Hello.
My name is Craig Stephen Titus.
I'm a professor at Divine Mercy University.
Today, I would like to speak about, a Catholic Christian meta model of the person and its implications.
I what do I bring to the table?
I bring to the table experience at the university, and I'm one of the editors that edited the book on a Catholic Christian Mental Model of the Person, Integration with Psychology and Mental Health Practice.
A book, you see, with lots of color to it.
It has, been, in one sense, accumulation of the wisdom acquired at Divine Mercy University over the twenty five years that it existed, and the collaboration in the project has been large and fruitful.
And that is what I would like to share with you today.
So as I mentioned, the point of today's talk is this meta model, this Catholic Christian meta model of the person which I'm very happy to share with you.
It was, I didn't mention the year.
It was published in 2020, the result of a good deal of collaboration.
What is it about?
What I'd like to do is give you an overview first of of the talk for the day, telling you what it's about, this Catholic Christian meta model of the person.
I'll identify in three points the following.
First, that there are four benefits of this type of approach of a meta model for mental health practice.
Secondly, I'll talk about the three wisdom traditions that go through enrich and, enliven the model, and, I'd like to talk about how each of those traditions provide an expansive understanding and definition of the person that's helpful for multidisciplinary work and work in counseling and psychology, especially.
I say especially because that is the focus, of this, work that we've created through wisdom traditions in the Catholic perspective.
Thirdly, I'll be, addressing 11 premises that constitute, if you will, the basis for understanding the Meta Model and its application to mental health.
And so, what I'd like to do is simply perhaps first state that, right, that one proviso.
That is that the meta model presents a comprehensive frame.
So when we talk when we say meta model, we actually mean a framework, a larger or meta model that can be applied to the mental health professions.
Although rooted in the Catholic Christian perspective, it is used by mental health professionals to understand clients, assess their needs, diagnose the situation at hand, and formulate treatment plans for both believing and non believing clients.
We presume that the best assessment diagnosis and treatment planning will come out of out of the most accurate and robust understanding of the person and family.
This task of expansiveness and accuracy drives the work of formulating the philosophical, theological, and psychological or mental health dimensions of the premises of the Catholic Christian meta model of the person, but it is the clinician's task to communicate such a global world view and integrate it in practice in ways that are fitting to clients' and to clients' diverse needs and world views.
So, first of all, I'd like to, identify these four, if you will, benefits that we'll be talking about, that come out of this framework, this meta model framework.
When I say meta model, I'm saying Catholic Christian meta model of the person in shorthand.
But each time, it takes a larger context into perspective, So I wanna keep that, in mind.
So there are four, benefits.
First of all, quickly, the meta model provides an enriched vision of the person.
We'll see that that the vision of marriage, family, and society is is enlarged and enriched because of the meta model perspective of these these three, wisdom traditions of philosophy, theology, and psychology.
Secondly secondly, this vision of the meta model in turn promotes more comprehensive approaches to diagnosis, case conceptualization, and treatment planning, and implementation.
Thirdly, the meta model facilitates client care that is more personalized given that it is based on each unique client's strengths and challenges across a wide variety of dimensions.
And then fourthly, the model allows the clinician to more fully understand their vocational calling as a mental health professional.
It allows the clinicians their Christian identity and understanding of the person, of people to be fruitful, and being applied, while also respecting the client's worldview, dignity, conscience, and right to decide on therapeutic goals.
Let's take each one of these four shortly, these four benefits.
First of all, the enrichment of the understanding of the person for psychological sciences.
Historically, the field of psychology has developed a series of partial theories of the person, emphasizing one or only a few dimensions of the person.
And so that has been, if you will, the way the claim to fame the fame coming from a partial focused, theory of personality.
Many of the personality theories contradict each other, however, on important dimensions.
For example, the freedom of the person is a area that and there is disagreement among, psychotherapists in psychology schools of psychology.
Thirdly, efforts at integrating across theories have been limited.
So the different types of, the theories that have focused on cognition or behavior or, the family, are only in a limited way integrated together, so a challenge.
Fourth, many important dimensions of the person have been ignored or inadequately explored.
For example, when we're talking about locations, vocational commitments is not a part of the normal discussion in psychology.
Transcendence and spirituality is growing, but of, late interest, if you will, concerning modern psychology.
Work and leisure, positive strengths and virtues, clients' recognitions of their inherent dignity.
These are elements that are important and not, adequately explored in our mind.
The mental model, fifthly, as a framework allows the integration of the fullness of the contributions of existing personality theories, arbitrating where necessary and adding valuable aspects of the person.
So the the Meta Model serves as a frame and allows integrating of these various schools of thought, what's good and true and helpful in each of them, as a framework.
Secondly, the second benefit is improved client care in general.
So the meta model promotes a more comprehensive approach to assessment, diagnosis, case formulation, and treatment planning and implementation.
It's more comprehensive, in focusing on the client, which then gives a diagnosis that goes beyond the DSM five or the ICD 10 symptom based or deficient deficiency based models.
And what it does, it, includes an assessment of flourishing dimensions such as quality of interpersonal relationships, vocational commitments, meaningful work, and spiritual life, all very important for the care of the of the client.
Also, the meta model requires the use of multiple psychological theories at different levels.
The meta model itself is is not a psychoan is psychotherapeutic school.
It is a framework that allows taking in the insights of the different schools from the benefit of the client, focusing on the client as individual dyadic family system or vocational.
This larger, understanding of the client in terms of, families and dyadic systems is very significant for, caring of, the client, who who benefits from being considered a member of a family, a spouse, having a vocation, for example.
The Meta Model also allows for training of students to enter the field with its this rich comprehensive vision of the person, one, and it's a more comprehensive vision than relying on the uncertain or haphazard development of such a vision over a long career.
And so clients and so clinicians, learn, using the meta model, the big picture without having to create it themselves.
The third benefit is that the the meta model provides better care for each unique client.
So it facilitates client care itself, that is more personalized given it is based on each unique client's strengths and challenges across the wide variety of dimensions.
The clear emphasis on the dignity and uniqueness of each client protects against just treating a problem or promote and promotes the fuller goal of caring for this particular person in front of you.
The medi model advocates for obtaining the big picture view of the client and protects against the danger of becoming overly specialized too quickly.
There's a need to gather enough information at a larger level before deciding to work at the individual dyadic or systems level.
This gives better care for each unique client.
And fourthly, the metabolic helps in contextualizing treatment goals and and treatment with the client's own vocational callings, especially vocational commitments, for example.
Ensure that individual growth, goals are consistent with the growth and health of the client's marital relationships Often or at least sometimes, the marriage and spouses are not considered.
There's better care for each client when the vocational perspective is seen and when it's considered in in relationship with one's spouse as well.
So fourthly, and this is, this shows more explicitly the Christian, perspective here, and so it's a theological or spiritual benefit.
The manual enhances the clinician's understanding of their identity as a Christian mental health professional.
And so the meta model's vision of the person is helpful to the flourishing of both the client and the clinician.
And the self analysis using the meta model helps us to be more aware of our our self and more and core identity and the need for healing growth and self care.
Such self application is necessary for us to become reliable guides to a client embarking on a similar journey of faith and spiritual growth.
The Minimalist emphasizes that the choice to enter the mental health field is a response to a vocational calling, not just the choice of an occupation.
Believe that, the caring for others is a part of one's vocation, god given, grace driven, and it's not a perspective that the Christian mental health professional can understand their work to be a calling, a vocational calling.
And fourthly, the meta model empowers the clinician to employ their Christian identity and understanding of the person and of people in general in their work since well well, it allows them to understand people in their work while also respecting the client's worldview, dignity, conscience, and right to decide on therapeutic goals.
So the benefits are numerous, and they go from the I didn't understanding the person to the different aspects of of client care and to the benefits of being able to, if you will, recognize one's vocation, Christian vocation, as a part of, professional work.
So the second point, the Christian the Catholic Christian meta model of the person integrates three wisdom traditions.
This is, the source, if you will, of the wisdom of the meta, the large picture that the the meta model, has taken, wholeheartedly to the the identity of being multidisciplinary founded in works of wisdom, the works of wisdom that are found in psychology, the works of wisdom that are found in philosophy, and the works of win wisdom that you find in theology.
These three wisdom traditions focused on in the Meta Model are sources of richness, and each of each one of them within the Meta Model's perspective has been, if you will, developed in an integrated way to produce a specific definition of the person for each for each, wisdom tradition, from each wisdom tradition, and if you will, being offered for the mental health professionals' own understanding and application in an integrated way.
The minimum, presents an in a hierarchical integration of these three wisdom traditions that has implications for reason, faith based approaches, ethics, and the identity of of the clinician.
And we're gonna see that in a moment and how the different definitions from these three, sources of wisdom allow us to see a bigger picture, something deeper, something, very rich.
And it is the meta model as a framework that works to integrate all the existing evidence based theories and practices about the person without always taking their presuppositions.
And so, key within psychology is the approach that takes, evidence based practices.
And so the the meta model follows that completely, recognizing that practices and and therapies need a larger picture, and the meta model provides the larger picture for these particular, evidence based theories and practices, that, can be drawn into the work in the light of the meta model.
And so the meta model integrates these three traditions and uses it, provides the clinician to use, the meta model.
Let me give you, the three definitions of the person coming from psychology, philosophy, and theology.
You'll notice that the definition is not just one line.
You'll notice that the the definition of, psychology is actually longer than the others.
And part of that is due to the way that the definitions, all three of them, take from the sources and the methods that are due to the particular sciences that are represented.
And so this is, in one sense, of, I guess, it's very it's very profound.
So from a psychological perspective and here's the definition.
The human person is an embodied individual who is intellect whose intelligent, uses language, and exercises limited free will, the foundation, if you will.
The person, continuing on, the person is fundamentally interpersonal, experiences and expresses emotions and has sensory, perceptual, cognitive capacities to be in contact with reality.
Psychology sees this big picture of of the individual of intelligence, the capacities that we have, the emotions, the way of being in contact with the world.
But that's not the end of the definition.
It continues further.
All these characteristics are possible because of the the unity of the body and unique self consciousness and are expressed in behavior and mental life.
These are important areas where psychology, understands the person in a very profound way.
Continuing on the definition.
Furthermore, the person is called by human nature to flourishing through virtuous behavior and transcendent growth through interpersonal commitments to family, friends, and others, and through work service and meaningful leisure.
We see a very large understanding of the human person and vocations, family, friends, and others.
The definition continues from their origins, natural and transcendent.
All persons have intrinsic goodness, dignity, and worth.
This can be affirmed also from the psychological perspective.
And lastly, in the course of life, those suffering from many natural, personal, social disorders and conditions, persons hope for healing, meaning, and flourishing.
End of quote.
This is a definition of the person from the model perspective.
It is much more expansive and inclusive, than other psychology definitions of the person, psychology based definitions.
From the, Catholic Christian men among the person, there's a way to complement this and even more, if you will, enrich our vision of the person.
And we see that, psychology brings us a a rich understanding of the person.
Philosophy brings us a structured one that, is in line with that goes beyond in in in a philosophical way.
Here's the definition on from the meta model perspective on from a philosophical foundation, from a philosophical perspective.
I should say quote from a philosophical perspective.
The human person is an individual substance of a rational, intel intellectual, volitional, free, relational, interpersonal, sensory, perceptual, cognitive, free, rational knowledge, emotional, and unified body, soul nature.
That's right.
It was one sentence or even, not quite since it's a semicolon, and it continues.
So from this philosophical philosophical perspective, the person is called to flourishing moral responsibility and virtue through his or her vowed or nonviolent vocational state as well as through life work, service, and meaningful leisure.
The classic definition of the person is simply, that that continues today to be popular is that the person is an individual substance of a rational nature.
That is, a part of the definition that we've seen in the minimal philosophical perspective, but only a part.
It it's much more expansive and, explicit.
What you're waiting for perhaps, the theological dimension, the theological definition of the person means as follows and complements the other two in various ways as as you will see, quote, from a theological perspective, scripture, tradition, and magisterium, the human person is created in the image of God and made by and for divine and human love.
And although suffering the effects of original personal and social sin, he is invited to divine redemption in Christ Jesus, sanctification through the Holy Spirit, and beatitude with God, the father, end of quote.
Three definitions, three levels of analysis of the person, three ways, also that, we can enter into the wisdom traditions to bring out a wealth of understanding of the person.
What does that look like?
Well, one example of what that looks like is taking in a meta model perspective, the perspective of the three wisdom traditions, plus this openness to truth and wisdom, globally speaking, and taking it to to see how the different different definitions, in one sense, get completed even further because the disciplines of the sciences can actually do go further too.
The The meta model allows us to be able to see that and bring them together.
One example is how in, the virtue of love and the commandment to love, we see something, more profound and perhaps helpful clinically in in points as well, depending on on what, is happening within the individual.
But from a right.
So in the perspective of these integrated layers of the disciplines, I'd like to show you how theology, philosophy, psychology at different levels add something more when seen one next to the other.
First of all, for example, in theology, if we understand that the call to love God and love others as self is a theological standard and, foundational point.
From a philosophical perspective, most ethical traditions have something that's parallel in part and, philosophically sound that is do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
This philosophical explanation or expression of of love in duty is very significant.
It tells us something about also what's happening within the person when we who we can talk about at this level, even if they don't, for example, understand the love of God mentioned in the first level.
But going down to the to the third laminator level, we can see how love involves attachment From a psychology theory, boldly, helps us to understand what that means.
But psychology also focuses on behavior, so love as observed attachment.
Ainsworth in her work explains, expounds on on on this level of laminate.
Attachment as the right here right hemisphere brain pattern is the input that's neuroscience with its researchers their brain, like SHOR and and Seagull.
And then attachment also can be seen, as a part of what we're experiencing at biochemical neuroscience levels, for example, in oxytocin, which is released in in as a bonding reward.
And, so here, a great example of the integrated laminate of disciplines possibility because the meta model is open to the layers in conversation with, the different traditions and drawing those together, in practice is is the work of someone who's has a meta model vision.
This is in one sense these are lenses to help you see, in this case, love at at different levels.
And, it's her job then also to see if this is working, how it can be called upon in the life of the client.
And if it's not working, if someone's having difficulties at the level of attachment because of insecure attachment patterns of in reference to one's relationship with one's parents, especially one's mother, that there can be an underlying difficulty of attachment.
I can explain why love, and commitment to love, can be difficult for for those who have insecure attachment experiences.
So now what I'd like to do is to, talk about the various premises that make up the Catholic Christian meta model of the person.
As I I mentioned earlier, there is the meta model as a framework that, is fed by three wisdom traditions, philosophy, theology, psychology.
And, it's within the definitions from those three traditions that we have a fuller understanding of the person.
And now I would like to to go into, the premises, what we call the the premises of the person, the mental mental model premises, identifying them philosophically and theologically, and at the same time, seeing their psychological, parallels.
And it's in this perspective, that I'd like to talk about eight of them, first of all, in the philosophical, psychological philosophical philosophy, if you will, premise of the person.
I'll go through each of them and give some implications, for this, for these premises for the work of, psych the psychological sciences and mental health practice.
But the premises, I'll go through first eight in the philosophical, psychology or the psychological perspective.
So first, I mean, we'll talk about personal unity and then the significance of vocations, virtues, relationality, sensory, perceptual, cognitions, emotions, being rational, volitional, and and free.
First of all, a person, is a personal unity, a wholeness.
And there are there is the premise or dimension of the minimum that the person is a unity that is very significant.
Why will each person, both males and females, have individual identity, personal dignity, moral value, and spiritual goodness?
Men and women, moreover, have equal worth, different gifts, and complimentary missions to the family and society, and these are rooted in the person.
And since the person, is a body, soul unity, since we are body soul unity, is what affects the body affects the soul, and what affects the soul affects the body.
This matter form, this way of understanding the the nature of the person and as to as a body, soul unity is very significant.
But what are the implications of acknowledging the importance of personal unity in the mental health professionals, we can ask?
Well, the principle of personal unity identifies the personal wholeness and the diverse identity of each client.
In particular, it invites the mental health professional to become aware of the strengths and struggles that come from partaking in the diverse gifts, different cultures, particular religious practices, and spiritualities, as well as the family histories that shape the lives of each of their unique clients.
This premise establishes the dimension of person based ethical norms as well, including but more expansive than professional ethics per se, for the dignity of the person is the basis to respect life from conception until death.
It is also the basis to protect both the mental health professionals and the client's own consciences and sense of responsibility.
So from a philosophical and a psychological perspective, we can identify the significance of the person, being a unity, a unity with dignity and, involving also the the moral nature that comes out of the very person, body, soul unity with minds that help them and empower them to be in contact with the world.
The second premise is that the person is fulfilled through responding to their own personal vocations.
What What does that mean?
Well, there are three interrelated types of calling or vocation, each contributing to every everyday or ultimate flourishing.
First of all, there's the call to goodness.
There's a call to moral formation and to the spiritual dimension of life because each person is called to goodness, justice, truth, holiness, relationship, and beauty, each in a unique way.
We flourish only because we affirm such personal, moral, and spiritual callings.
Secondly, there are vocational states in life.
Each person is called to honor their vocational relationships, be they single, married, family members, consecrated, or ordained.
The second type of vocation contributes to the flourishing of families and communities and society.
Vocations are that important.
And so thirdly, each person is called to self giving work, devoted service, recreative, and meaningful lay leisure, which are also, contribute to flourishing.
When we see these different premises, coming together, we should be understanding we should understand that they are all elements of the ongoing process of flourishing rooted in our youth our our wholeness and rooted in the various ways that we have responded and will continue to respond to vocations of goodness and holiness, families, and work.
And on, we're we're gonna see other elements also that go in to make up this ongoing process of flourishing, which we see bits of and parts of, and vocations are a significant part.
And what are the implications of acknowledging the importance of these three levels of vocation and calling in the mental health professions?
Well, vocational perspective is novel.
It's novel in the mental health field, although its insights may be found in different particular and partial theories.
It requires a develop developmental, personal, moral, and spiritual life narrative to understand callings.
The life journey with its purposes, meaning the mission, starts with the gift of life, is called forward and grows in responses.
This is the paradigm of the of the vocation, that there's a call.
There is, if you will, a response, and there's a transformation that happens because of the response to the call.
And, this is what vocations are shaped.
This is how they're shaped, and they involve, as I was saying, this personal dynamic of call, this unique response that each of us can make, and the numerous transformations changes that happen.
For example, a fuller understanding of trauma as in post traumatic stress disorder and its treatment comes when put in the context of the trauma's impact on one's vocational commitments and relationships as wife to one's husband, as mother to one's child, as colleague at work, and in one's life of prayer.
There is the impact that vocations have, in the clinic and a person's well-being.
So thirdly, the third premise, the person is flourishing in virtue.
This fourth premise, is grounded in the reality of virtues and in the dynamic view of the person that requires a dynamic view of the person's strengths and weaknesses, virtues, and vices, as well as moral character and spiritual maturity or lack thereof.
The term virtue is often misunderstood, thought not to be meaningful in in contemporary culture with, nonetheless, particular particular virtues are not misunderstood.
Why?
Well, because individual virtues are the basis of each person's and family's relationships and flourishing, such as the virtues of love, hope, patience, moderation, courage, forgiveness, resilience, and so on.
What are the implications of acknowledging the importance of virtues and vices in the mental health professions?
Well, the virtues involve growth, growth in human capacities, the vivacity of relationships, and the attainment of goals.
To guide the person through virtue, through the virtue of counsel, hope, and practical wisdom towards deeper meaning, true aims, and transcendent purpose throughout life.
Even without using the term virtue, the mental health professional offers models and practices that promote at least partial virtues as when when not overreacting to the remarks of one's husband, the virtue of self control, when holding fast to one's commitment to family during difficult times, perseverance, when being fair to colleagues, the virtue of justice, when expressing positive recognition to a neighbor, gratitude.
These are virtues, and they are what make up our very lives.
Work premise is that the person that the person's person is interpersonal relational, a tongue twister, if you will.
So the person is interpersonally relational.
From the conception, humans from conception, humans are fundamentally and foundationally relational and do not exist in isolation or not for long.
Moreover, there is a relational and even spousal meaning to persons and to their bodies and to their relations.
Their human rational, volitional, perceptual, and emotional capacities are all grounded in relationships.
As important as the individual is, persons find their origin in the family, which has its roles.
For example, parents have the role of being primary educators of their children.
The family is the basic relational unit of society according to the meta model even when the family is broken or blended.
What are the implications of acknowledging the importance of interpersonal relationality in the mental health professions?
Well, interpersonal relations are resources for growth and healing as in the family and among friends.
Not only do parents normally serve as a basis for secure attachments and a safe base in in the midst of challenges, but other people, including mental health professionals, can serve as a safe haven and can facilitate corrective emotional experiences, for example.
Moreover, systemic and relational therapies offer contemporary insights on the importance of family, friends, and colleagues.
And lastly, transcendent perspectives recognize the influence that an intentional relationship with God in prayer, love, and service can bring.
So relationality, one of the key, principles of the meta model, one of the key elements in, if you will, of, rich psychology.
Now what I'd like to do is to go over the next four premises together.
They represent, an an insight about the body, soul unity that involves the way that we are, sensual and sensory, perceptual in our contact with the world, how there are emotions that come out of our sensory perceptual cognitions or contact with the world and memory and, the like, and how they, these sense formations and sense affects are significant for understanding the wholeness of the body, soul unity, which includes also the intellectual capacities of reason and will.
Let's go into the different premises with that very quick overview of this lovely, material table, which, would take longer to explain, but, nonetheless, serves us to understand these different capacities of sense of intellect, of cognition, and affect, and allow us to understand something significant about the person and significant because the meta model is able to to deal not just with emotions, but also preemotional sensory perceptual cognitions.
And also and not just cognitions, with intellectual sort, but also will and free will in its various forms.
Let's talk more about them.
So first of all, in terms of the sense the the person being sensory, perceptually perceptually cognitive, having these capacities, the person our bodies are personal and our persons are embodied.
This affirmation holds for the capacities of sensation and perception that enable enable humans to take an interest in and interact with other people and the world.
If we didn't have contacts through the senses and through perceptions, we wouldn't be able to read our parents or our children, our friends, our lovers.
This affirmation about this the significance of the person being embodied holds for the capacities of sensation and perception that in and enable humans to take an interest in and interact with other people in the world.
They are the basis for human receptivity, and in turn, they comprise the first instincts and inclinations, and they include memory and imagination as well as pre rational evaluation of what is friendly or hostile and what is attractive or repulsive.
What is the benefit of recognizing that the person has sensory perceptual cognitive capacity such as imagination and evaluative cognitions?
Well, people are normally in contact with the world and other persons through their experience of their senses and their perceptions.
For example, excessive experience of the virtual of the computer, the handheld, or the, IT, instead of the real, the real nature, real face to face time with real people, for example example, may require intentional contact with reality to overcome the lack of sensory real sensory and perceptual experience.
Correctives, can be found in nature, but the the virtual world brings challenges when, out of balance, if you will.
Likewise, when there are difficulties or obstructions in reading the world for biochemical and neurological reasons, trauma, or exaggerated contact with the virtual, while in individuals may suffer unintentional isolation and disorientation, and they may need the interventions of a mental health professional.
These, this level of cognition, pretty rational cognition, is very significant, and also for the virtual world and understanding why it's inadequate without, a balance in life of of face to face with a person and not the computer.
So six, the human person is emotional.
Human person is emotional both in common and unique ways because of this body, soul unity.
Emotional diversity is rooted in factors such as culture and personal experience, masculinity, and femininity.
Although there are some emotions that are universally recognized in facial expressions, as Paul Eichmann found in his studies, which are represented here on the screen, There are different differences found, for example, in the way that a person experiences and expresses emotions such as hope, complex emotions such as hope, love, courage, and patience.
What are the implications of affirming that a person is emotional?
Once again, in the context of mental health professionals.
The helping professional will learn a great deal by recognizing how clients experience and moderate their affects, their emotions, in personal and unique ways.
Emotions influence one's intellectual, moral, and spiritual interactions and interpersonal relationships.
For example, anxiety can affect the way that the client interacts with his spouse and children.
Conversely, emotions are are influenced by one's reason and will as well as one's interpersonal relationships and spiritual life.
For example, the client's cognitive capacities to face dangers or self talk and for self motivations to focus on goals and to secure interpersonal attachments can serve in calming the anxiety raised in a threatening situation.
So this diversity of skills that are related to emotions can help through through self talk and through, contact with, other people.
They can come to help in measuring and managing and, well, balancing our emotions.
They are a significant, from this of this meta model of the person.
The person is rational.
So human beings have pre rational and rational cognitions in this capacity of knowing the world and understanding it, but knowledge is primordial.
To know and to understand other people's people is the result of having these irrational and rational conditions that put us in contact with the world around us and make us, capable of appreciating wisdom and beauty.
We're not enclosed in ourselves with our thoughts, but rather we are called to think about other people and to be engaged with the world around us.
We we plan plans.
We study for exams.
We achieve goals.
We plan weddings.
We bury our parents.
We baptize our children.
This is all possible because of reason and our capacity, to use it for goals.
A reason can help people to understand life as it really is, which is the goal of good mental health, to understand, to in one sense, heal for a true knowledge of oneself and of the world.
On the contrary, disordered cognitions about life may be a sign or result of poor mental health and therefore needs a cognitive approach or and a holistic approach to help the person.
The cognitive and and neuroscience, and neurosciences have become very powerful tools for understanding the person and human experience.
However, these sciences need to be integrated into a larger intellectual and and spiritual frame of the person, family, and community in order to be able to actually practice the virtues, such as the virtues of counsel, understanding, and wisdom.
So a Meta Model perspective allows us and actually calls us not to be forgetful of these the significance of of reason, and the openness of reason to beauty, to wisdom.
And, person is volition and free.
Number eight.
To a large degree, we are capable of free and responsible actions in the world.
We feel it.
We see it.
But this freedom is, I mean, in certain ways, limited Because we have the capacity, reason, and freedom to choose as well as the support of a community aimed at meaningful goals, we can, nonetheless, and we should be considered moral agents having responsibility.
What are the implications of the integrated vision of the of volition and free will in the mental health professions?
Well, growth and healing inevitably require the choice, the choice to move freely towards the proper goals of life that is towards personal and social flourishing.
Because we are free and have capacity of reason, we can contribute to our own healing and to larger flourishing.
And so and in order to do that involves not just knowing the way forward and and the goals that we are aimed at, but to choose them, to work with them, to be flourished to flourish along the way, seeking that ultimate flourishing, which is god's very life itself with theological perspective.
Flourishing at interpersonal at her interpersonal levels being another significant aspect of it from a philosophical and psychological, natural or secular perspective.
Last point on this the the capacity for freely chosen personal and interpersonal goals gives hope for change.
Change that can correct the past, engage the present, and approach the future and be put into a very important aspect of this dynamic, minimal perspective.
Now I would like to introduce, if you will, the spiritual dimension of the minimal perspective.
And in order to do so, I'll identify the three, if you will, theological premises, which are deeply spiritual premises, which do expand and do include, human experience at a transcendent level.
These, if you will, faith based premises from a Catholic Christian perspective are very significant, and they, these these premises are addressed at the beginning.
They could have been expressed in the beginning when I chose to put the philosophy and the psychological, perspective first.
But this theological perspective could have gone first, but here we put it people at the end.
And we, in one sense, need to need to recognize that, these three, theological premises being created in God's image and likeness, being fallen and broken and, being offered.
Redemption are all elements that can be read back in through the aspects of relationship and unity and our capacities to be engaged in the world with knowing and and loving.
And so it's in that context that we can understand that what I'm calling the first theological premise, is that every person, every human person is created in the image of God, made in love and for love and called to friendship, communion, and flourishing with God and with others.
We're created to love our neighbors as ourselves and be stewards of creation and to work for goodness and holiness, justice and peace, and we call the words of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount.
This calling forth this life of engagement built upon being created in god's image and likeness.
What are the benefits of acknowledging, within this meta model perspective, the significance of being created in god's image and likeness.
Well, affirming that we're created in god's image, provides a faith based acknowledgment that even in the face of the unhealthy values, poor choices, and disordered behavior of your clients, each of them possesses an indelible dignity and goodness, and each of your clients are is called to a transcendent flourishing.
This premise affirms that your clients are loved by God and that you are called to serve them on their life journey.
This foundational insight from a theological perspective that God, has marked us by his image is found also in the philosophical and and psychological perspective whenever there is quite, recognition of of order and love and beauty that can be understood and and experienced at, these other natural levels.
So the the second, the second faith based premise is that the human race has fallen and suffers the influence of moral and spiritual brokenness.
In particular, we are weak we can do we are weak and due to a prideful alienation from God.
And this brokenness is documented in the tendencies to envy, greed, self soaring biases, narcissism, wrath, and so on.
Although there is a continual struggle with evil, humans, nonetheless, are still basically good and retain basic dignity, always do.
They are still made in the image of God and retain basic desires for and tendencies to self preservation, goodness, truth, family, and beauty.
So what are the implications of affirming that humans are influenced by the consequences of sin, yet still foundationally good?
Well, the benefit is that you have a reason for hope In the midst of needing to feel in the midst of needing to feel suffering and limitations, hope is possible due to the promise of redemption, the next premise.
But hope is also due to the deep conviction that each human's embodiment of and participation in goodness by a gift of god is more fundamental than any evil that, they may experience, embody, express, or encounter.
God's image is deeper than any of the broken aspects that we experience.
And even though they might be continued and even though they might be very strange devastating, but the basic thing remains in God's image remains as well.
For the helping professional, this this premise is the basis for aiming at changing behavior, changing hearts, and changing how we relate to others to become a more aligned with the deepest human longings for goodness, truth, and relationship.
So you have an anchor as a as a helping professional, an anchor that is rooted in god's goodness that although influenced by brokenness, is not overpowered by it.
Why?
Because goodness is foundational and evil is not.
The last premise that we'll talk about, concerning redemption allows us to see, if you will, everything pulled together because the the third this third theological premises that, a person is invited to redemption and beatitude.
And so the this is again theological spiritual, premise as it's formulated.
Underlying it, though, we're gonna see that there is, also a basic human understanding of a type of human redemption, human flourishing.
But, there is this transcendental and transcendent ground for hope and charity because God offers human beings redemption and eternal beatitude that we may know by faith.
Humans are offering redemption, the overcoming of brokenness and sin through God's mercy, love, and grace, and the human inclination for more, a more ultimate flourishing.
This desire for more is answered by God's everyday and ultimate generosity, forgiveness, and communion.
What are the implications and benefits of this premise of being offered redemption?
Well, the desire for ultimate wholeness, redemption, and holiness, sanctification can be found in all people.
This is a natural part of how we experience the world and a natural part of how God has made us.
And redemption and sanctification are offered in a in a special fullness in the church and through her sacraments, which are means towards fullness that God has offered, in the particular context of of the church that where Christ gives us grace through the sacraments in a way that, brings about the wholeness and a fullness that is only possible by God's design.
The level of redemption offers responses to mental challenges and disorders through the effect of forgiveness, commitment, responsibility, and through freedom.
Although complete physical, mental, and spiritual being or lack of negative influences is not possible, however, inevitable suffering and sacrifice can take on new meaning, new meaning even to become redemptive suffering when clients enter more fully into God's love by God's design.
New meaning is also found in the therapist's care, the reawakening of vocational commitments to family and friends, and service to those in need.
This is the impact of, new meaning and redemptive suffering on our lives as well.
For instance, it is when the when clients are in good need, because of the loss of when as, it is for instance, it is when clients are in great need because of the loss of loved ones or the effects of depression or anxiety on the family that they especially appreciate in these contexts a full meta model perspective that includes the significance of family and friends and God's spiritual presence.
It affirms how the clinician and helping professionals can be beacons, how you're called to be beacons of faith, hope, and love, and in turn, how the client also learns to become a beacon of faith, hope, and love for positive growth and flourishing.
Let me just remark remarks just to pull this together a bit.
It's, I've I've, given examples of how the the Catholic Christian minimal of the person perspective can give us a larger, if you will, hold, from from the clinical perspective on what is understood to be, the direction of healing, the direction of growth, the direct the direct direction of hope.
And so, today, I was talking from the book I mentioned before, But the meta model is is more than a book.
It is a perspective, a Catholic perspective, a global perspective, a large perspective, that helps us, in one sense, and provides support for understanding the the conceptual basis of a Catholic Christian meta model of the person.
You're given certain insights.
You're given certain suggestions for applications.
And it is, within the present configuration focused on, implications for mental health practice.
And, the presentation also makes explicit the theological, philosophical, and psychological presuppositions used in the mental model.
This is something that, psychological schools of thought and partial theories normally don't do.
The meta model is explicitly, philosophical, explicitly psychological, explicitly spiritual.
And I understand the deep, ways that there can be brokenness and healing, because of the mental model's fullness, because of how we wanna approach it and its fullness.
And and that is it is significant that, and I tried to make the point here that, there is a comprehensive meta model, understanding of nature and the person that makes a difference in mental health practice.
Having a comprehensive meta model framework helps us not to be forgetful of relationships, forgetful of the sacraments, forgetful of, the various bio, psychosocial, spiritual realities that we and our clients experience.
And the the Meta Model integrates, these diverse sources of wisdom about the person both as a conceptual object of study and a subjective, and and a sub subject certainly, we'll start that over.
So the meta model integrates diverse sources of wisdom about the person both as a conceptual object of study and a subject of action, healing and flourishing.
This perspective of the meta model not just to be studying a person, but also be a means towards their healing through, entering into the reality of, psychotherapy makes moves, your interest as a clinician from the object, of study, the person, to the subject of action, who is the person.
But, there's this conceptual and real difference when the clinician is, engaged in not just understanding the client, but also helping the client to understand themselves, their healing, their flourishing.
And so lastly, the the meta model has been applied as a frame, the psychological sciences, counseling, and the mental health practice.
The book is one step.
There's further applications to be done to be made.
One of them involves applying the next volume that we are we are working on, which involves further implications and applications on the money model to, case, case, conceptualization.
So it's in that context, that hopefully sometime in the near future, you know, further, volume that focuses on the case conceptualization.
And now it helps the clinician, to understand, how they are called, to help the clients understand, in a different way these premises, but within, the need to see the client, for their core goodness and their innate dignity and how there can be this movement forward and how the clinical, perspective involves and necessarily needs a kind of vision for the future.
The Meta Model helps to provide a frame for that.
But then also the client, is greatly benefit benefited when the clinician brings that, perspective, the big picture into the clinic in order to offer the clinician, not only deeper understanding of themselves, the clinicians, but also their clients and their understanding of their self and their call to, a life of healing and growth and relationship.
So that's, the last word for the moment.
Thank you very much, and, goodbye.