120 | Redemptive Integration: How Christian Therapy Reconciles Dissociated Parts of the Self

Christianity has always recognized that the fallen human soul is divided (Ps. 42:6; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7; Eph. 4:22-24; Ja. 1:8), and it has always looked to Jesus Christ as the ultimate, transcendent source of the healing of that division through the gift of His peace (Jn. 14:27; Col. 3:15). One example of internal division is a distinct quality of consciousness, characterized by its own affective tone and purposive agenda that gets activated in stressful contexts resembling those within which it was formed. This psychological structure has been called a “part,” “false self,” or “internal critic,” depending on the approach. Many strategies facilitate the integration of the self by lessening the negative emotion that maintains this structure and greater conscious awareness and acceptance. In this workshop, psychologists and licensed mental health professionals will explore distinctly Christian integrative strategies from the Christian tradition that can be utilized when working with Christian clients, including gratitude, forgiveness, the “new self,” and communion with God. Some experiential processes will be demonstrated.