“Faith in the biblical sense does not mean maintaining that certain assertions are true; rather it is a relationship of trust between humanity and God. God believes in us. God trusts us and hopes that we return the compliment. Because God has confidence in us, we can develop a healthy self-confidence.”–Richard Rohr
Alice Stricklin, LMFT is a PTI Trainer. She lives near Nashville, TN. Alice has a special interest in working with Spirituality, specifically a Christian perspective.
The Personal Transformation Institute values and respects a diversity of spiritual perspectives.
You don’t have to work so hard.
This statement feels scary, exciting, and impossible all at the same time. It brings up skepticism, curiosity, and hope as I read it again. I wonder what happens for you as you read it?
In my own journey (and by journey I mean life journey of growth in professionalism, spirituality, momhood, wifehood, womanhood), I am hearing this message from the Lord of “you don’t have to work so hard”. I’m learning that this phrase means rest in him, salvation comes from him, trust in him, lean on him, look to his guidance; trust, trust, trust.
EMDR therapy is a powerful therapy that taps into and uses the brains already created natural ability to move towards healing (AIP model).
In my faith tradition, I believe this incredible system that was created to move towards healing was created by God. In my practice, I’m learning that when I stop working so hard to figure out how to help someone, I get to rest in the knowledge that God created a system that is designed to move towards healing. When I rest in this and trust that the system knows what to do, the healing process emerges. My job in this process is to trust. Trust the process of EMDR therapy. Trust the AIP model. Trust that the person’s system knows what to do. And Trust that God will reveal to me what is in the way of the person moving towards the healing they so desperately want. Then my job is to welcome. Welcome the blocks. Invite the big feelings. Treat anything that gets in the way as Jesus treated the woman about to be stoned for her sinful acts. Welcome it, and offer God’s grace.
Would you like to learn specific mindfulness practices to incorporate into your work with Christian Clients?
Would you like to know how to work with blocking beliefs that come up for Christian clients that keep them from experiencing a closer relationship with God? Would you like to learn how to incorporate spirituality into your EMDR work with Christian clients?
I will be answering all of these areas and more in my webinar “Working with Spirituality in EMDR: A Christian Perspective” on January 11th and 12th, 2019.