Counselling, Psychotherapy and Religion:

Reclaiming Forgotten Histories; Making New Meanings

Liz Bondi and Alette Willis The University of Edinburgh

Counselling, Psychotherapy and Religion

• The development of counselling and psychotherapy in the UK

• On the role of religion – alternative stories– Churches as institutions– Religion and spirituality in the lives of key people

• Impacts of secularisation

• Reclaiming and making available alternative stories

The development of counselling and psychotherapy in the UK, 1920-1960

• Inter-war years – private sector availability

• 1940s – first third sector services

– Davidson Clinic for Medical Psychotherapy (1941)

– Edinburgh Marriage Guidance Council (1946)

• NHS provision – limited specialist services

The development of counselling and psychotherapy in the UK since 1960

• Late 1960s/early 1970s – expansion of third sector counselling provision

• 1990s – professionalisation of counselling and demarcation from other forms of support

• 2000s – expansion of services in NHS primary care (IAPT, CBT)

• Influence of “evidence-based” health care and incorporation into quasi-medical model

On the role of religion:Churches as institutions (1)

Senior church figures on boards of governors- Marriage Guidance Councils

- Davidson Clinic (connections to Church of Scotland, Episcopal Church and Roman Catholic Church)

Counselling and psychotherapy as new expressions of vocation and new forms of

ministry

On the role of religian:Churches as institutions (2)

Churches as providers of counsellor training and counselling services

- Church of Scotland Board of Social Responsibility

- Scottish Marriage Care

Counselling and psychotherapy as community outreach

On the role of religion:Christian counselling

Overtly Christian forms of counselling

– Pastoral counselling in congregational settings

– Association of Christian Counsellors

On the role of religion:Religion and spirituality in the lives of key people

Winifred Rushforth

“psychotherapeutic treatment can bring about miracles of healing which are the fulfilment of Divine purpose”

Guru of New Age spirituality

Lasting legacy (e.g. Wellspring)

On the role of religion:Religion and spirituality in the lives of key people

“Alan”

Exploratory small groups – bible study, house groups, therapy

“[I] became very aware that people were coming to courses on TA, not to learn TA but because here was the church offering a space where they could be heard, and where they could ask questions […] and explore […] using another language alongside theology. […] people were asking spiritual questions, they were asking questions about themselves and their difficulties and their relationships and that whole area but they were also asking theological questions”

Impacts of Secularisation

• Downplaying the historic and continuing involvement of churches and Christian values and beliefs

• From religion to discourses of spirituality

• “I’ve often wondered what on earth I would do in the parish. Ministry is about facilitating, it’s about listening to where the other person is before I say anything about where I am. I would have problems with sermons. I think I would still manage [… but] it’s just as well I’m not in the parish! Retirement’s a great thing.” (Alan)

Reclaiming and making available alternative stories

• Stories as how we make sense of the world and ourselves

• Dominant stories – master narratives

• Making space for alternative stories

Alan’s story: Different Strands Coming Together

I’m afraid of death when I think about itYou can see the roots of thisI don’t know if there is anythingThere’s no ultimate certainty In what I understand or believe I think the spiritual is what animatesWhat makes me aliveWhat gives me lifeWhat is the fullness of lifeHowever we describe it. I know an awful lot less than I used to.It’s just as well I’m not in the parishRetirement is a wonderful thing.

Dramatic form

Mike Maran Did You Used to be R.D. Laing

Liz Bondi (liz.Bondi@ed.ac.uk)

Alette Willis (a.willis@ed.ac.uk)

http://www.theologyandtherapy.div.ed.ac.uk/