Being Patient : Personhood, Receptivity, and Readiness with St. John Paul II

Exploring the usage of the terms patient and client in psychotherapy, this reflection argues in favor of patient and delves into philosophical-theological insights on personhood. It examines works by Pope Benedict XVI, W. Norris Clarke, SJ, and Saint John Paul II, in this year of the 20th anniversary of St. John Paul II's death and the ascension of Pope Benedict XVI to the throne of Peter. A closer alignment of clinical conceptualizations to the wisdom of philosophical-theological reflection is presented through the concepts of person, being, and efficient cause derived from the underlying meaning of patient. These concepts, in their ontological considerations, precede the presenting problem, diagnosis, and treatment and their respective descriptions of suffering. As a result, the antecedent meaning of suffering comes to the fore and reclaims its uniqueness as a propeller of self-reflection and self-discovery in the simultaneous operations of activity (agere) and receptivity (pati). The author concludes that a deeper appreciation of John Paul II's personalism enhances the understanding of the human person in psychotherapy through the elaboration of receptivity and readiness as complementary and of equal importance for personal agency and one's own interior growth.