In psychotherapy guilt is a known source of pathology. Guilt is not necessarily bad for your mental health, it can even be healthy, but it can also be very inhibitory to the development of an individual. To be able to help a client with such guilt it is important that the source of this guilt is uncovered. Then it can be given a place. Existential and religious sources of guilt feelings are often difficult to determine, because the therapist are often partially or not at all open to these sources.

Guilt
As mentioned, guilt comes in many forms. The source of existential guilt is often feelings of not fully reaching the potential that a person could have had in her or his life, or feelings that come from the idea that the lived life is not authentic (I.D. Yalom, 1980, 279). These guilt feelings are usually not specific, but may be the ground for example, depression and / or a negative body image.

In addition, feelings of guilt could come from religion. This type of guilt can be seen as a form of existential guilt. Religious guilt originate from a sense of sinfulness and / or a sense of isolation from God (N.J.C. Andreasen, 1972, 153). The sense of sin might be derived from actual committed sins, but can also be derived from the cultural background of the client. This depends on the way sin and guilt are handled in his / her religious group.

Guilt can also be unproblematic, as I mentioned in the introduction, this is appropriate guilt. In guilt a distinction can be made between guilt suppression (G-) or guilt acceptance (G +). Both the client and the therapist have these two orientations through their value systems. The suppression of guilt is often seen in secular value systems and guilt acceptance is more common in religious value systems (CM Faiver, EM O'Brien, RE Ingersoll, 2000, 156).

Therapy
In psychotherapy there is a classic separation between religion and therapy. This is also seen in therapists who have a religious background themselves. This separation lies in the history of psychology. Especially in the beginning of psychotherapy religion was considered as the source of pathology. For example: Freud's negative view of religion.

Yet it is important for therapists to be open to religious and existential questions and problems of the client. Both G+ or G- orientations of the client and the therapist, help to identify problems with guilt and help solve these problems. It would be good for therapy as therapists open themselves to religious issues of the client (CM Faiver, EM O'Brien, RE Ingersoll, 2000, 156).

Guilt and therapy
I have already mentioned that guilt can both have positive and negative effect on mental health. The positive effect comes from the sociological background of the client. Guilt is a proper look at what the client has done wrong, it helps in correcting what was done wrong and it helps to prevent wrong doings in the future. This is appropriate guilt.

Guilt may also be inappropriate. In this case, the guilt is really exaggerated or in fact not applicable to the client. This type of guilt problems can generate problems like depression, fear of rejection, loss of self-esteem and fear of punishment (Faiver CM, EM O'Brien, RE Ingersoll, 2000, 157).

In the case of guilt, religious or existential, the therapist acts as the recipient of a confession. The sins confessed by the client can seem small and insignificant to th therapist, but are very important to the client (Faiver CM, EM O'Brien, RE Ingersoll, 2000, 158). If the source of guilt is uncovered, the therapist can help the client to change her or his values or her or his behavior. Rituals can also be used to redeem guilt of the client, think of the confession (the therapy itself can serve as a confession), a pilgrimage or a sacrifice of some sort.

Literature used
I. D. Yalom, 1980 - I. D. Yalom, Existential Psychotherapy, Basic Books, 1980
C. M. Faiver, E. M. O'Brien, R. E. Ingersoll, 2000 - C. M. Faiver, E. M. O'Brien, R. E. Ingersoll, "Religion, Guilt, and Mental Health ', Journal of Counseling & Development, No. 78, 155-161
N. J. C. Andreasen, 1972 - N. J. C. Andreasen, "The Role of Religion in Depression ', Journal of Religion and Health, vol. 11 No. 2, 153-166