Objective and premises

The following chapters offer a broad but limited view on psychology. They are shaped by my own lens as a clinical psychologist working with patients of all ages. Due to my interest and training I place a particular emphasis on how relationships influence our development. For the same reason, I emphasize the importance of unconscious processes for the understanding of the human mind. 

For the sake of full disclosure, I want to be upfront about my own background. I grew up Lutheran and have spent most of my life in non-denominational protestant churches. My angle of view reflects my own experiences as a follower of Christ who studied psychology and wrestled with questions of how science and faith can fertilize one another. I am committed to letting sound theology inform my view of psychology. At the same time, my experience as a psychologist constantly challenges me to honestly face hard questions raised by the brokenness I encounter in therapy and to deepen my own understanding of the ways God seeks people where they are.