In this issue
Features
Project
Building bridges 鈥� the importance of counselling聽and personal development in spiritual growth
Linda Watkinson considers what place counselling聽and personal development have within church and聽faith community settings
Special focus
Open heart, open mind: conversing with the soul
The therapist who can help the soul to speak can聽open the way to healing, says Andrew Powell
Perspectives
Does God exist?
John Rowan uses Ken Wilber鈥檚 theories regarding聽levels of consciousness to explore how we know聽whether God exists
Research
Counselling and spiritual accompaniment: the same,聽but distinct
Peter Gubi鈥檚 research shows many similarities in the聽practices of spiritual accompaniment and counselling,聽but differences in standards of training, working to an聽ethical framework and supervision. He asks what role聽APSCC might have in addressing these differences
Regulars
From the chair
Lynette Harborne: 1,001 members
Lead advisor update
Salma Khalid: Spiritually uplifting
All articles from this issue are not yet available online. Divisional members and subscribers can download the pdf from the聽罢丑谤别蝉丑辞濒诲蝉听archive.
Welcome from the editor
鈥榃hat is your vision for聽Thresholds in the future?鈥櫬燭his was one of the questions聽put to me when I attended an聽interview for the post of editor聽of Thresholds. Vision? Did I聽have any vision? I remember a聽moment of panic, then after a聽long pause I answered somewhat聽nervously, but with passion, that聽I felt the journal should reflect the聽rich, wide spiritual backgrounds聽and practices of the membership,聽and be a resource to practitioners,聽whatever their spiritual聽background. As I am sitting here聽writing my first editorial, I guess聽that this must be a vision shared聽by others, and I am delighted to聽join the APSCC team.
As a counsellor and researcher spirituality often seems聽to be at the heart of what I do. People often seem on a聽quest for meaning in their lives asking questions聽such as, 鈥榳ho am I?鈥� or, 鈥榳hat is the point in all of this?鈥櫬營 am always amazed by the power of these questions; and the聽rich diversity of spiritual beliefs and practices that emerge,聽often very different from my own. Indeed, I am reminded聽constantly how fundamental spirituality is to the person鈥檚聽sense of wellbeing.
Difference is not necessarily a bad thing as it can result in rich聽tapestries of understanding being created and multicultural聽conversations taking place. A young Muslim woman I am聽currently working with said to me recently, 鈥榯he divine is the聽key. It is where we meet. Even though you are from a different聽faith and culture, it is through this spiritual layer that聽meaningful conversations happen and my pain is dispersed.鈥�
A big thank you to all of you who responded and completed聽the questionnaire about Thresholds. I have carefully read all聽of your responses, and this helps me as a new editor to gain聽an understanding of what you are looking for in your journal.聽As you will see, Thresholds has a new look in this issue. We聽are hoping to include articles and features from a wide range聽of practitioners and specialists in the field, together with your聽letters, book reviews and updates from the Chair and Lead聽Advisor of APSCC. There have also been requests for a聽practitioner鈥檚 page where ethical dilemmas, challenges and聽examples of good practice can be shared. If you have ideas聽for this (or any other) page, and would like to contribute, then聽do contact me at: thresholds.editorial@bacp.co.uk.
Within this issue you will find articles from Andrew Powell,聽looking at how conversing with the soul can bring about聽healing; John Rowan asks, 鈥楧oes God exist?鈥� and explores聽how answers to this question may depend on our level of聽consciousness; Peter Gubi shares his research into similarities聽between spiritual accompaniment and counselling and asks聽what role APSCC might take in addressing differences; and聽Linda Watkinson explores the place of counselling聽and personal development within church and faith聽community settings.
Dr Susan Dale
Editor
thresholds.editorial@bacp.co.uk