A spiritual father who must practice his work based on the Orthodox Tradition clearly differs from a psychologist who works based on a human-centred view of the man and his life.
A psychologist wants to balance man psychologically. A spiritual father aims at leading man to deity.
Psychologists use the positions of the School they represent. A spiritual father uses the eternal word of God revealed to the Prophets, the Apostles and the saints.
A psychologist thinks that illness is due only to traumatic experiences of the past or so-called repressed memories.
A spiritual advisor knows well that it is not just memories of the past and repulsive experiences stored in the subconscious, but that a part of the soul, the mind, which is the eye of the soul, suffers.
A psychologist uses the method of questioning and listening and tries to help people to realize their problem and helps them to mature psychologically.
A spiritual advisor, illuminated by the Grace of God, identifies the problem, which is the darkness of the mind and imaginations, and by the orthodox method, which is purification and illumination, tries to lead people into the theory of God.
A psychologist moves humanly with thoughts and ideas. A spiritual advisor moves in a theanthropic manner.
He uses the healing method, but also, through the Divine Mysteries, sends God’s Grace to the heart of the patient.
Psychologists think everything is moving on a human level. They do not know the existence of the devil and the energy of the uncreated Grace of God.
A spiritual advisor knows the difference between God’s Grace, the energy of the devil and the spiritual and physical sickness.
A psychologist reaches the point where the patients realize their problem and deal with it.
A spiritual father leads men to repentance, which consists of their total transformation.
He does not lead them to the elimination of some experiences, but to the transformation of their passions.
I think one can find more points that show the huge difference between a psychologist and a spiritual advisor.
And it is a pity to have such a comprehensive teaching on human purification and cure in our Church, but to end up with the adoption and use of the psychological theories of Westerners, who seek to treat the Westerns who, of course, have got to that point for ignoring the tradition of Nepsis.
* From the book “Mental Illness and Health of Metropolitan of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios, Mr. Ierotheos
