This book aims to connect resources from the vast field of psychotherapy with resources from the equally vast fields of Christian theology and Christian anthropology. Christian anthropology asserts that humanity began with God, will end with God, and, in the time in between, we women and men are free to choose to walk with God…or not. Applied Christian anthropology works to develop that awareness by seeing psychotherapy as a resource for understanding human psychology, development, and needs.
I have been inspired by the Catholic Psychotherapy Association (CPA) whose mission is to support mental health practitioners by promoting the development of psychological theory and mental health practice which encompasses a full understanding of the human person, family, and society in fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. This book will also foster both the development of a community of CPA members and function as an opportunity for professional development both as therapists and as people of faith.
This book most specifically aims to respond to CPA's goal to "Encourage and support the presentation of scholarly work and writing that is relevant to the mission of CPA…"
At this early stage of CPA history, a preliminary grouping of resources linked to the normal course of development in the Christian life might appear useful for client seekers as well as therapists, clergy, and teachers. It is my hope that it will provide a small contribution to Catholic psychotherapy literature and a jumping off point for others to improve. This volume deals with the beginnings of faith because without faith further steps become impossible.
I came to refer to Catholic anthropology rather than Christian anthropology. Though Catholics share many elements of Christian anthropology with other Christian traditions, with the passage of time, the Catholic understanding of the human person has continued to diverge or at least become distinct from the understanding of our brothers and sisters in other religious, even Christian religious, traditions.
Pope Benedict XVI (2010, p. 50-56) advocates that truth is possible and that we need to have the courage to assert the truth as we understand it. For me, as a practicing Catholic deacon, that means that I do not aim to impose what I see as the truth on anyone by force. Rather, as Benedict puts it, "The truth comes to rule, not through violence, but through its own power; this is the central theme of John's Gospel," (p. 51). If I may paraphrase Benedict's chapter here, he advocates that we have "…criteria for verification and falsification…" (p. 51) but accepting of others even if their values are not ours. Too often we do just the opposite: we are relativistic about our values and rejecting of the person with different values. The only place the other can begin is from where the person is. As a practicing psychotherapist our job is to acknowledge our values, accept that the other starts from another place, and to get to know and try to understand wherever the other's starting point might be.
As you read you will see that my outline is from chapter 13 of Matthew's gospel. As I read it, the more I liked it as an outline for my purpose of stitching together faith and psychotherapy. Matthew 13:1-52 talks about basic faith and the spiritual life of faith, or the lack thereof. It is my starting point and maybe it can be yours too. I have had it in mind as an entry point for searchers of all types: the "nones" (White, 2014, 2017), the confused, the depressed, the anxious, the skeptical, the uninformed or wherever readers may be coming from. Chapter 13 offers useful elements of Christian faith in Jesus' own words that may provide motivation for the uninvolved, food for the starved, and relief for those stuck on their journey in faith or psychological healing.
To put it in context, chapters 11 and 12 of Matthew's gospel describe a growing resistance to Jesus. That resistance resumes immediately at the end of
Author Biography:
Ray Biersbach was ordained a Catholic deacon for the diocese of Paterson, New Jersey in 1982, and has served in 6 parishes in since celebrating the sacraments and contributing homilies. Ray earned a Master's in Religious Education in 1976 and a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology in 1989. Both courses of study were at Fordham University in New York City.
Ray has served in continuous pastoral ministry at parishes in New Jersey and more recently in Washington State. Ray and his wife moved there in 2012 to be nearer their grandchildren. Parish ministry included youth ministry for 35 years, parish religious education organization and implementation, Bible study, sacramental preparation, as well as retreats for teens, and adults.
As a certified alcohol and drug for 10 years and then 30 years as a licensed psychologist he worked in both private practices as well as psychology administrator for a psychology department of 20+ at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, New Jersey.
From 1992 to 2002, he led and taught a post-doctoral institute on assessment and treatment of major mental illnesses especially personality disorders. The institute was sponsored by the State of New Jersey office of training. Over 700 clinicians participated in the training. He received six years of spiritual direction supervision through the sisters of Charity at Convent Station, New Jersey.
