Zastosowanie Teorii Relacji z Obiektem w Psychologii Pastoralnej

Abstract

The author argues for the integration of spirituality within the therapeutic process for holistic healing, wherein Spirituality refers to a relationship with a transcendent being which in a Christian context necessarily refers to the Creator – thus the whole created order itself. The spiritual dimension is considered integral to the metaphysical understanding of human being – a holistic one, and accordingly warrants an approach that would interpret personal life events as inclusive of the spiritual dimension. Concepts like God, faith, and spirituality are met with mixed responses by psychiatrists and psychologists. For instance, May, views a human's desire for God as the most essential feature of human existence, whereas Freud, on the other hand, views any understanding of God as an abstraction for human wish fulfillment. Pastoral counseling not only acknowledges the transcendent dimension of a person, but also is itself fashioned in this light. A lack of attentiveness on the part of the therapist to a client's spiritual needs may, therefore, seriously jeopardize or compromise the healing process. In this way, the aim of pastoral counseling is seen to be the healing of the client from within as well as his or her relation with others and with God. This is a clear indication of the changing views in regard to spirituality vis-a-vis psychology by mental health advocates, which represents a milestone bridging the abyss which in the past separated psychology from theology. One suitable context for fostering such a goal is object relations theory, which lies in the systematic understanding of the relationships between individuals and their ability to form and maintain healthy human relationships. A person is a nexus of external and internal relationships that interrelatively affect one another. The subject of human relationality as an inseparable aspect of human nature has received specialized attention from the very beginning of the Hebrew Scriptures, and later, in the philosophical and the theological writings. All human relationships are developmental insofar as they undergo continual changes. It is posited that a parallel process is obtained between one’s spiritual stage (relationship with God) and one's psychological stage (relationship with others), as demonstrated by employing the models of Brueggemann based on the Book of Psalms, where as Garanzini, utilized object relations theory. Both of these models are comprised of three major movements: 1) security, which is characterized by a deep sense of security, which originates from attachment with the loved one and/or God, 2) confusion, any disruption of an already acquired relationship with humans and/or with God, which may result in a state of anxiety, and 3) new growth, where a stronger positive emotional object constancy will produce within a person a better predisposition to deal with disappointments in which one is faced with the opportunity to enter into a new relationship with a person or/and God, after having experienced separation and disappointment. A therapeutic application of a paradigm of integration of spiritual-psychological model is presented.