Catholic Psychology
Psychology is a wonderful science but it is not a perfect science. More than ever before in our Nation's history since the advent of Psychology have so many people been seeking relief through its tenets and practices. The World is tense for sure and daily living, once much simpler, has added the dimension of increased tension and anxiety in particular. We are an anxious people. Technology comes with a price tag, a rather high one. Many of the gadgets and venues of technology supposedly designed to increase our free time or cut short an otherwise tedious task have turned on us to create much more anxiety that we has without them. Amazingly, things as seemingly harmless as the computer have broken up marriages, engendered pornography addictions, increased crime rates through availablity of ontoward information so easily available, especially to teens and younger adults. The computer is not a bad thing in itself and its advent has increased survival rates using the latest medical technologies and also increased mans ability to learn many things he would not otherwise have known. But the application and use of this technology, given mans fallen nature, has also made access to garbage all the more available as well. It is a judgment call on the part of the user - his free will which plays the biggest part in using this technology.
You may ask the question, "What is the difference between Christian Psychology and plain old secular psychology?" Good question and it gets asked often. There are major differences between the two. Also, there is a major difference between Christian Psychology and Catholic Psychology. All essentially follow the same basic textbook for diagnostics - a large book known as the Diagnostic and Statistial Manual of Mental Disorders in its fourth edition - commonly called the 'DSM-IV-TR.' Every disorder known to man is listed in one form or another in this book.
Now come the differences among the 'schools of thought and clinical application' of this book and psychological skills. For secular psychology, it is a matter of following the DSM-IV-TR and applying essentially those skills found in one of about nine schools of thought or training. For example, some Psychologists adhere to the Freudian therapeutic techniques of Psychodynamics (the old lay on the couch and tell me what you feel psychology). Others follow Carl Jung, Robert Glasser, Carl Rodgers and others.
There are several schools of psychology. To name a few there is Humanistic, Existential, Behavioral, Cognitive, Behavioral-Cognitive, TM, Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy and many more. There are many of these mixed together as well and their skills practiced by a number of psychologists. There is also an 'electic' approach to psychology whereby the psychologist simply picks and chooses those techniques from a variety of schools and applies them to the client's present condition or presenting issue (problem).
Now the Christian Psychologist uses, in addition to the DSM, the Bible as his/her guide. Therapy usually involves directing the client's issue to some passages of the Bible and recommendations from the Bible. These psychologists follow a Sola Scriptura' approach to counseling. This means the Bible alone is sufficient as it is the Word of God. I do not argue that the Bible came from God although it was penned by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (theopneustos). But I natuarally object to using it is a sole conjunctive to the DSM-IV. It ignores two critical elements necessary for therapeutic outcome to be effective: 1) Sacred Tradition and 2) Magisterial Teaching.
Catholic Psychology considers the holistic approach employing the DSM-IV in conjunction with Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterial Teaching. It broadly enters into the world of Catholic scholarship as relates to things like sin and its effects on the human condition. It fully considers the fallen nature of mankind. Catholic Psychologists (and Psychiatrists - the MD's) write, publish and read respected journals and articles on varying aspects and approaches to the psychological issues facing man. They are much broader in their scope and do not limit themselves to the Bible alone. The results are far more effective.
