Author: Siang-Yang Tan.

Journal of Psychology & Christianity, Vol. 25(1), Spr 2006 pp. 68-73

Abstract:

The article discusses the practice of positive psychology being the focus in the studies of the American Psychologist. Positive psychology is the study of positive emotion, character and institutions. Progress in the field had been reported such as empirical validation of interventions. Seligman noted its application in positive prevention and positive therapy.

Author: Bryan Ray

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 74-78

Abstract:

The article presents the practical experiences of the author as a Christian counselor. He cites two case studies to show how despite their extensive knowledge about certain theoretical orientations, the counselors have to model Christ for their clients. The first case study is that of Allison who was a 25-year-old Hispanic female. She had never been married, but was seeking someone at the time. She wanted to talk about “personal issues,” so immediately my mind wondered. Although Allison was accepted for her sin, her sin was not accepted. As the story of John 8 explains, Jesus told the woman to “Go and leave her life of sin.” He loved her the way she was, but he refused to leave her that way. The same concept must be evident in our work as therapists. This does not mean that we accept someone and we never confront the ways in which one sin can ruin our lives. How we do this must reflect the gracious God of the Bible. Another brief case study that illustrates this point is the story of Ben. He is a 14-year-old male who comes from a broken home. For Ben, I was a model of what it meant to be safe and positive. There was no other avenue for him to receive this. He had nowhere else to turn. I modeled a safe male figure in his life. We should be a model for love and grace for our clients.

Author: P. Gregg Blanton

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 77-86

Abstract:

A review of the literature on spiritual interventions reveals that the Christian practice of letter writing is missing from Christian psychotherapy. Using concepts from the disciplines of Christian spiritual direction and narrative family therapy, this article brings the ancient Christian tradition of letter writing back into the contemporary psychotherapy setting. Based upon an integrated approach, this article leads Christian psychotherapists through the process of creating and sending letters that incorporate Christian spirituality into the therapeutic process. The rationale, purpose, tone, language, and components of a letter, as well as the five spiritual elements of a letter, are clearly outlined. Finally, this article offers a case study to illustrate the use of this reclaimed spiritual intervention: letter writing.

Author: Randolph K. Sanders

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 63-67

Abstract:

The legal and professional risks involved in providing psychological and counseling services are higher today than ever before. The likelihood of being a defendant in a malpractice is estimated to be somewhere between less than 0.5% and 2%. The probability of having a complaint filed with a state licensing board is higher. Risk management focuses on helping therapists decrease the probability of having a suit or complaint filed against them. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. One area highlighted for special consideration by attorneys and mental health professionals is the treatment of certain populations and situations thought to be at particularly high risk of filing board complaints or legal actions. While not denying the risks of modern practice, some believe that the fear of serving certain patient groups will cause many therapists to opt out, leaving some troubled groups of patients without adequate care opportunities. Others worry that such a dominant concern for protecting the interests of the practitioner could hurt the success of the therapeutic endeavor. The Christian therapist is called to serve and at times that service entails a cost to the therapist. Sacrificial giving and openness to challenges is one mark of the Christian disciple and is one mark of a devoted therapist. In professional mental health service, however, such self-sacrifice is not an impulsive decision devoid of care for one’s health and personal constitution, one’s competence in dealing with the presenting problems at hand, or the ability to maintain service to all those in one’s care over a lifetime of one’s service.

Authors: Douglas Hansen & Robert Drovdahl

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 54-63

Abstract:

Maddox (2004) suggests that conversations in a renewed Wesleyan engagement with psychology should begin with theories “sensitive to how our relationships with others impacts us in both positive and negative ways.” (p. 108) British child psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott surely qualifies as an early conversation partner. Winnicott’s groundbreaking work on the mother-child relationship and its impact on child development has had far-reaching effects on the field of psychotherapy. He has even been described by his major biographer as the “Wesley of Psychoanalysis,” This article examines parallels between Winnicott and Wesley’s lives and thought. Through demonstrating resonance between the two, the article points toward integrative themes for healthy human development.

Author: Roy Barsness

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 44-53

Abstract:

This article turns its attention towards analytic and theological understandings of the pull toward the Other, and the role of surrender and transcendence in the therapeutic process. The author argues that the innate nature of our being is not only Other-driven but also Other-seeking and that meaning in life is both a movement towards authentic living and towards transcendence. At the core of our search for meaning in our lives, vis-à-vis our interpersonal world, lies the search for the holy. It is suggested that the sacred is essential both theologically and psychologically in our quest for authentic meaning in our lives. It is further argued that the work of surrender and transcendence most often appears in our most doubtful moments. Through the use of a case study, terror, mystery, and hope are demonstrated as the author surrenders to the unknowable regions of the analytic hour and the transcendent is revealed.

Authors: Paul K. Nesselroade, Jr., John K. Williams, & Ruth K. Nam

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 27-33

Abstract:

A total of 128 participants from a religiously-affiliated institution and 82 from a state university indicated which of two opinions they would choose on four different morally-based topics and five different non-moral topics. Participants also estimated how well they thought they examined both sides of each issue when developing their final opinions and how well another student considered both sides of the issue. Participants from both populations showed a greater level of self-enhancement when their opinion differed from that of the other student and when evaluating moral topics compared to non-moral topics. Furthermore, a significant two-way interaction between issue type and opinion indicated that opinion dissimilarity had a greater self-enhancing effect when considering the moral topics than when considering the non-moral topics, but only for students from the religiously-affiliated school. Results are discussed in terms of different schema used for processing moral vs. non-moral topics, and why this might lead to misunderstandings within the church.

Authors: George M. Diekhoff, Susan K. Thompson, & Ryan M. Denney

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 17-26

Abstract:

Organizational climate has long been recognized as influencing organizational outcomes. Religious organizations also differ climatically, but little has been done to explore the influence of church climate on church outcomes. Progress awaits the development of a measure of church climate. Previous work has proceeded by asking members to rate their churches on researcher-selected scales, thereby limiting respondents’ ability to describe their churches freely and naturally. In this study, 139 college students described their churches in their own words. These descriptions were used to generate a matrix of numerical inter-church proximities based on adjective overlap. Multidimensional scaling analysis of these proximities yielded a church climate map showing four groupings of churches: “Boring,” “Socially/Emotionally Supportive,” “Spiritually Stimulating,” and “Rigid.” Churches in the four groupings differed significantly in rated church spiritual nurturance and activity level and on several measures of members’ religiosity and religious well-being. Implications for the development of measures of church climate are discussed.

Authors: Don MacDonald & Marcia Webb

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 3-16

Abstract:

The proliferation of theories for conducting psychotherapy makes it easy for a therapist to become lost in the welter of ideas. In particular, clarity about the criteria for and the evaluation of theories lags. The present article discriminates between syncretism and eclecticism. As part of the discrimination, it provides 14 interrelated criteria by which to assess a theory. It also distinguishes between theories and treatment models. Finally, it presents a proposal for the reciprocal development of both. These 14 criteria come from a broad array of professional literature, and provide an approximation of a holistic perspective of humanity. They also describe theories in a complex and comprehensive manner, and offer therapists the opportunity to make in-depth attempts toward the integration of one’s personal faith commitments and one’s professional identity. Even with responsible efforts toward conceptual clarity, the authors describe the high potential for syncretism, due to the multitude, of theories, models, and criteria currently available to psychotherapists. The authors further propose strategies to prevent the conceptual compromises associated with a syncretistic approach to the conceptualization and conduct of psychotherapy.

Author: Nick J. Watson

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 34-43

Abstract:

This article examines Martin Buber’s contribution to the theory and practice of psychotherapy. A brief biographical sketch is provided, followed by an explanation of his dialogical philosophy of I and Thou. This provides the basis for presentation of his critiques of Freud and Jung. The article concludes with implications of Buber’s work for research and practice in Christian psychotherapy and recommendations for further reading.