Monotheist Psychology of Transcendence

Drawing on the writings of Asklepios; Carl Gustav Jung, who focused much energy on his own periods of psychosis, put forth in his Analytical Psychology a paradigm that he referred to as the "Wounded Healer.” Although his introduction of this paradigm served an important function by reminding psychotherapists of their own vulnerability, it tended to inculcate and reinforce in the patient-doctor relationship an illness model of healing. In other words, the treatment was primarily oriented toward the illness or weakness of the patient, and empathetically the illness or weakness of the psychotherapist as well (though this empathetic illness or weakness on the part of the psychotherapist was not necessarily articulated in treatment.)

Monotheist Psychology of Transcendence: The Warrior Healer, (in contrast to Jung’s Analytical Psychology with The Wounded Healer paradigm) is a wellness model of healing. In other words, this treatment is primarily oriented toward the wellness or strengths of the patient. This does not mean that the patient’s treatment issues are denied, glossed over or masked. Rather; psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, motivational, and other evidence-based techniques are employed within a framework that maintains that the patient was made in the image of the all-loving Divine Presence who equipped him or her with the strengths needed to overcome personal difficulties. Like warriors going to battle, doctor and patient use the Monotheist Psychology of Transcendence (MPT) paradigm as a map and battle plan, while implementing strategies to help the patient identify, access and employ these inherent strengths toward the further development of wellness.

Jung, a polytheist, based much of his psychological theory on mythology. He looked to the positive and negative qualities of the gods found in polytheist religions and asserted that the true nature of each human is both good and bad. The overall goal of his Analytical Psychology is for patients to accept and integrate their “shadow” side into their acknowledged personality. Proceeding along this vein, Karen Horney asserted that the patient’s “real self” or “actual self” is the self in which the negative aspects of the patient are manifest. Similarly, Donald Winnicott, asserted that the patient’s “true self” was the self that contained negative attributes, and that if the patient was not presenting negative attributes he or she was presenting a “false self.” Much of modern psychology in one way or another is based on this belief in a fundamental badness inherent in human nature.

The Monotheist Psychology of Transcendence (MPT)™ is a psychological paradigm based on the Jewish, Christian and Islamic vision of the Divine Presence as all good and loving, as well as the belief that humans were made in the image of this all good and loving Divine Presence. Any deviations from love and goodness are therefore, deviations from the patient’s true Divinely given nature. To avoid confusion with other models and the meanings they ascribe to English language designations such as “real self,” “actual self” and “true self,” Latin is used for terminology in Monotheist Psychology of Transcendence (MPT), in keeping with Western medical tradition. Hence, the term for the patient's self as created in the image of the all good and loving Divine Presence is the 'verus ipse,' meaning the authentic self. In other words, the 'verus ipse' is the all good and loving self as it was authored by the Divine Presence. (All Latin terms used in The Monotheist Psychology of Transcendence (MPT) have been copyrighted in my dissertation, "Toward a Monotheist Psychology of Transcendence.") The overall psychological goal of this therapy is not to accept and integrate negative tendencies, but to defeat them. This is consistent with the spiritual goals of the three major Monotheist religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Disclaimer: Nothing connected to this website should be considered counseling or treatment. I recommend any who are in need of counseling or treatment seek a competent and qualified licensed psychologist, psychotherapist, pastoral counselor, or other such competent and qualified professional.

Thank you.

Blessings,

Devorah Ann Fox, Psy.D.