Gestalt pedagogy - self-care as a common ground between theological and psychological education

Brojne psihičke i ostale zdravstvene poteškoće povezane su s nezdravim odnosima. To vrijedi za djecu i mlade, ali i za odrasle u više-manje svim razdobljima života. U tom kontekstu holistički odgoj i pedagoško savjetovanje nastoje raditi na uspostavljanju zdravog životnog prostora, što je od samog početka ujedno i vizija teologije. U teologiji su, u širem smislu, ukorijenjene zapravo sve znanstvene discipline, što znači da teologija predstavlja nekakvu alma mater znanosti kao takve. Pritom primjećujemo da povijest poznaje brojne prilično šarolike dinamike odnosa između teologije i ostalih znanosti, pogotovo znanosti koje su neposredno povezane s čovjekom. Tako se baš u dinamici odnosa između teologije i psihologije prije nekoliko desetljeća porodila kršćanska geštalt pedagogija, koja se planski izgrađuje na biblijskoj antropologiji i kršćanskoj tradiciji, a u svojim aplikacijama istodobno uvažava i koristi brojne pristupe različitih psiholoških smjerova. U središte svog istraživanja i djelovanja stavlja čovjeka, baš kao što ga u središte svog zanimanja stavljaju s jedne strane teologija, a s druge naročito humanistička psihologija. U oba slučaja radi se o čovjeku koji čezne za spasenjem i traži vizije koje će ispunjavati i osmišljavati njegov život. Snagu komplementarnosti sagledavamo u tome da teologija i geštalt pedagogija smisao čovjekova života i djelovanja ne vide u zatvaranju u samog sebe, već u otvaranju prema drugom čovjeku i Bogu. I premda geštalt pedagogija aktivira prije svega ljudske resurse u svladavanju životnih izazova, te stoga koristi brojne terapeutske elemente koje u svakom slučaju preventivno stavlja u službu cjelovitih edukativnih procesa, ona je itekako svjesna činjenice da čovjeku put do konačnog smisla života može otvoriti jedino teologija.Numerous mental and other health problems are associated with unhealthy relationships. This is true for children and young people, but also for adults in more or less all periods of life. In this context, holistic education and pedagogical counselling seek to work on the establishment of a healthy living space, which from the very beginning is also the vision of theology. In theology, in a broader sense, practically all scientific disciplines are rooted, which means that theology represents a kind of alma mater of science as such. At the same time, we observe that history knows a number of rather varied dynamics of the relationship between theology and other sciences, especially sciences that are directly related to man. Thus, it was just in the dynamics of the relationship between theology and psychology that Christian Gestalt pedagogy was born a few decades ago, and it is systematically built on biblical anthropology and Christian tradition, and in its applications it simultaneously respects and uses numerous approaches of different psychological directions. It places man at the centre of its research and action, just as theology puts it at the centre of its interest on the one hand, and humanistic psychology in particular on the other. In both cases, it is about a man who longs for salvation and seeks visions that will fulfil and give meaning to his life. We see the power of complementarity in the fact that theology and gestalt pedagogy do not see the meaning of man\u27s life and action in closing in on himself, but in opening to the other man and God. And although Gestalt pedagogy primarily activates human resources in overcoming life\u27s challenges, and therefore uses numerous therapeutic elements, which in any case puts it in the service of complete educational processes, it is well aware of the fact that only theology can open the way to the ultimate meaning of life