I have been sharing the Miracles Practioners course 923 with a fellow student. This one is on the Psychotherapy section of the Course. The following is in answer to a question from 923.
How am I being taught by the Holy Spirit to receive His gifts and play the role of patient-therapist?
When someone I’m with feels fear in any form, I watch my reaction. If I am triggered by their situation, I ask the Holy Spirit for clarity and let Him heal my mind. Then I allow that healing to extend to the person I am with in whatever way comes to my mind. It will be the more helpful response because I have asked for it. The response will also help me to further heal because we are always the first receivers of whatever we give.
I was with a close friend and she was telling me that she has unexplained pain. She was feeling anxiety about this. What I know about her is that she was anxious about the virus, obsessed with it, really. Then the hurricane hit and her anxiety obsession moved to that. When she returned home from the evacuation, she focused her obsessive anxiety on the election.
She has never dealt with the anxiety and her tendency to obsess so it just moves from one form to another. It has become a thought habit and so now instead of simply exploring the problem, she is experiencing anxiety over the pain. She is doing with this what she has taught herself to do with other forms of fear in her life. She is imagining the worse possible outcomes and fretting about it.
I see what is going on with her and I am sorry. I also know that she is not interested in seeing this differently. I give her the only gift she will accept. I love her. I express that love by listening to her and by remaining a peaceful presence. I don’t join her in her fear and I don’t try to talk her out of it. I ask a few questions that suggest it might not be as bad as she thinks. I suggest that if it persists or gets worse, she might go to the doctor. My words let her know that I care and my demeanor lets her know that I am not really worried. That was all I felt to do or say.
On the other hand, if she were a Course student, I may have been guided to say something different. I might have reminded her to look within at her thoughts. We might have done a root cause inquiry. We might have prayed together. What was actually done or said would depend on what was given us through the Holy Spirit. But what is the same is that I would have loved her and listened to her and I would have been a peaceful presence.
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