white racial identity development. When white people ignore the culture that they are taking a part of, they enable the disregard of another. Plantinga says, “To shut one’s eyes to an injustice, to look the other way, to pretend ignorance of evil - to do these things is to connive. We generally think of connivance as a case of active conspiracy, but it needn’t be and often isn’t.” While many white people do not have an understanding of their own culture, it is often by their own choice that they do not seek out an understanding (Plantinga, 1995, p. 182). This lack of understanding leads to a misunderstanding of other’s cultures, and how those cultures relate to one another. Plantinga is demonstrating that it is this kind of blind ignorance that is leading to a disruption in Shalom. While people may not be maliciously pursing racism or bigotry, the lack of knowledge of racial and cultural differences, and how those differences effect other races, leads to the subjugation of those different races (Plantinga, 1995).

Multicultural counseling tries to combat this in a very direct way. The recognition of other cultures, and the differences that come along with those cultures is imperative to the psychological empowerment of clients. It is also important for counselors, in the sense that it may bring counselors to a better understanding of their client’s issues. Once a client is able to realize what their role within their own culture is, they can better assess who they are as a person, and realize what cultural withholdings may be preventing them from a psychological shalom. Especially when working with clients from different cultures, issues associated with racial and cultural identity can be directly linked. While workplace anxiety may be a reality for most working individuals, the additional stress of racial discrimination could cause many different issues, especially in regard to diagnosing and treatment options for a client. If these issues are not addressed correctly by the counselor, a client’s wellbeing may be at risk. It is important for a counselor to understand these cultural intricacies in order to develop proper rapport with their client, and to better understand the needs that go along with a client from another culture. This understanding brings us closer to a place of shalom because we can better assess the needs of our client, and help them through the healing process in a way that takes these events into account (Ponterotto, 2010).

Justice plays a key role in this.. As Christian counselors, we have a duty to each other and to God to see that shalom be restored, and the effects of sin be minimized. If counselors are able to understand those who come from a cultural background that is different from their own, the Christian ideal of community can be better achieved. A multicultural understanding will prevent the demeaning of other races and cultures, as well as help create strong communities that embrace their diversity. This idea of justice is imperative to the pairing of multicultural counseling and the idea of shalom. Justice is the motivator that brings change that is necessary in order for shalom to occur. When justice is the mindset of the community, change will become something that is part of the culture. This change is what is necessary especially when racial conditions have become as askew as they currently are.

Sin applies to every aspect of multicultural counseling. Sin is something that we must consistently contend with as mental heath professionals, and from a Christian perspective, it must also be something that is addressed in counseling. Sin prevents this idea of shalom from manifesting in every aspect of life, and inversely, sin tarnishes every aspect of our life and separates us from shalom. When we disregard the importance of a multicultural perspective to counseling, we are in a way polluting that therapy, and further separating ourselves and our clients from the possibility of shalom (Plantinga, 1995).

Kirksey (2009) also pointed to the idea of a multicultural acceptance being much deeper than a general acceptance of different races. She shared a story of a group of students from multiple racial backgrounds coming together. The point that Dr. Kirksey was making was that, multicultural understanding seems to almost see past these racial dividers and through to a very human level of understanding. While race, and the understanding of race still remain important, true multicultural understanding seeks the individual person, instead of the surface level racial understanding. It is this deeper level of understanding that will lead us to a better version of community, as well as a greater understanding of God’s love. God called us to love others, but more importantly, to love others as he loved others. In order to have this kind of love, it is important for us to look past (but not ignore) those differences between one another that may separate us, to recognize that there is a person that God has love for, and that we should also share that love for.

The problem that we face within seeking shalom is that we can never truly escape from sin. As we are born sinful people, sin will always be something we must contend with in order to attempt to reach shalom (Plantinga, 1995). Even when presented with difficult situations, there is something great about fighting for the progression of shalom. It allows us to truly see the grace and love of God, as well as be able to experience the tools that have been laid before us to better ourselves and others. This is something that God has laid before us for a reason, and it is our duty and obligation as both Christians and counselors to attempt to restore shalom to the clients that we treat (Plantinga, 1995).

Hardy, K. V. (Producer and Director). (2008). Psychological residuals of slavery [Motion Picture]. (Available from Alexander Street Press).

Kirksey, K. (Director). (2009). Christianity and Multiculturalism: Understanding an Important Dimension of Diversity [Motion picture]. US: Microtraining Associates.

 
Plantinga, C. (1995). Not the way it's supposed to be: A breviary of sin. Grand Rapids, MI:Eerdmans.

Ponterotto, J. G. (2010). Handbook of multicultural counseling. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Multicultural Counseling and Shalom

 

Donna Brown is a graduate student in counseling psychology here at TCC.

Shalom is what God wished for us, His people; and, on our best days that is what we wish for ourselves. But by our very sinful nature life is not what it is supposed to be. Comparisons of this group to that group, this flaw to that flaw, this success to that success leave us as multicultural counselors open to a variety of cases that will test our ability and our will to promote shalom. “Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be” (Plantinga, 1995, p.10). Multicultural counseling is about seeing outside of your own worldview and through someone else’s to help them create shalom in their life. At the same time the client’s worldview and sin may disrupt the shalom in your own life as the counselor. Both shalom and sin create varied dynamics in the multicultural counseling setting.

Plantinga (1995) writes about spiritual hygiene and corruption and how corruption attacks the spiritually hygienic person. “A spiritually hygienic person is one who combines strengths and flexibilities, disciplines and freedoms, all working together from a renewable source of vitality” (p. 34). It is important that counselors, especially Christian counselors, strive to be this type of person. This person follows God’s purpose for their life. To help move things back in the direction in which it is supposed to be: shalom. One has to be called by God to do so by God. It is in poor taste for a counselor to be unhygienic spiritually because they would further disrupt shalom. A counselor promoting shalom in a multicultural counseling relationship and setting must shun the stereotypes and prejudices that might disrupt and negatively infiltrate their rationale and emotion. When counselors fail to do this they fail their culturally different clients because they have been corrupted. It takes discipline for a white counselor who has just learned about the residual effects of slavery and what it actually means to be White in America to withhold racially prejudiced comments that have been imbedded in them since birth. Spiritual hygiene does not come overnight but with time and discipline it is absolutely needed in the multicultural counseling setting for change to occur.

Those who promote multiculturalism and social justice are trying to create shalom in the world and they should be applauded for that. If Jesus Christ was walking the earth today it seems certain that He would be trying to break down systemic oppression and institutionalized racism.  It is a call for counselors to help create shalom not just in the personal lives of clients but to advocate for them outside of the therapy session. If that means speaking to a school counselor to coordinate service plans for a child in family therapy, or going down to Springfield to lobby for an increased budget for government-owned mental health care facilities, or implementing the social justice organizational development theory at the college level at the local college then it should be done to help create shalom. However, sin is never too far away. “God hates sin not just because it violates his law, but more substantively because it violates shalom, because it breaks the peace, because it interferes with way things are supposed to be” (Plantinga, 1995, p. 14). Even in the midst of these great things sin disrupts it. For example, it is easy for a counselor’s head to get inflated. Any great man or woman who has been a major contributor to change is at risk for being puffed up on one’s own accomplishments. With everyone lavishing attention on them for being so charismatic, taking a stand, and fighting for what is right it is important to know that they have a personal life. That personal life outside of fighting for multiculturalism, fighting for shalom can be filled with sin. Some, not all, cheat on their spouses, go without seeing their kids, accept bribes, and are highly narcissistic. When anyone tries to create the life that is supposed to be, shalom, the devil is always lurking around to tempt people with sin. It is by our own lusts that we are tempted. Counselors fighting for multiculturalism want shalom but sin is always lurking around so it is important to watch your motives and to discipline yourself to stay spiritually hygienic that way shalom is not being created in one area while simultaneously sin taking over in another.

References:

Plantinga, Jr, C. (1995) Not the way it’s supposed to be: A breviary of sin. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

 

 

Multicultural Counseling and Sin in a Reformed Perspective

Belinda Adame is a graduate student in the MA program in Counseling Psychology here at TCC.

“Evenu shalom alejem, evenu shalom alejem, evenu shalom alejem, evenu shalom, shalom, shalom alejem.” This is a traditional song that is sung at my church in order to greet the congregation. Translated this song reads: God’s peace be with you, God’s peace be with you, God’s peace be with you, peace, peace, peace be with you. This song most commonly reflects the definition that individuals often associate with shalom; peace. However, shalom, as Plantinga (1995) describes, has a deeper significance. According to him, shalom is “the way things ought to be” and “a spread of appropriate thoughts, desires, emotions, words, deeds, and dispositions” (p. 10). This includes relationships between two or more people as well as races within different nations. However, the problem arises when individuals begin to realize that the way things ought to be are not the way things are currently. If everyone imagined his or her perfect world, every individual would paint a different picture. However, some common themes may include happy, unified families, spiritual prosperity, and contentment. When it comes to the topic of shalom and sin, it could be stated that sin is the absence of shalom.

Sin is Generational

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5: 12, NIV).  In order for one to label sin as sin, one should feel a certain degree of culpability. However, this culpability is also presented in the form of a more structural element, one that is acquired through social learning;  generational sin. The first instance recorded in the Bible of someone sinning against God’s orders was when Eve ate from the forbidden fruit and shared it with Adam. This act symbolizes that just as it was that simple for Eve to share the forbidden fruit, sin is just as easily shared. When it comes to discussing race, there are many opinions. Racism is a generational sin that has been progressive, even before the birth of Jesus.

When slavery is mentioned one might automatically assume that one is talking about African Americans who were until recently subjected to this traumatic experience. However, in the book of Exodus, the bible narrates the story of the obstacles Moses had to overcome in order to release his people from slavery. Sins such as slavery, segregation, and superiority have not developed over the night, rather they have been generational. “Recognizing that youngsters not only idolize but also imitate their heroes… imitation is one of the main ways children sow what they have reaped” (Plantinga, 1995, p. 71). This quote is a perfect example of what happen with the fall of humanity. Eve ate from the forbidden fruit, shared the fruit with Adam, as a result both were released from the garden, where they procreated, and had two children. Most people who have read the story know that Cain, Adam and Eve’s son killed his own brother Abel. While murder is a sin, the sin was caused as a result of what Adam and Eve sowed. Cain and Abel were conceived in sin; therefore, this was part of their humanity. Similarly, one could explore how White privilege could also be generational sin.

According to Sue (2004), White privilege means to, “inherit and benefit from” and to “knowingly or unknowingly have a stake in the perpetuation of White Racism.” Simply because one is White, he or she has been born with the freedom to do more than individuals of other races. White privilege does not mean that White people do not also struggle to get where they are in life, it simply means that in some instances, opportunities have been more readily available to them.

Sin is Perverse, Polluting, and Disintegrating

Sin is repulsive because it separates us from what ought to be. Sin holds us back in terms of spiritual and personal growth; however, sin has more than just negative effects on the individual. Just as sin is generational and has the ability to grow, sin also leaks and spreads onto other individuals much like the flu or the common cold. In chapter three, Plantinga (1995) describes sin as a father molesting his daughter. While most of us are quick to reject the idea that we could possibly be compared to a child molester, sin is sin. Whether that father was lying to his daughter or molesting her, the fact is that because that father decided to pervert his relationship with his daughter, other relationships such as other members of the family, are also polluted. Plantinga claims that pollution is a way in which relationships are weakened due to the integration of an unknown element (p. 44). Furthermore, disintegration involves, “The breakdown of personal and social integrity the loss of shape, strength, and purpose that make some entity an “entirety” …Disintegration is always deterioration, the prelude and postlude to death” (p. 47).  Many times individuals do not examine how our sinful actions will cause harm to others because we tend to be most interested in what is more accommodating to us.

Sin is Self-centered

We live in a society that values independence. Being dependent on others and acknowledging that not everything could be done on our own is difficult to admit. While self-sufficiency is a trait that most of us value, this can lead to feelings  of pride, which is a sin that also disturbs shalom. Plantinga (1995) is very direct when he states, “God wants to fill us with his Holy Spirit, but when we are proud we are already full of ourselves. There’s no room for God” (p. 82). This statement is difficult to accept because even if one is prideful, one is unaware of this characteristic. Having some pride is not always harmful; however, it is when this pride directs us to engage in discrimination that it is not acceptable. Much like the Holy Spirit wants to work within us to restore our lives and simply to be a part of us, God also desires us to depend on one another. However, an issue arises due to the development of various assumptions that separate us rather than unite us. For instance, it may be difficult for some Caucasians to accept the reality of slavery. And although “moving forward” for some African-Americans would be ideal, this experience is not a simple task (Hardy, 2008). For some African-Americans it may seem that Whites are being prideful in not acknowledging their experiences, and this thought or action is causing disintegration between one another.

On one hand being prideful is a sin, but being envious and holding resentment is also a cause of sin. Resentment is, “anger aimed at what the angry person regards as unjust, insulting, demeaning, especially to her personally” (Plantinga, 1995, p. 166). Resentment may stem from one’s racial experiences or inability to be accepted or understood at a multicultural level. If one does not allow the Holy Spirit to work with the anger and resentment that is being stored, this is also a development of sin. Avoiding the Holy Spirit within us would be to push God aside and claim that we are self-sufficient individuals, however, God’s intended plan for our lives was and is to depend on Him, our creator.

Sin is Deceiving                                          

Sin is beautiful. After claiming this most individuals would be fast to argue this statement, however, if sin were not desirable, it would not be difficult to voluntarily stop engaging in sin. Ordinarily, things would probably being going the way they ought to. What attracts us about sin is, “the goodness in it” (Plantinga, 1995, p. 94). Sin is disguised so that what is wrong seems right to do. However, how could this be translated into our society in regards to multicultural counseling? For some individuals, the way they conceptualize race is normal. Again, this may be due to the way a person was raised by his or her parents or by the lack of racial consciousness. However, this does not excuse the behavior that it perpetrates. Because racism could be as subtle as not feeling any responsibility for feelings expressed by African-Americans in regards to slavery, it is often difficult to accept that one is “racist” and therefore, much easier to deny it. According to the AMCD Multicultural Counseling Competencies, counselors are expected to have certain skills, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs in regards to their own understandings of cultural values as well as a worldview perspective (Arredondo, 1996). However, in order to do so one has to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and let go of pride, regardless if one believes he or she is subjected to it.

 
References:

Arredondo, P., Toporek, M.S., Brown, S., Jones, J., Locke, D.C., Sanchez, J. and Stadler, H. (1996). Operationalization of the multicultural counseling competencies. AMCD: Alexandria, VA.

Hardy, K. V. (Producer and Director). (2008). Psychological residuals of slavery [Motion Picture].(Available from Alexander Street Press).

Plantinga, Cornelius. (1995). Not the way it’s supposed to be a breviary of sin. Grand Rapids, MI:              William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Sue, D. W. (Producer and Director).  (2004). What does it mean to be white? The invisible whiteness of being [Motion Picture]. (Available from Alexander Street Press).  

 

The integration of Christianity and Psychology

Molly Johnson is a recent graduate of TCC who would like to work with children, in particular through the Department of Children and Family Services or an adoption service. 

I believe that the best way to look at Christianity and psychology is through an integrated lens. My overall synopsis would be that Christianity and psychology should be integrated and work together in order to heal patients as well as guide them in the right direction to living a happy and healthy life through the glory of God. I feel as though Christianity and psychology cannot be separated into their own separate realms because they need to incorporate the insight of the other in order to function as a key component in understanding how life works. This type of integration can bring us one step closer to an even better understanding of God’s kingdom through the knowledge He has given us about it through His word and through the scientific knowledge we have been blessed with.

For a specific definition of psychology, I would say that psychology is the knowledge and understanding of our cognitive processes. It is these processes that we study and our attempt to explain them leads to even more linked discoveries. It is the study of human nature as well as the study of human cognitive processing. Psychology is aimed at not only our cognitive processes but our behavior as well. It requires careful observation and thought and is interconnected to other aspects and areas of scientific knowledge such as biology, physiology, chemistry, etc. Our description of the psychology that is unique to us as humans helps us differentiate between other living things.

Psychology serves the purpose of being able to understand why we do the things that we do and how certain things affect how we live and experience our lives.  It is also the means through which we help people work through their disorders, conditions and problems. We study psychology in general to be able to improve our well-being and to gain a better understanding of our capabilities as human beings. We should study the discipline of psychology in order to engage with the world in our surroundings and other people while doing it in a way that glorifies God. We strive to help others better understand themselves and show them the ways that explain how and why they are the children of God.

The relationship between Christianity and psychology should be that they have the potential to be separate but when they are brought together they bring us one step closer to knowing even more about ourselves and the world we live in. Psychology helps us to understand the individual while using Christianity as a means to answer the questions we cannot scientifically prove. In the same breath, a Christian psychologist should play a role that seeks to provide scientifically sound therapy or counseling while also addressing those ‘unknown’ bits of knowledge through a Christian perspective. They should be able to provide a place of welcoming peace and remind the patient that they are one of God’s people and that He always has their best interests in mind.

We would be able to recognize work in psychology as “Christian” by acknowledging that it is faith-based with the goal of providing evidence that shows that we are doing this work ultimately through and for God. All work in psychology should strive towards the common goal to better God’s kingdom and help His people be the best that they can be. Some, but not all evidence should be scripturally-based since the Bible is not a textbook and we should not use it as such. We can recognize work in psychology as being Christian by seeing that it is centered in God and that the person who is involved in that particular work has a strong faith background.

Anything in life can be looked at through a Christian perspective and it is important for us to not have all of life’s answers because that is where faith comes in. It brings mystery and enchantment into our lives and it will always provide us with God’s love no matter what we encounter. We must leave it up to faith in order to answer the questions that cannot be proven by science. The questions we have simply cannot all be answered but at least we may have some peace of mind that everything in life happens for a reason. Psychology brings us closer to knowing more about the world, ourselves and God, but only just so much that we don’t obtain all of the world’s answers. Those answers we cannot have are God’s and God’s alone. We must put our faith and trust in Him because in the end, all that matters is that we are blanketed in His unconditional love.

Religion and postpartum depression

Kaleigh Velasquez is an undergraduate student here at Trinity Christian College. 

The article that I reviewed deals with postpartum depression and how religion may play a role in overcoming this disorder (Zittel-Palamara, Cercone & Rockmaker, 2009). Postpartum depression is a form of depression that happens after a woman gives birth. The symptoms are similar to major depression and are characterized by anxiety, having a short temper, feeling hopeless or guilty, a decrease in appetite, inability to focus, decreased interest in the baby, and having trouble sleeping.

Postpartum depression is more likely in disadvantaged communities than in advantaged communities and also higher within African American and Latino communities rather than Caucasians. This type of depression affects between 15% to 25% of woman annually, but there are also reports of 34% to 55% of woman suffering (Zittel-Palamara, Cercone & Rockmaker, 2009).

When it comes to treatments, the most common is medication and specifically antidepressants. Even though antidepressants may work for a certain client, many clients claim they take them without knowing their other treatment options. Other medical treatments include alternative medicines and hormone treatments. A medical perspective also uses hospitalization, as well as day and visitation programs. Another form of treatment is psychological based interventions. These include individual and group counseling.

There are different types of treatment that combat postpartum depression, some of them with the use of religion and spirituality. It is said that nearly 60% of the women struggling found strength in religion. There are different ways in which a professionals may introduce spirituality into a treatment. One way is having the professional bring spirituality into the session directly. Another way is having the client bring spirituality into the session willingly (Zittel-Palamara, Cercone & Rockmaker, 2009).

In one study almost two-thirds of the participants disclosed that they found strength from their religion. Of the women in the study, the vast majority reported having limited ability to access postpartum depression care. Over 50% of the women in the study that wanted spiritual guidance reported that it was not hard for them to find postpartum depression care. This study found that a lack of desire to seek spiritual assistance could actually be linked to these women’s longer exposure to mental health issues in their lives before their pregnancy (Zittel-Palamara, Cercone & Rockmaker, 2009) .

Women who believe that they find strength in their religion would be well served to seek treatment for postpartum depression that includes spirituality. When a person is under great stress and feelings of desperation, it is wise to turn to religion and spirituality because it appears to be a positive strategy to cope with these issues. Numerous studies done with people of color and individuals suffering from mental health issues have shown that people who turn to spirituality reported decrease in symptoms, a better outlook, and increased positivity (Zittel-Palamara, Cercone & Rockmaker, 2009).

My understanding of depression leads me to think that even with all the treatment options out there it is hard to find one that relieves the depression. Based on this article, I have learned that religion is a big part in the treatment process for some women. I feel like being prescribed antidepressants could have variable results and finding the strength through religion could be a stable base for some of these women struggling. Many people may need to be prescribed medications but can also focus on religion as part of their treatment plan.

This article leaves me wanting to do more research on the medical based treatments to see how effective/non-effective they are in comparison.  Also, a critique would be for them to do more follow-up studies so they know their results can be repeated.

References:

Zittel-Palamara, K., Cercone, S.A. & Rockmaker, J.R. (2009). Spiritual support for women with postpartum depression. Journal of psychology and Christianity, 28(3), 213-223.   

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Self-of-the Therapist in the Living Moment: Dr. Aponte

Jeannette Kiser is a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program here at Trinity Christian College.

In the Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling class offered at Trinity Christian College my then professor Dr. Mike Ideran, assigned the class a choice of a written final or a final presentation. My cohort member, Terry Jones, and I felt we would learn more through putting together a presentation on one of the concepts that we learned in class rather than regurgitating information on a test. During one of our subsequent class sessions, Dr. Ideran came in with an article entitled, “Training of the Person of the Therapist in the Academic Setting” (Aponte, et al, 2009).

The article offered many indications of how important family of origin issues are in the life themes of individuals. The article also introduced Terry and I to a rather fascinating individual, Dr. Harry Aponte. Dr. Aponte is a Structural Family Therapist who also teaches at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The article further introduced us to his work on the concept of signature theme and the Person of the Therapist Training Model (POTT Model). The POTT model is a training program where one spends a year exploring, working, and resolving their signature themes. Signature themes are struggles or wounds that permeate through an individual’s being without them being aware of them.

In October of 2013 Terry contacted Dr. Aponte to ask if he would be willing to spend 15 to 20 minutes being interviewed by us so that we may further understand his concept of signature themes and the POTT Model. About a month later Dr. Aponte granted our interview. This gracious man provided us with one hour and fifteen minutes of his valuable time. This interview was an amazing experience. The understanding that Dr. Aponte has of working with clients and the therapeutic experience aligns quite well with my view of therapy. We discussed everything from cultural influences (he is Puerto Rican and Catholic “raised in the slums of New York”) to the use of the self-of-the therapist.

The use of the “self-of-the therapist” is realizing that the client gets us (the therapist) as we are. It is the therapist’s responsibility to be aware of what it is that they bring to the therapeutic process (or the living moment). Dr. Aponte suggested a question that therapists should often ask themselves, “What of me is affecting the therapeutic process?” That question is really what the POTT model and signature themes are all about. What about us, good, bad, ugly, indifferent is affecting our therapeutic presence in the living moment?

 

Dr. Aponte states, “I have to take something from my human experience that relates to the core of the other person’s humanity. Yes, I have to recognize our differences. But if I am going to do this work we have to discover our sameness. We all suffer, we all get lonely, depressed, discouraged. We all are longing for love and somehow or other I have to find that very essence of what it is to be human and vulnerable and fallible.”

 
We as therapists have to get in touch and feel “our common humanity” so that we can feel what our clients are feeling, cry when they cry, hurt when they hurt, smile when they smile, etc. In order to do this Dr. Aponte says that we have to open ourselves up to our own brokenness, our own woundedness.

As therapists we must know about ourselves in order to develop the skills and discipline that will allow us to tap into our experiences and figure out how those experiences will fit into our model of therapy. “How do we use ourselves to maximize our effectiveness in the therapeutic process?” When our clients come to us we are joining them in their journey, in that one particular life moment and we are offering to aide them in overcoming the hurdle they are presently facing.
 
Dr. Aponte offers his perspective on the human condition and the role of the therapist. “People are not broken or in need of being fixed. People are on a journey of their own and we are merely meeting them in a moment of their life history.” –Dr. Aponte

References:

Aponte, H.J, Powell, F.D., Brooks, S., Watson, M.F., Lizke, C., Lawless, J. & Johnson, E. (2009). Training the person of the therapist in an academic setting. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 35(4), 381-394.

Psychological impact of self-forgiveness

Authored by Rebecca Schichtel,  who is an undergraduate student here at Trinity Christian College.

 

When a cognitive process is disrupted, it can cause an abundance of problems. As sinful human beings, it is important for us to learn to forgive ourselves. We are imperfect and flawed. Without the ability to forgive ourselves, we can fall into an unhealthy pattern of negativity and self-depreciation. Two psychologists, J. H. Hall and F. D. Fincham studied some factors that could affect people’s likeliness to forgive themselves (as cited in McConnell & Dixon, 2012).. This article focuses on how perceived forgiveness from God affects self-forgiveness (McConnell & Dixon, 2012).

 

Before focusing on how perceived forgiveness affects self-forgiveness, this article began by briefly analyzing a few other factors. In comparing guilt and shame in this context, shame appeared to have a more negative effect on self-forgiveness than guilt. This could be because guilt seems to center around other people, whereas shame tends to center around the person feeling guilty. This focus on oneself could lead to self-disapproval and evasion, which could lead to a damaging cognitive pattern. Hall and Finchman (as cited in McConnell & Dixon, 2012) also compared empathy and conciliatory behavior. Empathy was found to be only slightly related to self-forgiveness. Surprisingly, when attributions were studied, they were found to be completely separate from self-forgiveness. Hall and Fincham had thought that inner attributions would have inhibited true self-forgiveness because the person would place a great amount of responsibility on him- or herself. Moreover, Hall and Finchman studied how the severity of transgressions affected people’s ability to forgive themselves. They found that altering the perception of the severity of transgressions did have an effect on self-forgiveness because the offenders may have seen more severe wrongdoings as too terrible to allow self-forgiveness (as cited in McConnell & Dixon, 2012). Finally, the authors dove into the idea of perceived forgiveness, particularly perceived forgiveness from God, as increasing people’s likelihood of forgiving themselves.

 

When people experience guilt and shame, they “can experience guilt and/or shame ‘internally’ in relation to their selves and ‘horizontally’ in relation to other persons, but also ‘vertically’ in relation to God” (McConnell & Dixon, 2012, p. 32). It has been shown through studies that people who feel guilt and shame will be more likely to forgive themselves if they receive forgiveness from other people, such as the person who had wrong done to them. Spinning off of that idea, Hall and Finchman tested “the hypothesis that self-forgiveness is a possible antecedent variable of perceived forgiveness from God in personal instances” (as cited in McConnell & Dixon, 2012, p. 33). They did this by presenting three questionnaires to “evenly distributed” (McConnell & Dixon, 2012, p. 33) groups of participants. The participants also received the questionnaires in varying order to eliminate order as a variable. One questionnaire asked about adjective ratings (ARG), one asked about God image inventory (GII), and the other was about self-forgiveness. In the end, they found that personal “perceived forgiveness from God is significantly correlated with self-forgiveness” (McConnell & Dixon, 2012p. 36).

 

If people are forgiven by those they hurt, by other people around them, and by God, would it not make sense that they would have an easier time forgiving themselves? If people hurt others around them, and those who were hurt will not forgive them, it would be more difficult to forgive themselves. The good news is that we do have a forgiving God, a God who will forgive all our sins no matter what we have done. Seeing God in this light can help people forgive themselves because if the Creator of the universe is willing to forgive them, why should they not forgive themselves? Unfortunately, many people do not see God this way, and many have a contradictory belief that even though we have a forgiving God, God would not be willing to forgive them personally.

 

Perhaps the knowledge that perceived forgiveness from God can help people forgive themselves, ultimately allowing them to live a more comfortable and more joyful life, can be used in therapy. People who cannot forgive themselves may have illogical thinking processes involving thoughts about how terrible they are, that there is nothing that they can do to change that, and because they are so dreadful, God would not possibly be able to forgive them. Perchance this type of faulty thought process could be stopped through cognitive therapy. If people could see the areas that do not match up, maybe they could come to see they are forgiven and then eventually be able to forgive themselves.

 

Thought stopping could also break the chain of actions that can come from this type of thinking. If people think they are terrible, they do not think they deserve to be forgiven. That could lead to them feeling there is no point in trying so they do more things that make them feel worse. Stopping those thoughts would also stop that chain of disagreeable actions (McConnell & Dixon, 2012).

 

This article helped me understand more about the cognitive side of therapy. It made me think about how people think and how those thoughts can be changed. It made me think about why certain processes of thought should be changed and how just faulty patterns of thinking can change your whole life. I can completely see how this would be related to depression or possibly post-traumatic stress disorder. How we think and what we focus on can have such a greater impact than I thought.

 

All in all, it seems the forgiveness of self might be closely connected with perceived forgiveness from God. If this is the case, it could be very beneficial to bring people’s spiritual and religious views into the light of conversation in therapy. If people are able to work through the difficult feelings of shame and guilt vertically, they might have an easier time doing the same internally. I wonder whether those who have not been forgiven by those they hurt would be able to forgive themselves without the knowledge that God forgives them. This makes me wonder what is the best way to help people through situations where they might never be forgiven entirely by those they hurt. They still need to learn to forgive themselves.  

 

References

 

McConnell, J. M., & Dixon, D.N. (2012). "Perceived Forgiveness from God and Self- Forgiveness." Journal of Psychology and Christianity 31 (1), 31-39.

Christians and help seeking behaviors

Megan Hanfee-Major is a sophomore at Trinity Christian College double-majoring in Psychology & Communication Arts/ Theatre. Originally from New Richmond, WI, Megan plans to continue her education in Psychology by pursuing a M.A. degree with an emphasis that has not yet been determined. She hopes to eventually serve God's people through a career in counseling, perhaps integrating her love of theatre into the therapeutic process


In an article in The Journal of Psychology and Christianity entitled “Measuring Protestant Christians' Willingness to Seek Professional Psychological Help for Mental Illness: A Rasch Measurement Analysis” (2012) researchers Kenneth D. Royal of the University of Kentucky and Juan Michael Thompson of the University of Louisville attempt to see whether or not self-professed Christians that attend a Protestant- based church are likely to seek professional help with mental illnesses.  This is a particularly interesting topic considering the differing views within Christianity concerning the classification of mental disorders as illnesses or demonic or the like.  The authors’ methods are fairly simple; they conducted a survey within churches regarding the likelihood of seeking professional psychological assistance when dealing with a mental illness.

The survey used was a simple 10 question one with statements such as “If I were experiencing a serious emotional crisis at this point in my life, I would be confident that I could find relief in psychotherapy,” that the participant reacted to.  Overall the results showed that, generally, the group of 540 was not likely to seek professional help although the majority believed that professional intervention could help with their psychological problems.  However, the respondents generally did feel that if they had been feeling depressed or distressed for a long period of time or if they felt as if they were having a mental breakdown that they would seek help (Royal & Thompson, 2012).

The researchers reflected upon previous work done in this area and concluded that “religious” people are less likely than the average person to seek out treatment when a psychological problem arises.  They cite that the most commonly held reason why people in general do not seek help is the stigma attached to receiving psychotherapeutic assistance.  Does this mean that Christians feel this even more strongly?

This would make sense.  Perhaps Christians feel that they should be equipped to manage any sort of distress they encounter in their life because Christ has set them free from bondage.  And while this is true, many people know and are realizingthat just because Christ has gifted us with freedom in His name we can still face trials.  In fact He assures us we will face trials.  And because He knows this He encourages us to lean on our brothers and sisters in the faith for support.  It is unfortunately  still a commonly held belief (especially for Christians) that we should be able to handle our problems on our own and reaching out for help is a sign of weakness.

Another factor that should be considered is that Christians will often reach out to leaders in their churches (pastors, elders, etc.) for assistance in a crisis.  A person of this standing may not be equipped and trained to handle situations involving some mental illnesses, but  may provide valuable insight when dealing with problems such as depression.  Although this may not be the most effective solution it is one many people feel more comfortable with (again, it has less of a stigma attached).  I have to wonder how this study would be able to consider this in their data.

It doesn’t seem like the people involved in the survey were against the idea of seeking treatment altogether.  The majority said that they would consider it- as a last resort.  What causes this mindset?  Why do Christians (those who should understand somewhat the level of human fallibility) especially shy away from seeking out psychotherapeutic help during times of trial and when concerning mental illness?  But the most important question, I think, is how do we combat this?  How can we remove as much as possible the negative connotations associated with receiving psychological help when needed and make it a better option in the minds of people, but especially Christians?  How can we show Christians that dealing with their problems professionally is not a sign of weakness or incompetence, but of faith in that they care enough about their whole-body health to seek support?

References:

Royal, K. D., & Thompson, J. (2012). Measuring protestant Christians' willingness to seek professional psychological help for mental illness: A Rasch measurement analysis. Journal of Psychology & Christianity, 31(3), 195-204.