Fernanda Pires Garcia (photo) is a psychologist in the Brazilian city of Marília, in the state of São Paulo. She is also a member of União Espírita João de Camargo, a Spiritist Centre in her hometown, where she is a public speaker. In this interview, she discusses the reasons why she became a psychologist and talks about some issues that are affecting so many people: anxiety, depression and laziness.

How did you become interested in Psychology? 

I often say that it was Psychology that became interested in me. I always wanted to be a doctor, but as hard as I worked for it, that door kept closed to me. On the other hand, I was that person who was always ready to listen and to help my friends. From a very young age, I learned to listen and to support those who were going through a hard time, emotionally. That was something that came naturally to me. I had a friend who attended the Spiritist Youth Movement with me and who kept asking me to consider Psychology as an option for my university degree. After failing to enter Medical School, I decided to listen to her and, as soon as I began my Psychology course, it became clear to me that I had finally found my place. There’s no doubt in my mind that was my destiny and I feel that the Spiritual Benefactors helped me find it.

How do you view Spiritism? 

Spiritism is the Consoler promised by Jesus Christ. It is a revelation that came to contribute towards the progress of humankind. I see Spiritism as a vehicle, a tool that gives us access to information that is crucial for our spiritual development and helps us cope with all the problems we face during our lifetime.

How do you apply your knowledge of Spiritism into your profession, without violating religious principles of your patients? Does Spiritism help you in your profession?

It does help a lot. I know now that when I see a patient I am not simply dealing with a person who is in emotional pain, but with someone who brings from the past a spiritual baggage and with Spirits who follow him or her. I never mention that to my patients, in order not to offend their religious beliefs and not to compromise the treatment. Also, this would be seen as a breach of professional ethics by the Council of Psychology.

What is the main cause of emotional suffering in the world now? 

It is very difficult to pinpoint a single major cause, as human beings are complex and diverse. Many are their demands and many are the causes of their sorrows. I can only talk about my experience in this particular time and place. Anxiety and depression are the main complaints from those who come to me looking for help. And I believe that a low level of tolerance for emotional pain and selfish needs contribute a great deal towards people feeling that way. As a Spiritist, I interpret these demands from patients as a reflection of a great degree of selfishness that we all carry inside us, still. That often drives people into a mindless competition, obsession for material goods, lack of faith and hedonistic behaviour, which is marked by a determination to avoid pain at all costs and seek above all the material pleasures of life.

Laziness is one of the issues that you have addressed in your Spiritist talks. How does it affect the moral and intellectual developments of human beings?

It has a very negative impact on our development, as it detaches us from our world and makes us procrastinate our duties here on Earth. Anyone who becomes dominated by a sense of laziness becomes a burden for those who live with them, as they fail to contribute to the rest society. They also begin to see themselves as victims and they moan constantly. Where there’s laziness, the physical body suffers, relationships become scarce, the intellect stagnates, the Spirit gets stiff and people’s emotions get disturbed by feelings of envy, pessimism, depression and boredom.

Are the causes of laziness merely physical? Or can it also be triggered by emotional insecurities? 

There aren’t really physical causes. Our will is an attribute of our spirit and laziness is an addiction. The depleted energies of our body are replaced by a good night’s sleep, replenishing mental activities and healthy eating. Of course, I’m not talking about physical illnesses that cause tiredness and are treatable. The causes of laziness come from the spirit. According to the Spiritual Benefactor, Joanna de Ângelis, laziness is the result of a narrow mental perspective, selfishness and emotional shocks that we haven’t been able to absorb.

Can you suggest a way of overcoming laziness? 

Joanna de Ângelis teaches us that to overcome our laziness we must first identify it in our lives and then reject that lazy identity. We must develop the exact opposite attitude. When we take on a lazy attitude, we tend to stagnate, to become useless and detached. To fight it, we must embrace the challenges that life offers us, we must try to know ourselves and we must read good constructive books. We need to exercise, to change our behaviour and to boost our social life. In Psychology, we recommend a progressive but consistent approach. A little bit every day. The most important thing is to start!

What else would you like to add? 

Let’s bear in mind that our spiritual journey is one of constant progress. We are the ones who may or may not delay that journey. When laziness comes knocking on our door, let’s invite it to go away and to leave in its place a commitment to duty, determination and action. If we struggle to make a change, we should pray! Let’s pray a lot, asking for strength, wisdom and good vibrations.