Resolution of the Federal Council of Psychology violates religious freedom

A resolution issued by the Federal Council of Psychology (CFP) that reinforces secularism in psychological practice may violate the freedom of conscience and worship guaranteed by the Federal Constitution to professionals in the sector. The document was published on April 18th.

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Normative number seven of April 6 reinforces several prohibitions already supported by the Code of Ethics of the CFP, such as inducing the patient to religious beliefs. However, the new resolution, in its article 3, items V and IX, deepens the restrictions by vetoing “the use of the title of psychologist or psychologist associated with religious aspects”; as well as the “use of religious beliefs in publicity and advertisements”.

In addition to these items, the text signed by the entity’s president, Pedro Paulo Gastalho de Bicalho, also demonstrates that it makes a difference in treatment between religions of African origin and other religions.

In item VII of article 3, the CFP prohibits psychologists from “performing any action that promotes or legitimizes practices of intolerance and religious racism against individuals and communities of African origin, indigenous and traditional”. Read the full text.

The text caught the attention of the Brazilian Institute of Law and Religion (IBRD), which issued a technical opinion on the subject last Wednesday (26). For the entity, in the name of secularism in the profession, the CFP would be “hindering the religious manifestation of the professional activity of psychology”, an attitude that goes against constitutional precepts.

“In an attempt to establish a rigid dichotomy between the professional practice of psychology and the person – probably religious – who exercises it, the Council violated several international treaties to which Brazil is a signatory, especially the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (PIDCIP) , the American Convention on Human Rights, and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, all of which address the right to full freedom of conscience and religion and belief,” the Group of Constitutional and Legislative Studies (GECL) of the IBDR.

The opinion also points out that the CFP resolution ignores the influence and impact of religion on the development of professional activity. “With regard to the professional field of Psychology, we know that religious influences and values ​​are present in the lives of professionals, even with a code of ethics to guide the profession’s performance, and this regardless of creed or confession. religion, or their denial based on a secularist belief”, points out the IBDR.

And he adds: “The character of the resolution published by the CFP is closer to atheism than to the balanced collaborative separation between the spiritual (Church) and the secular (State), the latter being, as explained elsewhere, the one adopted by the Citizen Constitution. ”

Jurists heard by People’s Gazette also point out that the document edited by the Federal Council largely violates the religious freedom guaranteed by the Brazilian legal system. The Baptist lawyer and pastor, Marcelo Santiago, argues that Article 5 of the Federal Constitution “guarantees the inviolability of freedom of conscience and belief to all”.

“Strictly speaking, I, a lawyer, for example, could never be prohibited by the Brazilian Bar Association from announcing that I am a ‘Christian Lawyer’. A doctor could never be prohibited from announcing himself a spiritist, or a follower of whatever his religion, or from doing a biblical reading with a patient, by the Federal Council of Medicine. A psychologist, in turn, could never be prohibited, under penalty of suffering punishments against the exercise of his profession, from announcing that he is a ‘Catholic Psychologist’ (for example), but that is exactly what the resolution promotes and even more ”, says Marcelo.

Commenting on items V and IX in article 3, Marcelo states that the resolution prevents a psychologist from declaring his religion, linking this fact to the exercise of his profession. “Depending on the interpretation, due to the vague wording, it is even possible for a psychologist to be punished for performing a service with a scapular on display around his neck, a crucifix on the wall or for quoting a biblical verse during the service”, he exemplifies.

Professor of Philosophy of Law at Mackenzie University, Ângela Gandra Martins explains how the resolution limits the professional activity of psychologists.

“Within normality, no professional could impose his belief. Now, denying the spiritual aspect that may exist within a psychological case, this limits the exercise of the profession. A person’s psyche has a number of influencing factors. It is necessary to see if this legislation is being drastic to the point of removing the freedom and responsibility of the psychologist”, says the jurist.

She adds, arguing that “the way this resolution is constructed, anything that is said can lead to punishment for the professional”.

What does psychology say

Explaining the relationship between religion and psychology, psychologist Luis Enrique Paulino Carmelo argues that professionals in the field should consider their patients’ beliefs within the therapeutic process, which would be closely linked to the human condition.

“Any clinical psychologist knows that, not infrequently, patients bring up personal and existential issues directly linked to religious practice. What’s more, in a huge number of cases, the patient’s religious experience becomes a therapeutic factor that is much more fruitful and efficient than the techniques and tools used within the therapeutic setting”, says Enrique.

He adds that “psychotherapy must be aimed at healing the soul”. Religion, on the other hand, has as its purpose the “salvation of the soul”.

“Both one and the other have their purposes well defined, but that does not mean that the psychologist cannot know and even help his patient in matters concerning his religious experiences, seeking to understand them, opening space for a Socratic dialogue, acting with provocations to notes and even using the patient’s religious practices as more or less effective means of dealing with those demands that were presented within the clinical context”, says the psychologist.

He argues that psychologists cannot be denied the right to “be linked to a specific religion and have – in addition to their psychological training – a doctrinal, theological and spiritual training”.

“Apparently, the Council seeks to present a professional who must necessarily go beyond ethical, moral and spiritual issues. The professional considered serious and responsible would be someone like a machine, cold and programmed to fix some other human machines”, points out Enrique.

The report questioned the Federal Council of Psychology about the notes made by the jurists and awaits a response for publication.

Religion is a study tool in other countries

Although the Federal Council of Psychology seems to antagonize science and religion, the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) seems to think differently. The entity linked to the World Health Organization (WHO) has a sector called Religion, Spirituality and Psychiatry (SRSP), dedicated exclusively to the study of belief within psychiatry.

“Currently, there is a substantial base of research evidence demonstrating the relevance of religion/spirituality (R/S) to mental health,” the WPA says on its website. The section was created in 2003.

The entity also informs that the objectives of the SRSP are:

• encourage and accelerate research, theory and practice in the area of ​​religion, spirituality and psychiatry, and related areas;
• facilitate the dissemination of data on religious and spiritual matters, in relation to psychiatry and related fields;
• develop and encourage education and training programs and courses to improve knowledge, skills and professional attitude towards religion and spirituality in psychiatric practice.

Being a reference for several countries, the American Psychological Association (APA) has a sector dedicated exclusively to religion. The so-called “Division 36” of the Society for Psychology and Spirituality claims to promote the “application of psychological research methods and interpretive frameworks to diverse forms of religion and spirituality.”

The entity also encourages the “incorporation of results obtained by work in clinical contexts and encourages constructive dialogue and exchange between psychological study and practice with religious institutions”.