Atlas›Domain XIV · Western esoteric, divinatory & new spiritual movements›Guide 045
Guide XIV-045

Independent Gnostic churches

Richard, Duc de Palatine, Stephan A. Hoeller1953England
A 39 · L 47 · M 1415 interventions in the Trinity explorer
Client cardCompare
[source: …] where a claim comes from[uncertain] not confirmed in a primary source[synthesis] the writer's reconstruction

1. Introduction

Version followed: Ecclesia Gnostica (Los Angeles), as described in its bishop's public statements and in scholarly fieldwork, with the Apostolic Johannite Church and Ecclesia Gnostica Mysteriorum as comparison cases. Thelemic "Gnostic" churches (the OTO's Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica) and the Gnostic Movement of Samael Aun Weor (see 063) are different bodies and are only distinguished here. For the ancient Gnostic currents these churches claim as their heritage, see 004.

What it is. "Independent Gnostic churches" are small, sacramental churches outside the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and mainline Protestant communions. They call themselves Gnostic Christian, celebrate a Mass-like liturgy, ordain their own clergy and claim apostolic succession, that is, a line of bishops back to the apostles [source: Robertson 2019]. This entry is about religious organisations, not a therapy. The guide describes them as they publish themselves, then sets out what the psychotherapist does when a client belongs to one, is drawn to one, is ordained in one, or is leaving one.

Ecclesia Gnostica (EG). The church traces itself to the Pre-Nicene Gnostic Catholic Church, organised in England in 1953 by Richard, Duc de Palatine (born Ronald Powell), a former Liberal Catholic cleric. It was active in the United States from 1959 through Stephan A. Hoeller. Hoeller was consecrated bishop in 1967 and became presiding bishop in 1977, when the church took the name Ecclesia Gnostica [source: Wikipedia, Ecclesia Gnostica; Wikipedia, Stephan A. Hoeller] [uncertain: secondary, unverified]. Fieldwork from 2019 found Hoeller had led the weekly Gnostic Mass "since 1977". The Mass is held in the Besant Lodge of the Theosophical Society in Hollywood, and the liturgy has "Jungian additions" [source: Robertson 2019]. Hoeller, born in Budapest in 1931, lectured for the Philosophical Research Society and the Theosophical Society in America. He wrote books on Jung, Gnosticism and the Kabbalistic tarot (Quest Books) [source: Wikipedia, Stephan A. Hoeller] [uncertain: secondary, unverified]. The church's leadership today is [uncertain: not verified]; clients should be asked about their parish's current leadership. The church's website (gnosis.org) hosts a catechism, a lectionary, homily videos and a lecture programme under the name of the Gnostic Society [uncertain: not verified].

Core idea of change, as the church states it. Gnosis is a change of consciousness, not a set of facts. Hoeller put it this way: "Gnosis doesn't mean knowledge of particular data". The church rejects original sin and salvation through Jesus's suffering. In Hoeller's words, that teaching "is not part of our thought" [source: Ridenour 2002]. Scholars describe Hoeller's Gnosticism as a formalised reading of C. G. Jung. On this reading, gnosis is "a process of reuniting with the divine aspect of the self" [source: Robertson 2019]. Hoeller turned late-antique Gnostic myths and rites, which survive only in fragments, into a practice modern people can live by [source: Hammer, "The Jungian Gnosticism of the Ecclesia Gnostica", in Burns (ed.), New Antiquities]. In this view the sacraments and liturgy carry the change. The church calls itself an orthopraxy, defined by shared ritual, rather than an orthodoxy, defined by required doctrine [source: Wikipedia, Ecclesia Gnostica] [uncertain: secondary, unverified]. Evidence status: claims of gnosis, sacramental grace and apostolic succession are religious claims, and empirical study cannot test them.

Other independent Gnostic churches.

  • Apostolic Johannite Church (AJC). The AJC has branches across North America and is strongest in Canada. It has a Rosicrucian rather than Jungian emphasis, also claims apostolic succession, and stresses a connection with EG that, according to the 2019 fieldwork, EG does not return [source: Robertson 2019]. Its parishes describe it as "Gnostic Christianity" with "a special emphasis on the Johannite tradition" [source: AJC St. John the Baptist Parish, Reading List]. The name goes back to the Johannite Church founded in France in 1804 by Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat [source: Wikipedia, Johannite Church] [uncertain: secondary, unverified]. Scholarship has shaped the AJC's identity and ritual: members read Gnostic Studies and adjust their practice [source: Dillon, in Burns (ed.), New Antiquities].
  • Ecclesia Gnostica Mysteriorum (Palo Alto). In 2004 it was described as "one of the few Gnostic churches in the country". Its Sunday service is "The Gnostic Mystery of the Eucharist", ritualised like a Catholic Mass, but it has no dogma, and congregants may hold belief or non-belief [source: Pluralism Project / Palo Alto Weekly 2004]. Its founder and leadership are [uncertain: not verified].
  • Distinguish: the OTO's Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica holds a public Gnostic Mass written by Aleister Crowley and belongs to Thelema, not to this current [source: Robertson 2019]. The Gnostic Movement of Samael Aun Weor runs lecture series mainly for Spanish-speaking audiences in Los Angeles [source: Robertson 2019]; see 063.

2. Framework

Structure as the churches publish it [source: Wikipedia, Ecclesia Gnostica] [uncertain: secondary, unverified] unless otherwise tagged.

  • Leadership and clergy. A presiding or regionary bishop leads, assisted by auxiliary bishops, priests and lower orders. EG has had parishes in Los Angeles, Portland (Oregon), Seattle and Austin, and is largely confined to Los Angeles with some associated groups [source: Robertson 2019]. Clergy are self-supporting and unsalaried. Holy orders are open to all genders and sexual orientations.
  • Membership and costs. EG has no formal, dues-paying membership. Activities are open to all regardless of creed, and the church does not proselytise. Hoeller said, "We don't proselytize" [source: Ridenour 2002]. No fee schedule for sacraments, clergy training or ordination is published [uncertain: not verified].
  • Sacraments, in outline only. EG lists five initiatory sacraments, named after the Gospel of Philip: Baptism, Chrism (confirmation), Eucharist, Redemption (also called Consolamentum) and Bridal Chamber. It lists two sustaining sacraments, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick, and treats Penance and Matrimony as secondary. It administers Baptism, Chrism, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick. Redemption and Bridal Chamber are named in its scheme but not described as rites it performs. This guide does not describe the content of any rite.
  • Worship. A weekly Gnostic Holy Eucharist is held on Sundays in most parishes, along with a devotional service to Sophia. The style is traditional Western liturgy with vestments, candles, incense and bells. Observers say it could pass for an Anglican service [source: Robertson 2019]. The calendar is the Western one with Gnostic saints added. The Marian feasts are re-dedicated to the Assumption and Descent of Sophia.
  • Teaching. Public lectures and homilies are given. Asceticism is not required: "Gnostics aren't exhorted to embrace poverty or chastity or vegetarianism" [source: Ridenour 2002].

Typical trajectories a client may describe [synthesis]: (1) first contact through books, lectures, podcasts or Nag Hammadi reading (Hoeller credits the 1970s English translation for renewed interest [source: Ridenour 2002]); (2) attending Mass and lectures; (3) baptism or chrism; (4) for some, discernment toward holy orders; (5) moving between Gnostic bodies, or leaving.

The psychotherapist's work: phases [synthesis]. No source gives a session count or format for this work.

  1. Engagement and assessment. Goal: understand the problem in the client's own terms, including the place of the church. Use the core Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) and its spirituality, religion and moral traditions module [source: APA CFI Supplementary Modules]. Move on when the client's affiliation, practice, community and any related stress are mapped, and differential questions are settled or under review.
  2. Formulation. Goal: a shared account of how affiliation helps, hinders or is incidental to the presenting problem. Move on when the client recognises the formulation as theirs.
  3. Focused work. This is the problem the client brought: religious trauma from an earlier tradition, a transition such as ordination or leaving, family conflict, grief, or a mood or anxiety disorder. Use the evidence-based treatment for any diagnosis, adapted to the client's frame.
  4. Consolidation and ending. Review how the client will use their community and any outside support after therapy.

3. Guiding principles

  • Describe the church as it describes itself. Use the church's own terms (gnosis, Pleroma, Sophia, demiurge, sacrament) with a gloss, neither affirming nor debunking them. In practice, ask "What does gnosis mean for you?" rather than supplying a textbook definition [synthesis].
  • Belief is optional in some of these churches. EG calls itself an orthopraxy, and the Palo Alto church makes belief optional [source: Pluralism Project 2004; Wikipedia, Ecclesia Gnostica]. In practice, do not assume a client believes the myths they recite. Ask what the ritual does for them.
  • The Jungian vocabulary belongs to the church, not to therapy. EG's teaching draws heavily on Jung [source: Robertson 2019; Hammer]. In practice, a Jungian or depth-oriented therapist must keep therapy and the client's religious instruction separate. Avoid acting as a second teacher [synthesis].
  • Do not pathologise dualism. Gnostic myth describes a flawed or ignorant creator and a fallen world. In practice, assess content (fixed, personal persecution) and form (thought disorder, functional decline), not the theology [synthesis].
  • Distinguish the bodies. Ecclesia Gnostica, the Apostolic Johannite Church, the OTO's Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica and the Samael Aun Weor movement differ in practice, demands and costs. In practice, ask the exact name of the group early [source: Robertson 2019].
  • Restricted and initiatory content stays private. In practice, never ask a client to describe the content of a rite or vow. Ask how it affected them [synthesis].
  • The therapist is not clergy. No liturgy, blessing, spiritual direction or interpretation of gnosis in session. In practice, refer theological questions to the client's own clergy if the client wishes [synthesis].
  • Watch for control and money without presuming them. Controversies or findings of misconduct concerning these churches: none found in the sources consulted. In practice, apply the same neutral screen for coercion and financial exploitation as for any group [synthesis].
  • Cultural humility and competence. Spiritual and religious competencies for psychologists, as described by Vieten et al. 2013 [uncertain: not verified], include knowledge of minority religious paths and awareness of one's own bias. In practice, notice any reaction to "heretical" or esoteric Christianity in yourself [synthesis].

4. Intervention inventory

The churches' own practices (Mass, sacraments, lectures, the Sophia service) are religious acts. They are not therapeutic techniques, and the therapist does not perform them. The inventory below lists the psychotherapist's procedures. Assessment tools are tagged with their sources; the rest is [synthesis] unless tagged otherwise.

4.1 Opening the topic: the client's path into the church

  • Purpose: Learn how the client found the church and what it gives them, without judgement. Use this when a client mentions Gnosticism, "the Mass", a bishop or a parish, or names Hoeller, Jung or Nag Hammadi as influences.
  • Steps: (1) Reflect the mention back neutrally. (2) Ask how they found it (books, lectures, podcasts, a friend). (3) Ask what they experience at Mass or lectures. (4) Ask what it has changed in them. (5) Ask whether it bears on why they came to therapy. (6) Record the exact name of the church.
  • Example language (illustrative): "You mentioned Sunday Mass at the Gnostic church. I'd like to understand what that's like for you. How did you come to it, and what does it give you?"
  • Watch for: The client checking whether you will mock or "correct" them. Look for relief when you don't. It is working when the client uses their own vocabulary freely.

4.2 Core Cultural Formulation Interview

  • Purpose: Structured cultural assessment covering the client's definition of the problem, cultural perceptions of cause and context, coping and help-seeking, and expectations of care. Use it at intake or when religious themes become central [source: APA CFI; APA CFI Supplementary Modules].
  • Steps: (1) Explain that you ask everyone about background and beliefs. (2) Work through the core domains in your own words, without reading items verbatim. (3) Note where the church appears in the client's account of the problem, its causes and its supports. (4) Add supplementary modules as needed (4.3, 4.4).
  • Example language (illustrative): "Some people understand their difficulties through their faith, some through family, some through medicine, and often through several. How do you make sense of what's been happening?"
  • Watch for: Over-attributing everything to the church, or ignoring it. The CFI is a guide, not a sole basis for diagnosis [source: APA CFI Supplementary Modules].

4.3 Spirituality, religion and moral traditions module

  • Purpose: Map affiliation, practice, the role of faith in coping, and faith-related stress [source: APA CFI Supplementary Modules].
  • Steps: Cover the module's four areas in your own words. (1) Identity and affiliation: current church, earlier traditions, family religion, and dual affiliations such as Theosophy, Jungian groups or Rosicrucian orders. (2) Role in daily life: frequency of Mass, lectures, home devotion, private prayer or contemplation. (3) Help with the problem: talks with clergy, reading, ritual. (4) Stress and conflict: family disapproval, conflict with a former church, discrimination, inner conflict over doctrine. The module allows several affiliations, so explore each one.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Before this church, was there another tradition in your life? How does your family see your involvement now?"
  • Watch for: The module often surfaces a layer of earlier religious harm, such as strict upbringing or shame-based teaching about sin. Flag it for 4.9.

4.4 Social network and coping/help-seeking modules

  • Purpose: Establish who supports the client, who knows about the problem, and what other help (clergy, other healers, self-help) they have used [source: APA CFI Supplementary Modules].
  • Steps: (1) List important people, including clergy and fellow parishioners. (2) Ask who knows about the problem and how they would advise. (3) Ask whether the client wants anyone from the church involved in care. (4) List current helpers, including spiritual direction from clergy.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Is there anyone at the parish you lean on? Would you want them to know about our work, or would you prefer to keep it separate?"
  • Watch for: A single relationship (one priest or bishop) carrying the whole support network. That may be healthy in a small parish, but note it for 4.10.

4.5 Mapping the specific organisation

  • Purpose: Know which body the client is in, because demands, costs and teachings differ.
  • Steps: (1) Ask the exact name and where the parish is. (2) Ask who leads it locally and which wider jurisdiction it belongs to. (3) Ask what involvement looks like: Mass only, lectures, study groups, clergy formation. (4) Ask about money: donations, fees for courses or ordination (none is published by EG [uncertain: not verified]). (5) If the group turns out to be Thelemic (Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica) or the Samael Aun Weor movement, consult 063 or the relevant order's guide.
  • Example language (illustrative): "There are several churches with 'Gnostic' in the name, and they're quite different. Which one is yours, and how does it work there?"
  • Watch for: Confusion of names. Groups calling themselves "Gnostic" also include lecture-based movements with graded courses [source: Robertson 2019].

4.6 Working within the client's Gnostic and Jungian vocabulary

  • Purpose: Use the client's frame (gnosis, inner light, Sophia, the demiurge as an image of blind authority) as a bridge to therapeutic material when the client wants that.
  • Steps: (1) Ask permission to use their terms. (2) Ask what a term means to them personally. (3) Link it to a lived pattern, for example "the demiurge" and a controlling parent or inner critic, only if the client makes or welcomes the link. (4) Return to the agreed therapeutic task.
  • Example language (illustrative): "You described feeling caught in 'the demiurge's world' at work. What does that feel like day to day? When is it strongest?"
  • Watch for: You becoming a teacher of Gnostic or Jungian ideas, or the client using therapy as a seminar. It is working when the vocabulary helps the client name experience and act differently, not when the conversation becomes doctrinal.

4.7 Differential assessment without pathologising belief

  • Purpose: Separate religious experience and doctrine from psychosis, mania, dissociation, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or complicated grief.
  • Steps: (1) Establish what the client's church actually teaches. Ask the client, and with consent their clergy (4.12). (2) Compare the client's account with the group's: is the belief shared and culturally consistent, or idiosyncratic and expanding? (3) Assess the form of the experience: sleep, energy, speech, thought form, functioning, and insight. (4) Assess distress and impairment. (5) For intrusive, ego-dystonic fears (for example, of being "trapped" by archons, or of sacrilege at Mass) consider OCD or scrupulosity. Exposure and response prevention, as clinical OCD sources describe it, is an option [synthesis]. (6) If criteria for a disorder are not met but there is a spiritual conflict, consider ICD-10-CM Z65.8, whose inclusion terms list "Religious or spiritual problem" [source: Unbound Medicine, Z65.8]. The DSM-5-TR wording is [uncertain: not verified].
  • Example language (illustrative): "When you sense this presence, is it something others in your parish describe too, or does it feel more personal to you? How have you been sleeping?"
  • Watch for: Reading Gnostic dualism (a flawed creator, a hostile cosmos) as paranoia. The red flags are self-referential persecution, rapid escalation, loss of function, and the church community itself being worried.

4.8 Supporting sacramental milestones (baptism, chrism, ordination)

  • Purpose: Help a client weigh a sacramental step as a life decision, using only its public outline: what it is called, what the church says it signifies, and what commitment it implies.
  • Steps: (1) Ask what the step means to them and why now. (2) Ask what it commits them to: attendance, service, or for ordination, unpaid ministry alongside paid work (EG clergy are unsalaried [source: Wikipedia, Ecclesia Gnostica] [uncertain: secondary, unverified]). (3) Explore the reactions of family and any former church. (4) Check for pressure or haste. (5) Leave the theology to the client and their clergy. Do not ask what is said or done in the rite.
  • Example language (illustrative): "You're thinking about being ordained. What would change in your week, your finances and your relationships? What would it mean to you if you waited a year?"
  • Watch for: A step taken to resolve an unrelated crisis such as loss, divorce or burnout. Also watch for distress over the validity of "lines of succession". Independent episcopal lineages are often contested between bodies, and loyalty conflicts can follow [synthesis].

4.9 Religious trauma from an earlier tradition

  • Purpose: Many clients come to these churches after leaving a strict tradition. EG's rejection of original sin and of salvation through suffering can be a deliberate counter-position [source: Ridenour 2002]. The therapy addresses residual shame, fear of hell, or family rupture.
  • Steps: (1) Assess trauma symptoms and their triggers, such as hymns, sermons or family visits. (2) Use standard trauma-focused or compassion-focused methods matched to any diagnosis. (3) Let the client use the Gnostic frame as a resource if they choose, without the therapist endorsing any theology. (4) Address grief for lost community and family.
  • Example language (illustrative): "You said hearing about 'sin' still makes your chest tighten, even though your new church rejects original sin. Let's look at where that reaction comes from."
  • Watch for: Swapping one rigid system for another, for example a harsh judgement of "unenlightened" family. Progress shows as less shame and more flexible relationships.

4.10 Screening for coercive control and financial exploitation

  • Purpose: Keep a neutral check, without presuming anything. Controversies or findings of misconduct concerning EG, the AJC or the Palo Alto church: none found in the sources consulted. The "Gnostic" label is also used by unrelated groups.
  • Steps: Ask about: (1) whether the client can freely question teachings and leaders; (2) pressure on time, money or relationships; (3) isolation from family or outside friends; (4) secrecy demands beyond the normal privacy of rites; (5) sexual or financial boundary violations by clergy; (6) fees for grades or courses that escalate. If present, document them, assess risk, and use general coercive-control and religious-abuse resources.
  • Example language (illustrative): "In any group it's worth asking: can you say no, disagree, or take a break without consequences? How does that work in your parish?"
  • Watch for: Defensiveness can simply reflect past stigma about the church, so don't over-read it. Concrete indicators matter more than labels.

4.11 Family members' concerns

  • Purpose: Support relatives worried about a family member's involvement.
  • Steps: (1) Hear the concern. (2) Give accurate, neutral information as the church publishes it: open Mass, no dues-paying membership, no proselytising [source: Wikipedia, Ecclesia Gnostica; Ridenour 2002]. (3) Separate the theology they dislike from any concrete harm. (4) Coach curious, non-hostile conversations. (5) Escalate only on concrete indicators (4.10).
  • Example language (illustrative): "It sounds as if the word 'Gnostic' alarmed you. What have you actually noticed change in your daughter's life: her time, money, friendships, health?"
  • Watch for: Relatives pushing for a "rescue". That damages trust. Success means calmer contact and keeping the relationship.

4.12 Liaising with clergy (with consent)

  • Purpose: Gain cultural information or support, for example for differential assessment or illness.
  • Steps: (1) Get written consent and agree its scope. (2) Ask the clergy member about the group's norms, not the client's private disclosures. (3) Share only what the client approved. (4) Keep your role distinct from pastoral care.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Would it help if I spoke with your priest about what's usual in your parish, so I understand your experience in context? You decide what I share."
  • Watch for: Clergy assuming a co-therapist role, or the client feeling exposed.

4.13 Illness, dying and Anointing of the Sick

  • Purpose: Support a client facing illness for whom Anointing of the Sick, a sacrament EG administers, matters [source: Wikipedia, Ecclesia Gnostica] [uncertain: secondary, unverified].
  • Steps: (1) Ask what spiritual care they want and help them request it from their clergy. (2) Keep all medical decisions with the treating team. The sacrament is a religious act, not a treatment. (3) Address meaning, fear and legacy.
  • Example language (illustrative): "You'd like your bishop to come to the hospital. Shall we think through who to call and what you'd want from that visit?"
  • Watch for: Any substitution of ritual for medical care. Neither EG source suggests this, but check [synthesis].

4.14 Leaving or changing churches

  • Purpose: Support transition: leaving a parish, moving between Gnostic bodies, or returning to an earlier tradition.
  • Steps: (1) Explore reasons, including doctrinal change, conflict, a leader's death or retirement, or a scandal. (2) Address loss of community and ritual. (3) Address identity ("Am I still a Gnostic?"). (4) Plan new supports. (5) If the group used pressure to stop the client leaving, see 4.10.
  • Example language (illustrative): "Leaving a church you loved can feel like a bereavement, even when it's your choice. What will you miss, and what won't you miss?"
  • Watch for: Grief reactions after the death or retirement of a founder or long-serving leader; leadership transitions can unsettle small communities [synthesis].

4.15 Therapist self-check and boundaries

  • Purpose: Keep the therapist out of religious roles and aware of their own bias.
  • Steps: (1) Notice your own reaction to "heretical", esoteric or liturgical religion. (2) If you belong to a Gnostic, Theosophical or Jungian circle, consider dual-relationship risk, especially in a small parish, and refer on if you overlap. (3) Avoid self-disclosure of your beliefs unless it clearly serves the client. (4) Do not interpret dreams or symbols as spiritual messages. (5) Seek consultation when unsure [synthesis].
  • Example language (illustrative): "I'm not the right person to say what your experience means spiritually. That's for you, and maybe your priest. What I can do is help you look at how it's affecting your life."
  • Watch for: Over-identifying with the client's Jungian framework, or dismissing it.

5. Handling problems

All guidance in this section is [synthesis] unless tagged otherwise. The churches' own sources do not address therapy.

  • The client fears ridicule and stays vague about their church. Name the stigma openly and show curiosity (4.1). Use the CFI framing that you ask everyone (4.2). Do not push. Disclosure tends to grow as rapport builds, and the CFI modules can be revisited later in care [source: APA CFI Supplementary Modules].
  • Therapy turns into theology. The client debates Gnostic doctrine, or wants you to confirm gnosis or apostolic validity. Acknowledge the importance of the question, say it is outside your role (4.15), redirect to the presenting problem, and offer referral to their clergy.
  • A Jungian therapist and a Jungian church. The client treats therapy as an extension of EG's Jungian teaching, or plays you off against the bishop's homilies. Make the roles explicit, avoid competing interpretations, and consider referral if your own affiliation overlaps.
  • Unusual experiences during or after liturgy or contemplation. Assess per 4.7. If there is overwhelm, dissociation or sleep loss, stabilise first (grounding, sleep, reducing intensity of practice by the client's choice in consultation with their clergy), and refer urgently for psychiatric assessment if mania or psychosis is suspected. Do not tell the client to stop religious practice. Discuss pacing.
  • Scrupulosity. Examples: fear of receiving the Eucharist "unworthily", or compulsive checking of ritual correctness. Assess for OCD and offer exposure and response prevention adapted with consent, using the client's clergy as a cultural resource (4.12).
  • Rupture after the therapist misnames the group. Examples: conflating it with Thelemic or Samael Aun Weor groups, or calling it heresy. Apologise plainly, ask the client to correct you, and record the correct name (4.5).
  • Loyalty conflict between lineages or bishops. Treat it as interpersonal and identity work, not a question of whose succession is valid. Explore values and relationships (4.8, 4.14).
  • Leader death or succession turmoil. Normalise grief, map changes in the community, and watch for anxious over-involvement or abrupt withdrawal (4.14).
  • Family conflict escalates (a relative calls it a "cult"). Keep to concrete behaviour (4.11). Avoid labels. Do not take sides on belief.
  • Indicators of coercion, sexual misconduct or financial pressure emerge. Document, assess safety, consider reporting duties where a vulnerable adult or child is at risk, and connect the client with legal or advocacy support. Name no wrongdoer in your records beyond the client's account.
  • Children in the family. If religious practice is offered as a reason to refuse a child medical or psychological assessment (none of the sources describe this for these churches), follow local safeguarding procedures. Seek the child's assent and the parents' consent for any assessment.
  • Non-attendance or drift. Review whether the formulation fits the client's values. Spiritual commitments such as Sunday Mass or lecture nights may clash with session times, so adjust scheduling.
  • The client asks you to attend Mass or a lecture. Decline warmly in most cases. Explore what the invitation means. Consider attending a public service only for cultural learning, with consultation and full transparency, and never as a participant.

Sources

Further works cited (details [uncertain]):

  • Vieten, C., et al. (2013). Spiritual and religious competencies for psychologists. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

Cross-references: 004 (ancient Gnostic paths), 063 (Samael Aun Weor and the Gnostic Movement); Domain VI 110 (regression and false memory), relevant only if a client is also involved in past-life practices.

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