Main Article Content

Abstract

The growing acceptance that spiritual and religious variables can be pertinent to the understanding and treatment of mental health problems has given rise to an accommodation between psychologists and religious professionals. A considerable consensus exists in the recent literature that more in-depth explorations of spiritual and religious matters in the context of mental health need to occur. This paper begins with a critical review of various pieces of literature on sin and the use of repentance in reducing psychological distress. It progresses into a qualitative investigation that operates in a hermeneutic-phenomenological epistemological framework exploring the experiences of Christians who have undergone psychotherapy and then into a proposition for a research methodology for potential investigations into the effects of sin and repentance on mental health and well-being. The findings of this investigation suggest that the integration of repentance into psychological counseling and psychotherapy can significantly contribute to the overall well-being of individuals seeking mental health assistance. Drawing upon the assertions of the theologian clients is an intrinsically harmonious yet sometimes subtly subversive process concerning the psychotherapist, as many in modern Western societies subscribe to the presuppositions of mental health problems being clinically defined and therefore unrelated to spiritual matters. Added to this were the personal opinions of several participants during the investigation that psychologists and cognitive-behavioral-based practitioners will hold stigmatized attitudes toward sin and repentance as indicators of mental health problems owing to the modern psychological movement to remove moral presumptions from conceptualizations of mental illness.

Keywords

Spiritual integration psychological distress Repentance therapy Hermeneutic-phenomenology Mental well-being

Article Details

How to Cite
Otu Abban, A. (2024). The Importance of Repentance in Psychological Counselling and Psychotherapy. Convergence Chronicles, 5(2), 54–62. https://doi.org/10.53075/Ijmsirq/6345345345

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