The Psalms: “A therapy of words”

Abstract

This study describes how the Psalms can be used in psychotherapy. The Psalms are examined within a historical context, and their structure and content evaluated for applicability in contemporary settings. A theoretical frame is created for the use of the Psalms in therapy. This study includes a heuristic research process in which the researcher read the Psalms and wrote poetic responses. The data was analysed alongside a similar poetic response to the Psalms—Daniel Berrigan's Uncommon prayer: A book of psalms. Finally, suggestions, based on this phenomenological study, are provided for those choosing to use this literary text as “a therapy of words”. This study offers a theory for using language in therapeutic contexts, the identification of archetypes in the Psalms and a procedure for conducting a heuristic exploration of texts for therapeutic use.

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