A Course in Miracles Psychotherapy Pamphlet: Purpose Process & Practice

A Course in Miracles

Psychotherapy Pamphlet Purpose ~ Process ~ Practice

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Table of Contents Introduction............................................................................................................................3 1.0 ~ The Purpose of Psychotherapy....................................................................................4 2.I. ~ The Limits on Psychotherapy.......................................................................................6 2.2 ~ The Place of Reliion in Psychotherapy.......................................................................! 2.3 ~ The Role of the Psychotherapist............................................................................... ..11 2.4 ~ The Process of Illness.................................................................................................12 2." ~ The Process of #ealin...............................................................................................1" 2.6 ~ The $efinition of #ealin.............................................................................................1% 2.% ~ The Ideal Patient & Therapist Relationship..................................................................1' 3.1 ~ The Practice of Psychotherapy & The (election of Patients.......................................22 3.2 ~ Is Psychotherapy a Profession).................................................................................24 3.3 ~ The *uestion of Payment...........................................................................................2%











Introduction

1. Psychotherapy is the only form of therapy there is. (ince only the mind can +e sic,- only the mind can +e healed. nly the mind is in need of healin. This does not appear to +e the case- for the manifestations of this /orld seem real indeed. Psychotherapy is necessary so that an indiidual can +ein to uestion their reality. reality. (ometimes he is a+le to start to open his mind /ithout formal help- +ut een then it is al/ays some chane in his perception of interpersonal relationships that ena+les him to do so. (ometimes he needs a more structured- etended relationship /ith an official therapist. ither /ay/ay- the tas, is i s the same5 the patient must +e helped to chane his mind a+out the reality of illusions.











1.0 ~ The Purpose of Psychotherapy

1. ery simplysimply- the purpose of psychotherapy is to remoe the +loc,s to truth. Its aim is to aid the patient in a+andonin his fied delusional system- and to +ein to reconsider the spurious cause and effect effect relationships on /hich it rests. 7o one in this /orld escapes fearfear- +ut eeryone can reconsider its causes and learn to ealuate them correctly. 8od has ien eeryone a Teacher 9hose /isdom and help far eceed /hateer contri+utions an earthly therapist can proide. :et :et there are times and situations in /hich an earthly patient;therapist relationship +ecomes the means throuh /hich #e offers #is reater ifts to +oth. 2. 9hat +etter purpose could any relationship hae than to inite the #oly (pirit to enter into it and ie it #is /n reat ift of reould anythin +e holier) ?or psychotherapypsychotherapy- correctly understood- teaches forieness and helps the patient to reconi@e and accept it. =nd in his healin is the therapist forien /ith him. 3. eryone /ho needs help- reardless of the form of his distress- is attac,in himself- and his peace of mind is sufferin in conseuence. These tendencies tendencies are often descri+ed as self;destructie- self;destructie- and the patient often reards them in that /ay himself. 9hat he does not reali@e and needs to learn is that this self- /hich can attac, and +e attac,ed as /ell- is a concept he made up. ?urther?urther- he cherishes it- defends it- and is sometimes een /illin to sacrifice his life on its +ehalf. ?or he reards it as himself. This self he sees as +ein acted on- reactin to eternal forces as they demand- and helpless midst the po/er of the /orld. 4. PsychotherapyPsychotherapy- then- must restore to his a/areness the a+ility to ma,e his o/n decisions. #e must +ecome /illin to reerse his thin,in- and to understand that /hat he thouht pro










and +ecomin increasinly /illin to see illusions as false and to accept accept the truth as true. #is Teacher Teacher /ill ta,e him on from there- as far as he is ready to o. Psychotherapy can only sae him time. 6. The #oly (pirit uses time as #e thin,s +est- and #e is neer /ron. Psychotherapy under under #is direction is one of the means #e uses to sae time- and to prepare additional teachers for #is /or,. There is no end to the help that #e +eins and #e directs. By /hateer routes #e chooses- all psychotherapy psychotherapy leads to 8od in the end. But that is up to #im. 9e are all #is psychotherapists- for #e /ould hae us all +e healed in #im.











2.I ~ The Limits on Psychotherapy

1. :et :et the ideal outcome is rarely achieed. Therapy +eins /ith the reali@ation that healin is of the mind- and in psychotherapy those hae come toether /ho /ho already +eliee this. It may +e they /ill not et much further- for no one learns +eyond his o/n readiness. :et :et leels of readiness chane- and /hen therapist or patient has reached the net one- there /ill +e a relationship held out to them that meets the chanin need. Perhaps they /ill come toether aain and adance adance in the same relationship- ma,in it holier. holier. r perhaps each of them /ill enter into another commitment. Be assured of this5 each /ill proress. Retroression is temporary. temporary. The oerall direction is one of proress to/ard the truth. 2. Psychotherapy itself cannot +e creatie. This This is one of the errors /hich the eo fosters5 that it is capa+le of true chane- and therefore of true creatiity. creatiity. 9hen /e spea, of the sain illusion or the final dream- this is not /hat /e mean- +ut here is the eoCs last defence. Resistance Resistance is its /ay of loo,in at thins5 its interpretation of proress and ro/th. These interpretations /ill +e /ron of necessitynecessity- +ecause they are delusional. The chanes the eo see,s to ma,e are not really chanes. They are +ut deeper shado/s- or perhaps different cloud patterns. :et :et /hat is made of nothinness cannot +e called ne/ or different. Illusions are illusions5 truth is truth. 3. Resistance as defined here can +e characteristic of a therapist as /ell as of a patient. ither /ay/ay- it sets a limit on psychotherapy +ecause +ecause it restricts its i ts aims. 7or can the #oly (pirit fiht aainst the intrusions of the eo on the therapeutic process. But #e /ill /ait- and #is patience is infinite. #is oal is /holly undiided al/ays. 9hateer resolutions patient and therapist reach in connection connection /ith their o/n dierent oals- they cannot +ecome completely completely reconciled as one until they












2.2 ~ The Place of Religion in Psychotherapy

1. To To +e a teacher of 8od- it is not necessary to +e reliious or een to +eliee in 8od to any reconi@a+le etent. It is necessarynecessary- ho/eer- to teach forieness rather than condemnation. en in this- complete consistency consistency is not reuired- for one /ho had achieed that point could teach salation completelycompletely- /ithin an instant i nstant and /ithout a /ord. :et he /ho has learned all thins does not need a teacherteacher- and the healed hae no need for a therapist. Relationships are still the temple of the #oly (pirit- and they /ill +e made perfect in time and restored to eternity. eternity. 2. ?ormal reliion has no place in psychotherapypsychotherapy- +ut it also has no real place in reliion. In this /orld- there is an astonishin tendency to










patient and therapist restores the place of 8od to ascendance- first throuh >hristCs ision and then throuh the memory of 8od #imself. The process of psychotherapy psychotherapy is the return to sanity. sanity. Teacher Teacher and pupil- therapist and patient- are all insane or they /ould not +e here. Toether they can find a path/ay out- for no one /ill find sanity alone. 6. If healin is an initation to 8od to enter into #is Dindom- /hat difference does it ma,e ho/ the initation is /ritten) $oes the paper mattermatter- or the in,- or the pen) r is it he /ho /rites that ies the initation) 8od comes to those /ho /ould restore #is /orldfor they hae found the /ay to call to #im. If an y t/o are hrist- for /hat is unseen throuh #is eyes is too framented to +e meaninful. %. =s true reliion heals- so must true psychotherapy +e reliious. But +oth hae many forms- +ecause no ood teacher uses one approach to eery pupil. n the contrarycontraryhe listens patiently to each one- and lets him formulate his o/n curriculum5 not the curriculumCs oal- +ut ho/ he can +est reach the aim it sets for him. Perhaps the teacher does not thin, of 8od as part of teachin. Perhaps the psychotherapist does not understand that healin comes from 8od. They can succeed /here many /ho +eliee they hae found 8od /ill fail. !. 9hat must the teacher do to ensure learnin) 9hat must the therapist do to +rin healin a+out) nly one thin5 the same reuirement salation as,s of eeryone. ach one must share one oal /ith someone else- and in so doin- lose all sense of separate interests. nly +y doin this is it possi+le to transcend the narro/ +oundaries the eo /ould impose upon the self. nly +y doin this can teacher and pupil- therapist and patient- you and I- accept =tonement and learn to ie it as it /as receied. '. >ommunion is impossi+le alone. 7o one /ho stands apart can receie >hristCs ision. It is held out to him- +ut he cannot hold out his hand to receie it. Let him +e still











2. ~ The Role of the Psychotherapist Psychotherapist

1. The psychotherapist psychotherapist is a leader in the sense that he /al,s slihtly ahead of the patient- and helps him to aoid a fe/ of the pitfalls alon the road +y seein them first. IdeallyIdeally- he is also a follo/er- for ne should /al, ahead of him to ie him liht to see. 9ithout this ne- +oth /ill merely stum+le +lindly on to no/here. It is- ho/eer- impossi+le that this ne +e /holly a+sent if the oal is healin. #e maymay- ho/eer- not +e reconi@ed. =nd so the little liht that can +e then then accepted is all there is to liht the /ay to truth. 2. #ealin is limited +y the limitations of the psychotherapist- as it is limited +y those of the patient. The aim of the process- therefore- is to transcend these limits. 7either can do this alone- +ut /hen they hrist. But healin is a process- not a fact. The therapist cannot proress /ithout the patient- and the patient cannot +e ready to receie the >hrist or he could not +e sic,. In a sense- the eoless psychotherapist is an











2.! ~ The Process of Illness

1. =s all therapy is psychotherapypsychotherapy- so all illness is mental illness. It is a reator. It is a decision to perceie the unierse as you /ould hae created it. It is a decision that truth can lie and must +e lies. 9 hat- then- can illness +e ecept an epression of sorro/ and of uilt) =nd /ho could /eep +ut for his innocence) 2. nce 8odCs (on is seen as uiltyuilty- illness +ecomes ineita+le. It has +een as,ed for and /ill +e receied. =nd all /ho as, for illness hae no/ condemned themseles to see, for remedies that cannot help- +ecause their faith is in the illness and not in salation. There can +e nothin that a chane of mind cannot effect- for all eternal thins are only shado/s of a decision already made. >hane the decision- and ho/ can its shado/ +e unchaned) Illness can +e +ut uiltCs shado/shado/- rotesue and uly since it mimics deformity. deformity. If a deformity is seen as real- /hat could its shado/ +e ecept deformed) 3. The descent into hell follo/s step +y step in an ineita+le course- once the decision that uilt is real has +een made. (ic,ness and death and misery no/ stal, the earth in unrelentin /aes- sometimes toether and sometimes in rim succession. :et :et all these thins- ho/eer real they seem- are +ut illusions. 9ho could hae faith in them once this is reali@ed) =nd =nd /ho could not hae faith in them until he reali@es this) #ealin is therapy or correction- and /e hae said already and /ill say aain- all therapy is psychotherapy. To heal the sic, is +ut to +rin this reali@ation to them. 4. The /ord cure has come into disrepute amon the more respecta+le therapists of the /orld- and










has not +een oercome until the meanin of loe is understood. =nd /ho can understand this /ithout the 9ord of 8od- ien +y #im to the #oly (pirit as #is ift to you) 6. Illness of any ,ind may +e defined as the result of a ie/ of the self as /ea,ulnera+le- eil and endanered- and thus in need of constant defense. :et :et if such /ere really the self- defense /ould +e impossi+le. Therefore- the defenses souht for must +e maical. They must oercome oercome all limits perceied in the self- at the same time ma,in a ne/ self;concept into /hich the old one cannot return. In a /ord- error is accepted as real and dealt /ith +y illusions. Truth +ein +rouht to illusions- reality no/ +ecomes a threat and is perceied as eil. Loe +ecomes feared +ecause reality is loe. Thus is the circle closed aainst the inroads of salation. %. Illness is therefore a mista,e and needs correction. =nd as /e hae already emphasi@ed- correction cannot +e achieed +y first esta+lishin the rihtness of the mista,e and then oerloo,in it. If illness is real it cannot +e oerloo,ed in truth- for to oerloo, reality is insanity. insanity. :et :et that is maicCs purpose5 to ma,e illusions true throuh false perception. This cannot cannot heal- for it opposes truth. Perhaps an illusion of health is su+stituted for a little /hile- +ut not for lon. ?ear cannot lon +e hidden +y illusions- for it is part of them. It /ill escape and ta,e another form- +ein the source of all illusions. !. (ic,ness is insanity +ecause all sic,ness is mental mental illness- and in it there are no derees. ne of the illusions +y /hich sic,ness is perceied as real is the +elief that illness aries in intensity5 that the deree of threat differs accordin to the form it ta,es. #erein lies the +asis of all errors- for all of them are +ut attempts to compromise +y seein












teachin- if his lesson is to +e that sanity is safe. It cannot +e too stronly emphasi@ed that the insane +eliee that sanity is threat. This is the corollary of the oriinal sin5 the +elief that uilt is real and fully










2." ~ The Process of #ealing #ealing

1. 9hile truth is simple- it must still +e tauht to those /ho hae already lost their /ay in endless ma@es of compleity. compleity. This is the reat illusion. In its /a,e comes the ineita+le +elief that- to +e safe- one must control the un,no/n. This strane +elief relies on certain steps /hich neer reach to consciousness. consciousness. ?irst- it is ushered in +y the +elief that there are forces to +e oercome to +e alie at all. =nd net- it seems as if these forces can +e held at +ay only +y an inflated sense of self that holds in dar,ness /hat is truly feltand see,s to raise illusions to the liht. 2. Let us remem+er that the ones /ho come to us for help are +itterly afraid. 9hat they +eliee /ill help can only harm5 /hat they +eliee /ill harm alone can help. Proress +ecomes impossi+le until the patient is persuaded to reerse his t/isted /ay of loo,in at the /orld5 his t/isted /ay of loo,in at himself. The truth is simple. :et :et it must +e tauht to those /ho thin, it /ill endaner them. It must +e tauht to those /ho /ill attac, +ecause they feel endanered- and to those /ho need the lesson of defenselessness a+oe all else- to sho/ them /hat is strenth. 3. If this /orld /ere ideal- there could perhaps +e ideal therapy. therapy. =nd yet it /ould +e useless in an ideal state. 9e spea, of ideal teachin in a /orld in /hich the perfect teacher could not lon remain5 the perfect psychotherapist psychotherapist is +ut a limmer of a thouht











sacred callin of 8odCs holy (on for help in his perceied distress can +e +ut ans/ered +y his ?ather. :et :et #e needs a oice throuh /hich to spea, #is holy 9ord5 a hand to reach #is (on and touch his heart. In such a process- /ho could not +e healed) This holy interaction is the plan of 8od #imself- +y /hich #is (on is saed. 6. ?or t/o hae hrist- and understand that it is +ut our











2.$ ~ The %efinition of #ealing

1. The process of psychotherapypsychotherapy- then- can +e defined simply as forieness- for no healin can +e anythin else. The unforiin are sic,- +eliein they are unforien. The hanin;on to uilt- its huin;close and shelterin- its loin protection and alert defense-Gall this is +ut the rim refusal to forie. 8od may not enter here the sic, repeat- oer and oeroer- /hile they mourn their loss and yet re










reproduce the forms of the other- for they are the same illusion. (o closely is one translated into the otherother- that a careful study of the form a sic,ness ta,es /ill point uite clearly to the form of unforieness that it represents. :et :et seein this /ill not effect a cure. That is achieed +y only one reconition5 that only forieness heals an unforienessand only an unforieness can possi+ly ie rise to sic,ness of any ,ind. 6. This reali@ation is the final oal of psychotherapy. psychotherapy. #o/ is it reached) The therapist sees in the patient all that he has not forien in himself- and is thus ien another chance to loo, at it- open it to re;ealuation and forie it. 9hen this occurs- he sees his sins as one into a past that is no loner here. Antil he does this- he must thin, of eil as +esettin him here and no/. no/. The patient is his screen for the pro












2.& ~ The Ideal Patient ' Therapist Therapist Relationship Relationship

1. 9ho- then- is the therapist- and /ho is the patient) In the end- eeryone is +oth. #e /ho needs healin must heal. Physician- heal thyself. 9 ho else is there to heal) =nd =nd /ho else is in need of healin) ach patient /ho comes to a therapist offers him a chance to heal himself. #e is therefore his therapist. =nd eery therapist must learn to heal from each patient /ho comes to him. #e thus +ecomes his patient. 8od does not ,no/ of separation. 9hat #e ,no/s is only that #e has one (on. #is ,no/lede is reflected in the ideal patient;therapist relationship. 8od comes to him /ho calls- and in #im he reconi@es #imself. 2. Thin, carefullycarefully- teacher and therapist- for /hom you praypray- and /ho is i s in need of healin. ?or therapy is prayerprayer- and healin is its aim and its result. 9hat 9 hat is prayer ecept the hrist can enter) This is #is home- into /hich











8uilt is ineita+le in those /ho use their reator- 9hose Loe is in him and











can eer lead to peace.

O let your patient in, for he has come to you from God. Is not his holiness enough to wake your memory of Him?











.1 ~ The Practice of Psychotherapy '' The (election of Patients

1. eryone /ho is sent to you is a patient of yours. This does not mean that you select him- nor that you choose the ,ind of treatment that is suita+le. But it does mean that no one comes to you +y mista,e. There are no errors in 8odCs plan. It /ould +e an errorho/eerho/eer- to assume that you ,no/ /hat to offer eeryone /ho comes. This is not up to you to decide. There is a tendency to assume that you are +ein called on constantly constantly to ma,e sacrifices of yourself for those /ho come. This could hardly +e true. To To demand sacrifice of yourself is to demand a sacrifice of 8od- and #e ,no/s nothin of sacrifice. 9ho could as, of Perfection that #e +e imperfect) 2. 9ho- then- decides /hat each +rother needs) (urely not you- /ho do not yet reconi@e /ho he is /ho as,s. There is (omethin (omethin in him that /ill tell you- if you listen. =nd that is the ans/er5 listen. $o not not demand- do not decide- do do not sacrifice. Listen. 9hat











his understandin. :et :et /ould he not re












.2 ~ Is Psychotherapy a Profession)

1. (trictly spea,in the ans/er is no. #o/ could a separate profession +e one in /hich eeryone is enaed) =nd =nd ho/ could any limits +e laid on an interaction in /hich eeryone is +oth patient and therapist in eery e ery relationship in /hich he enters) :et :et practically spea,in- it can still +e said that there are those /ho deote themseles











lad- for all your sins hae +een forien you. This is the only messae that any t/o should eer ie each other. ". (omethin ood must come from eery meetin of patient and therapist. =nd that ood is saed for +oth- aainst the day /hen they can reconi@e that only that /as real in their relationship. =t that moment moment the ood is returned to them- +lessed +y the #oly (pirit as a ift from their >reator as a sin of #is Loe. ?or the therapeutic relationship must +ecome li,e the relationship of the ?ather and the (on. There is no otherother- for there is











seen ahead. Eost professional professional therapists are still at the ery start of the +einnin stae of the first










. ~ The *uestion of Payment

1. 7o one can pay for therapytherapy- for healin is of 8od and #e as,s for nothin. It i sho/eerho/eer- part of #is plan that eerythin in this /orld +e used +y the #oly (pirit to help in carryin out the plan. en an adanced therapist has some some earthly needs /hile he is here. (hould he need money it /ill +e ien him- not in payment- +ut to help him +etter











ie. =nd =nd +ecause he ies- he shall +e ien. This is the la/ of 8od- and not of the /orld. (o it is /ith 8odCs healers. They ie +ecause they hae heard #is 9ord and understood it. =ll that they need /ill thus +e ien them. But they /ill lose this understandin unless they remem+er that all they hae comes only from 8od. If they +eliee they need anythin from a +rother- they /ill reconi@e him as a +rother no loner. =nd if they do this- a liht oes out een in #eaen. 9here 8odCs (on turns aainst himself- he can loo, only upon dar,ness. #e has himself denied the liht- and cannot see.

A Course in Miracles Psychotherapy Pamphlet: Purpose Process & Practice

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