Blending Science and
Theology
Seems like a oxymoron doesn’t it…blending science and
theology. For centuries the two have sat
on opposite ends of the fence, one exists without the other, no room for
inclusion. As therapists we go through
school and learn about the science. As
Christians we go to church and learn about the theology, then we get into the
therapy room and the client asks for the theology when all we learned was the
science. Or in the church counseling
room the client asks about the science when all we learned was the
theology. Is there room for both? Can they coexist? Does one have to be done to the exclusion of
the other?
As a clinician who is committed to excellence in the
scientific field of psychology I was met with these questions early on in my
career. My answers surprisingly came
through my theology. As a believer I am
committed to living Christ out to the best of my ability, through excellence. To do that, I have to study, learn, prepare,
dig, sit, pray, read, listen. As I journeyed
in excellence in both the sciences and the theology, God showed up in
both. Imagine that! One way that God began connecting the two for
me was through the combination of Bowlby’s attachment model, Eye Movement
Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR Therapy), and the use of mindfulness
based therapies. Empirical data through
the use of science has shown all of these models of therapy to be effective in
working with clients who have experienced a history of trauma.
Click here to read some of this data:
So much of the information that I was learning was
Biblically based. Attachment theory is
written all throughout scriptures. God’s
creation of man for connection then the creation of Eve as connection for Adam,
The Psalms, Ecclesiastes, the instructions to the new church in the New
Testament, all filled with messages of attachment. Some of my favorites are:
Genesis 1:26-31
Genesis 2:18
Genesis 2:24-25
Psalm 22
Matthew 22:37-40
As I began to understand they are intertwined I began to
find creative ways to use the blending in my work with clients. One such technique I use is a guided imagery
called “The Attachment to Jesus”. I also
add bilateral stimulation to Resource this with EMDR Therapy model, however
this technique can be done without the bilateral and used only as guided
imagery tool. This technique is designed
with the principles of creating secure attachment (safe touch, eye contact,
affirming and calming words) and through guided imagery, allowing someone to
experience the creation of an attachment moment to their Savior. Through the use of this technique, client’s
have experienced powerful moments with Jesus that may never have been
experienced otherwise. As always, I am
prayerful in my approach to the technique and work to prepare a space that is
open and centered on building relationship with the Savior.
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