Can the blind lead the blind?

Neuroses are traditionally treated by psychotherapy.

The Orthodox Church has always very decisively spoken out against all occult activities and magic. The "Book of Rules," based on the decisions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils and the directions of the holy fathers, and being the collection of church laws, distinctly and clearly determines this activity to be ruinous and satanic. Naturally, then, no spiritual father would dare to suggest going to a medicine man, fortuneteller or medium. But he can bless turning to a professional psychotherapist for help. But in this case, the person can still often be in serious danger.

Psychotherapy — is a medical specialization, not connected so much with healing in the usual sense of the word, as much as acting on the personality of the ill person, on his soul. It creates good goals for itself, tries to comfort the sorrowing person, helps him gain spiritual balance. But in practice the following complex situation occurs: this area of medicine is spiritually powerless when trying to heal the person’s soul and is in close contact with it, because it has no moral reference points. One cannot relieve the spiritual burden of another person without having one’s own spiritual values. "Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?" (Lk. 6:39).

A doctor can have a medical degree, the title of professor or academic, but this still does not alter the situation, if he is a materialistically minded person, or holds non-Christian viewpoints. His attempts will not give the soul the necessary reference points, moreover, they can lead it into depths of sin, and the sorrows of the ailing will only increase. How often have people, who had first sought out pseudo-psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, hypnotists and so on, turned to us for help.

Spiritual uncertainty, the helplessness of psychology and psychotherapy based on moral "pluralism," permitted the introduction of a huge amount of occult psychotechnology — western, eastern and "homemade," which is morally unacceptable.

One of the principles of modern psychological practice is, the "goal justifies the means." Often doctors offer "advice," which brings the soul obvious detriment. We often see situations, where the doctors offered patients out-of-wedlock unions — allegedly with the goal of normalizing family conflicts — which is simply recommending adultery. A person is counseled to lie or manipulate other people, if this benefits him (many similar recommendations can be found in the books by Dale Carnegie).

The tragedy of the modern science of the soul consists in indulging human passions, trying in any way possible to raise self-esteem or to emphasize meditation, mental self-regulation through altered states. The preparation of future psychotherapists is created on an amoral base. Thus, the computer examination is filled with all sorts of indecencies., Let us present an example, so as not to be considered unsubstantiated. To the question "What would you suggest a person that is ill with psychosthenia, read in order to enliven his flaccid neocortex?" — the correct answer is: "The works of Guy de Maupassant." Commentaries are superfluous…

The doctor does not choose the patients. Most often, we have people who are unbelievers or those who do not know the true God — people of other faiths, neo-heathens. But there are also many who are in search of Truth. Precisely because of this, the psychotherapist has the responsibility of both doctor and human. His task is to help the patient limited by illnesses and conflicts, confusions and losses.

For the doctor devoted to psychotherapy, it is important to have true spiritual values, which would determine his work with patients. Without a personal, and, we add — Orthodox — spiritual platform, he will not be able to distinguish the situational (psychosocial) and biological reasons for the illnesses from the existential, world-view ones. If the patient is one whose soul desires to find the Lord, the Orthodox psychotherapist must help him in this.

The doctor, of course, cannot be a substitute for a priest, he only precedes him, sometimes acting as a "barrier," keeping the patient from falling into greater temptations and sins — drunkenness, adultery, suicide.

Unfortunately, today the number of Christian psychiatrists and psychotherapists is a minority. This, as we see it, is one of the reasons for the poor effectiveness of help with neuroses. Psychotherapy today has thousands of psychocorrectional techniques. The very quantity shows that psychotherapists do not know how to heal a person. True recovery from spiritual disorders begins with a repentant attitude toward God. But in this area, most psychotherapists are complete ignoramuses.

In summary, we can say that the only psychotherapeutic help that will be helpful and healthy, is that which leads to Christ, and is led by an Orthodox doctor or psychologist, leading a Christian way of life. In that case, the word of the specialist will be supported by the blessed power of God and will comfort the sick, point out the path to Him, Who is the Truth, the Way and the Life!