The Sacrament of Confession and the Service of Counselling

Abstract

For many years, religious beliefs and practices were segregated from professional psychotherapy. Professional psychotherapy and counseling were solely concerned with the healing of one’s soul through conversational and mental processes using the human relationship as a tool. Amid the unchecked self-interest that dominated much of the 1990s, many progressive voices are now urging a shift away from this mindset. Counselors must acknowledge that a substantial proportion of their clients may have religious and spiritual beliefs, attitudes, and practices that potentially affect their personal development and problem-solving skills. A much-needed convergence is presently occurring between the two fields of spirituality and psychotherapy. Both are now being viewed as mutually complementary. Systems-oriented counselors are beginning to conceptualize the individual as a bio-psycho-social-spiritual being. Disregarding spirituality in the counseling domain is now thought to limit the ability of the therapist to understand the holistic person. In this paper, we will discuss the Sacrament of repentance and confession in the Orthodox church and its advantage in the healing of the soul.