Christian Counseling and Mental Health in Chin Community

Biahmaithi

Khrihfa fimchimh lamhruainak rian hi biakam hlun tein a rak um cangmi a si. Pastor zung ah tlangbawi, tlangautu le fimchimtu tiin a rak um cia. Caan sau deuh a hung kal hnuah fimchimhnak rian cu a hung tlau ciahmah i tlangbawi le phungbia cawnpiaktu nih hmunhma an hun lak dih. Phung in mipi an hruai hna tikah tlangbawi nawl ngeihnak a sang i mipi nun ah zeidah a cang timi kha theihpi duhnak a um ti lo. Mibu cu phu hnih ah an ithen i hruaitu phu le hruaimi ipehtlaihnak karlak ah ihlatnak fakpi a chuak. Biaknak hruaitu hna nih phung an i tlaih i hruaimi hna kha bia an caih hna. Mipi an thinlung a kehkuainak phen ah zeidah a um ti theihpinak a um bal ti lo.

Jesuh cu vawlei ah a ra i zaran minung le namnehmi minung hna sinah ai cawh. An sining theih hmasa ai zuam i thinlung damnak le nun suallam thar an ngeih khawhnak hnga nitin a nun a hman. Cu Jesuh hnu zulh rian cu Christian Counseling kan timi cu a si. Laimi hna US kan phak tikah khuaruah khuatuaknak lei in nunlung a zawmi tampi kan um. Nunlung zawtnak nih thinlung zawtnak a chap. Mi sining theih huaha loin mi bia caih le chimhhrin a hmangmi pawl cu kan man ti lo. Hrailmi, hmuh duh ti lo mi men ah kan cang. Khuaruahnak in siseh thinlung in siseh a zaw cang mi hna nih an sining tein a cohlang khotu Khrihfa counselor an herh. Hi khuaruah hman lo thinlung dam lo zawnak hna cu a hlan lioah siai lawng in an thlop tawn hna. Minung thannak kong hngalhnak (Social science) a hun than tikah siai lawng siloin minung le minung tu nih i tlop a hau ti an hung fiang. Atu ahcun biaknak lei counselor siseh vawlei counselor siseh hmunkip ah mi nunchanh rian an tuan cang. 

I. Mah le Mah I Hngalhnak

Minung nunnak ahhin ihngalh mi nakin ihngalh lomi nih a thli tein nun hi a mawngh deuh ti a si. Keimah zong 2007-2008 kum ah Clinical Pastoral Education, Honolulu ah ka tuah. Sizung le tarpawl sinah kum khat chung chaplain ka tuan pah. Cu cawnnak ah hmasa bik i an kan cawnter mi cu mah le mah ihngalhnak a si. Khrih nih ka tuu nih an ka hngalh i kei zong nih ka hngalh ve hna a timi ahhin: 1) Nangmah le nangmah nai hngal tak maw? 2) Midang khong hi teh na hngal tak maw?, 3) Thil tha tiah na ruahmi khi midang caah a tha tak maw?, 4) Thil thalo na timi khi teh zeiruangah dah a can ti na hngal tak maw? ti hna hi midang bawmh hlan ah i hal ta hmasa a hau. Thinlung damnak cu leng in rawnh khawh a si lo. Vawlei boruak nih a nenh i an chungah a um ko nain a cang kho ti lomi Khrih muisam thawnter than khi counselor i a rian a si.

Mah le mah itheihmi (Conscious mind) nakin itheih loin chunglei ah a nung i a nun a mawngtu hngalhlo lung (Unconscious mind) nih mi hi an thin a phanter hna, an ral a thater hna, an lung a hahter hna, an lung a donghter hna tiah Psychologist pawl nih an chim. Cu itheihlo lung cu mang hna ah a lang i, upat hnu pi hna ah a chuak. Muithla a um lo ti zumh ko zong ah chunglei nih a rak zumhziar ahcun ning a ti tbt khi a si. Pathian a um ti theih le zumh ko zongah thinphang berbur in minung a chiatu cu chunglei nunlung nih a rak ibochan thlu ziar lo caah a si kho. Langhter duhmi cu mah le mah hmanh ihngalh a har ahcun midang kong ka hngalh bak tbt in zawndamh in anih cu… tiin biafun serpiak khi mifim hmurka in a chuah awk a si lo. Thachunhnak: mifir tampi an um, an firnak a ruang ai lo cio lo.  

II. Minung a Phunphun le Buaibainak a Phunphun

Khua kan sak ti mi minung hna i an sining, an thanning le an harnak hna ai dang dih. Psychopath tiah auhmi hna cu milungkhatphur ti tawnmi khi an si i an duhnak ahcun zeituah hmanh a poi ah a chia lomi an si. An i chuahpi mi lungput a si caah za ah za an i thleng kho ti lo. Mi lianngan ah an i chuah lawlaw lo asile tuan ah an thlacham colh i a cheu cu thonginn an phan. Socialpath timi cu mivaivuan ti tawnmi khi an si i an thannak pawngkam nih an nun a runh tuk hna caah zapi nih zatlang nunlam tinhpiakmi (Social norm) he an i pah lengmang. Sik le mawhchiat an ton chap lengmang tikah anmah bantuk he lawng khuasak kha an caah a him bik. Narcissists timi hna cu hngakchiat lioah nu le pa nih fak tuk mi, conglawmh tukmi an si caah an nun chung fak le thangthat a kawl pengmi an si. An duh a tlin lo tikah an lung a rawk i mi thangchiat le mi soisel  a huammi hna he lawng um khi a nuam in an thei. An thawnnak zawnte hngalh piak i hman thiam ahcun mibu caah san an tlai khun. Abusive timi hna cu an hngakchiat lioah nu le pa nih maw, anmah he ai neihbik mi hna nih ningcang loin an nun zahuap (Taksa thinlung, thlarau) an tuahto hna caah an upat hnuin midang cungah faknak pek an i fawih ve. Thil an ti khawh deuh ahcun an zual chinchin. Lehrul cham loin an rak tuarmi kha midang theihthiamnak ca i an hman ahcun mi nun chanhtu an si lengmang. Hi tibantuk hin mikip thanning, thawnnak le derthawmnak ai dan caah mibawmtu nih mah kong le mi kong he fiang tein hngalh hmasa a hauhnak a si.

Ichuahpi mi le thannak hna ruang pinah lenglei a thawng deuhmi thil (Economic, politic, spiritual, cultural, other existential circumstances) hna nih chuahtermi fahnak a phunphun (Rape, displaced, alienation, homicide, control, tbt) duh na loin in ton a si hawi. Micheu cu nun nih a celh lo tukmi fahnak an ton caah cu fahnak cu an chungah a nung peng. Trauma tiah an timi  fahnak nun hmape nih can saupi a temtawn hna caah zei an tuah lai ding khi ruah cia khawh a si lo. James N. Poling hi ka professor a rak si i minung buaibainak kong tampi a hlathlaitu a si. Mi pakhat nih palhnak a tuah tikah amah pumpak palh a si thlu lo. Tuahmi a hnu ah ai thup mi rak hrawktu tampi a um ti hi a dirpi cemmi a si. A tialmi tampi lak in hun char duhmi: 1) Mi tampi nih harnak an tonnak hi anmah pumpak palh lawng si loin cunglei in power abuse a um caah a si, 2) Power abuse tuah hi sualnak vialte lakah a sual bik, mi thinlung, thlarau, taksa a hrawktu a si, 3) Innchungkhar i violence a tam caah upat leisang problem a ngeimi tampi an um 4) Sifah le har ruangah problem a ngeimi tam pi an um, 5) Mah hna pawl hi hmuh piak loin anmah pumpak mawhchiat cu kan rak palh tuk hringhran.

Laimi huap in upa deuh paoh kan ihrawm tiah ka ruah mi zawtnak pakhat cu Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) an timi hi a si. Kan ram a chiat ruangah an chuahkehnak hmun kan kal tak. Lampi ah tonmi harnak ai dang cio. US ram kan theih bal lomi ram ah kan hung um. Holh thiam he thiam lo he kan zaw dih. Mah hi hmunhma thial zawtnak (Displacement) ti a si. Pem ruangah lungchung ne te ah a tang peng kho mi hna: Grief (ngeihchiatnak), Losses of homeland (Hmunhma sunghnak icenet lo), Anxiety (Thinphang pengin umnak), Fear of separation (Chungkhar tlinlonak), Mild, medium, severe depression (Dim deuh maw fak deuh lungthin le khuaruah damlonak), A lot of confusions about the future (Hmailei kong ah lungfim lo, Loss of jobs and identity (Rian le minung siman thlaunak) an si. 

Hi bantuk sining le tonmi ai dang lengluang mi hna lakah Khrih aiawhtu pastorte le nu le pa hna nih mikip caah thinlung hmunma kan ngei maw, ti hi fak deuh in ruah a hau. hawi pawng i minute pahra caan nah man mi nih mi a zawtter khawh ban tuk in thazang tampi a pek khawh.

III. Mental Illness

Mental illness hi a fawibik nakin fainter ahcun ithlen zawtnak a si. Thluak kilning ithlen, lunthin kilning ithlen tiin an pathnih hi ai tlaimi an si. Lenglei thil hmuhton mi, theihmi, pehtlainak hna nih mi phat cu duhsah tein a lungre a theihter (Stress). Ai khong ceumao tikah a thil a rih ning a hung fak chin lengmang i a nun le a ziaza zong ai thleng dih. Keinih cun nunlung zawtnak tiah ka auh. A langh ning a phunphun a um: Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Schizophrenia, Eating Disorders, Disruptive, behavior, dissocial disorders, Neurodevelopmental disorders. Hi hna pawl hi cu zapi nih theih thlu khawh le hngalh thlu khawh a si lai lo caah fianternak zong tampi ka tial lai lo. Lunthin le thluak damlonak a phunphun ti ko usih.

Zapi nih kan theih a herh mi tu cu na pawngkam ah hi bantuk a ingtuarmi an um ahcun bawmhnak kawl piakk an hau ti hi a si. A cawngmi, therapist dirhmun a phanmi silole psychiatrist sinah na phakpi ahcun mah cu nun chanh he ai khat thiam. A biapi tuk. Mah le mah i thahnak te hna hi 100 ah 80 cu kham khawh a si. Laimi kan mibu nun le ichawnhbiak ning zoh tikah ah mi bawmtu siloin mi chaptu kan si caan tam ngaingai (Pastor Lal Thawmlian nih a tialmi paper ah tam deuh in rel te hna usih). Nangmah nih na ton sual zong ah i zahpi ding a si lo. Minung a si mi paoh nih ton khawh a si. Midang lengluang lakah pakhat te men khi kan si ko. Mi dang sin i bawmh va hal tu kha inautat lo ding a si. A tong i sizung ah a um i a chuak than mi hna nih midang tam chinchin an bawmh than hna.

IV. Khrihfa Counseling a Thanning

Howard Clinebell (1922 – 2005) hi Khrihfabu le a chung ummi hna nih mibawmh rian a phunphun kan tuannak a tialtu a si. Mi nun a khamh khotu Khrihfabu kan ngeih khawhnak dingah mipi nih an herhmi hngalh piak a hau, a ti. Mi tampi nih nunnak changreu an duh. A kawlnak dang an thei lo i an bochanmi upa, mifim le pastorate sinah an ra. Kan dawt ko hna, kan zawn ruah ko hna, kan zangfak ko hna. Kan theih lo le kan thiam lo ruangah changreu siloin lung tu kan pek tawn hna. Vawlei lei psychotherapists nih pastor an kan tei tuk cang. Khrihfabu hi nun chanh khotu hmun (Life-saving station) a si ve tung lo ahcun a nun sau kho lai lo. Pastor hna i kan kutzung hi mipi nih an chanchung an herhmi a si. Minung kan sining le tonmi ai dan bantukin kan harnak zong ai dang dih.

Bible bia tak nih mi nun i a ton mi harnak certual ah bia a chim lo ahcun mi a thanter kho lo (The biblical truths are illumined by being applied and tested in the arena of human struggles and growth!). Chim duhmi cu minung a harsa cang mi kha phung le phai, Bible itlaih men in cawnpiak a si khawh ti lonak a si.

Kum zabu 20 tiang cu Khrihfabu riantuantu hna nih thinlung a zaw mi an bawmh hna tikah 1) Bible nih a ti, 2) Keimah nih ka ti, 3) Kan phung nih a ti, 4) Mah hi tuah, tuah hlah law na dam lai timi lam hi hman a rak si. Counselor hi Pathian chang, a fim deuh, a hngal deuh, tuah ding chimtu ah ruah a rak si. Kum zabu 19 in social science a hung thang ciahmah i minung thanning le tonmi ai dan lengluang mi kha hmuh a hung si caah mi bawmh nak ding ah 1) Mizaw sining hngal hmasa, 2) Dawtnak thinlung in a bia ngaih, 3) Jesuh aiawh in bia chim, 4) an thawnnak hmih pia ki nmah tein biakhiahnak tuahter khawh i zuam timi lam ah mi bawmhning cu a hun i thleng. Zulh bak a hau cangmi pariat:

  1. Counselor nih biacaihtu bantukin i umter lo ding
  2. Counselor nih bia va kamh le va forh hman lo ding
  3. Counselor nih mizaw kha niam deuh in hmuh lo ding
  4. Counselor nih hmur i sum bak i mizaw a kong kha him tein fim piak ding
  5. Counselor nih bia tamtuk chim lo ding, bia hal dan tu thiam ding
  6. Counselor nih zei paoh thei dih bantukin umter lo ding
  7. Counselor nih biaknak lei i hnek colh hman lo ding
  8. Counselor nih nunhrawm thainak ngeih silole va duh beh hman lo ding

V.  Atu Lio An Hman Bikmi Mibawmhning

1. Australian Michael White & David Epston, New Zealand 

  • “The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.”
  • A minung le a harnak (Problem) kha then hmasa hna
  • Atu a sining nakin a hlan a tuanbia tampi chimter
  • A nunhlun i a rak thatnak kha chinchiahter
  • Thangthat ding tampi a ngeihmi kha lawmh pi
  • Hmailei zong ah man ngei mi a sinak hmuh sak
  • A duh deuhmi a tuanbia kha a ID siter ding (Preferred Story)

2.Person-centered Counseling 

  • Rule Number One: Unconditional acceptance (Pehtlaihnak thami kan ngeih khawhnak dingah an sining tein cohlan khawh ding)
  • Rule Number Two: Emphatic listening (Na hawi nih a chim duhmi fian khawh le amah dirhmun ah i dirter khawh i zuamding)
  • Rule Number Three: Equal relationaship (Kan fim deuh, ka tha deuh timi lungput ngeih lo ding)

a) Empathic Listening 

  • Dawtnak tak in mi bia na ngeih lo ahcun theitlai a ngeimi pehtlaihnak a um kho lo. 
  • Zawnruahnak a ka ngeih tak ko ti an zumh lo ahcun a chungne kong an chim lai lo
  • Na mizaw kong na hngalh dih lo ahcun a zawtnak le a vawlei na hngal kho lai lo.
  • Lungthin tak tein a bia na ngeih hnu lawngah na hawi kha “Minung tampi lakah a dang pakhat” pei a si ve ko hi tiin na cohlan khawh lai i thlachiat ruahnak na ngei kho lai.

Mi harnak kha na nun ah a luh i a dirhmun i nai driter khawh tikah izumhnak

thlaici a keu. Ibochannak nih a zulh. Biathli chim hram ai thok (Tranference). Midang sining a cekne tiang na theih tikah nanmah nun, na chungkhar nun nai hmu ve (Countertranference). Cutikah na hawi he nangmah he nun suallam a thar ser nan thok ti kho.

Biadonghnak

Minih ngamh i fuhmi maw kan si, zenh i hrial mi dah kan si? An palh hnu le phuhrunnak an ngeih hnuah ahosin ahdah an panh lai? Na hawi, na tuu hna he minute pahra caan na hman tikah thilrit maw na khinh hna, ruahchannak dah na chuahpi? Khrih nih ‘Keimah ka lo chin lengmang u’ a ti bang, misual tiah ruahmi hna sinah, mah le mah ai phunghrung i sual ai phaw cang mi hna cungah, faknak fak a tuar i lei dip lak i ai lawng mi hna, ka tlaknak ding a sang tuk ti thei loin ai uah tukmi hna, nunnak kongah biakhiah awk hngal loin lu a ri mi hna lakah, dawtnak lungthin he pehtlaih khawh i zuam hi Khrih muisam lawh khawh cemnak a si ko.

Minung nih kan herhbik mi cu sining tein cohlangtu hi a si. Cuti i mi cohlan khawhnak ding ah 1) Mi tlling lo ka si ve, 2) Annih zong Pathian muisam a keng ve, 3) Minung nun hnahnawhtu tampi lakah pakhat hnih tal nihcun mi vialte a phak cio hna,   4) Inn lak bia vakvai phenah ai thupmi  biatak tuanbia cu mi kip nih an ngeih cio, 5) Keimah cu biacaihbawi ka si lo i damnak ngei tu zong ka si lo, 6) Zawnruahnak he biangeih piaknak nih mi thilrit a zaanter. 7) Midang thilrit kenpiaktu si cu a har nain a phu, 8) Mi nun khamhnak rian ah telh ve mi si hi a sunglawi, 9) Mibawmhnak rian cu na tuu nih tinhmi a hun ngeih than i amah tein in a tha deuhmi biakhiahnak tuah kho lakin  sersiam khi a si, 10) Mi zeipaoh na ton hna tiakah Jesuh nih zeitindah a rak tuah i atu ka dirhmun ahhin zeitindah a tuah than hnga, ti hi i sehchih ahcun na nun nih na pawngkam ah thinlung damnak le lomhnak a karhter lai. Ni sawhsawh ahcun ai niamsan ngaimi kan lo nain thlichia a hran ahcun kan i khat dih. 

Chan Thawng Lian, PhD: Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois in Pastoral Theology, Personality and Culture field ah Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) cu 2018 kum ah a hmuh. Atu hi Center for Religion and Psychotherapy of Chicago ah Advance Licensed program a kum hnihnak a kai lio a si. United Chin Christian Church (UCCC) church pastor a tuan pah in Chin Evangelical Churches USA (CECUSA) ah mission director a tuan lio mi a si.

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