This study is concerned with the pastoral counseling approach about the borderline personality disorder through the God-representation. For this approach the author hypothesizes that the individual's God -representation is related to his/her self imag...
This study is concerned with the pastoral counseling approach about the borderline personality disorder through the God-representation. For this approach the author hypothesizes that the individual's God -representation is related to his/her self images, object images and emotional states. Therefore the author may deduce the following ; if the individual's God-representation transforms, so will do his/her self images, object images and emotional states.
To identify that hypothesis, this study deals with the next three parts. First, it introduces a history, etiology, diagnosis, therapeutic approach about borderline personality disorder in Kernberg' perspective.
Secondly, according to Rizzuto's study, this thesis explores the origin of a person's representation of God in the course of his/her development and on the use of this representation by the individual during the life cycle.
Thirdly, on the basis of the first and second statements the author analyzes two cases on borderline patient's God-representation. One of them is Rizzuto's case, the other case is the author's, which is obtained by the tape-recorded interview for an hour and half during 4 sessions. Those are presented with two angles descriptively from the phenomenological point of view, and dynamically from the point of view of the psychic balance of the individual as Rizzuto's cases. Through this work the author finds that two patients' God-representation, their self images, object images and emotional states are negative, which are influenced by early unappropriated object relations and other components. In their life course they have repeatedly sought an object to offer mothering role, but it could not be satisfied.
Therefore the author attempts to suggest a pastoral counseling approach to heal the borderline personality disorder through the God- representation. In other words, as Rizzuto' s study indicated this approach is to assist the patient with borderline personality disorder to experience graceful God that Christian traditions offer.
To implement the above mentioned thesis the author proposes two possibilities. One is the counseling approach as transitional area to offer mothering role, and the other is the group approach as facilitating environments which focuses on didactic and sensitive aspects.
Through the result of this work the author suggests the followings First, the necessity of professional pastoral counselors that are trained in both theology and psychology, Secondly, the necessity of parents education on nurturing in the church, Thirdly, the awakening and improvement about church environments to strengthen distorted God image, and Lastly, the necessity of revision and establishment of the theory and the practical program design to apply in Korean situation for borderline personality disorder.