Monday, July 31, 2017

Is Aletia the new "Patheos"?



I have a hard time keeping up with websites for uncatechized Catholic converts/reverts.

Every once in a while Frank Walker will link to something that finds me saying 'What the what is this?!'

Here's a story he linked to telling people not to be 'afraid' to go to 'therapy'.

Here is the danger with Catholics deferring to 'therapy' in a struggle with grief, relationships, etc.:

It's a distraction from the cure in the Sacraments. There's a desperate need to teach Catholics how to recognize when something spiritual is causing some kind of unrest. Teaching people to turn to a therapist thrusts them into the habit of bypassing spiritual instincts and introspection, examination of conscience and turning to the Sacraments.

It's training them to rely on mortals rather than the peace which surpasses all understanding.

If a situation arises that you truly can't find solace in the Sacraments, Saints and Catholic resources, family, friends, you've got a lot of work to do. Catholics should network to find a Catholic therapist trained in spiritual warfare (in addition to medical training). A good Catholic therapist is going to figure out why you don't use these resources and teach you how to turn to them.

And that's the way it is.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It's a distraction from the cure in the Sacraments. There's a desperate need to teach Catholics how to recognize when something spiritual is causing some kind of unrest. Teaching people to turn to a therapist thrusts them into the habit of bypassing spiritual instincts and introspection, examination of conscience and turning to the Sacraments.

Not necessarily, Carol. God can use a good therapist to help a patient deal with deeper issues that grief, depression, guilt, fear and shame might be masking. It's not "either-or" but "both-and."

Look at it this way: The fact that God can heal miraculously doesn't contradict or negate the fact that God also provides ways for doctors to understand the secrets of the human body. If that's true for medicine, why not for psychology.

Granted, psychology is not the be-all and end-all. But it can be a valuable tool in the right circumstances.