{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]],"date-time":"2026-09-27T08:57:10Z","timestamp":1790499430162,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790208000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Linacre Q"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Contemporary clinical practice increasingly recognizes the centrality of attention, presence, and affect regulation in healing trauma and restoring psychological integration. Early Christian ascetical writers\u2014particularly Hesychios, Evagrius, and Cassian\u2014developed a sophisticated spiritual anthropology centered on watchfulness (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">nepsis<\/jats:italic>\n                    ) and attentive presence (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">prosoche<\/jats:italic>\n                    ), practices aimed at cultivating interior clarity, discernment, and freedom of heart. This article retrieves these ascetical disciplines and explores their relevance for modern clinical work, drawing on patristic sources and contemporary trauma research. Integrating insights from van der Kolk, Siegel, Porges, and Schore, the article argues that watchfulness parallels key therapeutic capacities such as interoceptive awareness, affect regulation, and mindful attunement. Two clinical vignettes illustrate how this patristic framework can inform therapeutic presence and support patients in the healing of dissociation, shame, and emotional fragmentation. Watchfulness emerges as a unifying practice that bridges patristic spiritual psychology and contemporary clinical science.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/00243639261487901","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T04:06:32Z","timestamp":1790309192000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Watchfulness (\n                    <i>Nepsis<\/i>\n                    ) and Attentive Presence (\n                    <i>Prosoche<\/i>\n                    ): A Patristic Framework for Clinical and Spiritual Healing"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0933-4408","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Donald \u201cRick\u201d","family":"Froyd","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"New Mexico Highlands University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_1","unstructured":"Primary Sources"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_1","volume-title":"Summa Theologica","author":"Aquinas T.","year":"1947","unstructured":"Aquinas T. 1947. Summa Theologica. Translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. New York, NY: Benziger Brothers."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_1","volume-title":"Despondency: The Spiritual Teaching of Evagrius Ponticus on Acedia","author":"Bunge G.","year":"2016","unstructured":"Bunge G. 2016. Despondency: The Spiritual Teaching of Evagrius Ponticus on Acedia. Translated by A. G. Dru. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir\u2019s Seminary Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_5_1","volume-title":"Conferences","author":"Cassian J.","year":"1997","unstructured":"Cassian J. 1997. Conferences. Translated by C. Luibheid. New York: Paulist Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_6_1","volume-title":"Catechism of the Catholic Church","author":"Catholic Church","year":"1994","unstructured":"Catholic Church. 1994. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_7_1","volume-title":"The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social Brain","author":"Cozolino L.","year":"2017","unstructured":"Cozolino L. 2017. The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social Brain. 3rd ed. New York, NY: W. W. Norton.","edition":"3"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_8_1","unstructured":"Cragle J. 2011. \u201cTeaching on \u2018Watchfulness\u2019 (\u03bd\u1fc6\u03c8\u03b9\u03c2) in the Philokalia.\u201d Master\u2019s thesis Abilene Christian University Abilene TX."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_9_1","first-page":"162","volume-title":"In The Philokalia: Volume I","author":"Hesychios the Priest","year":"1983","unstructured":"Hesychios the Priest. 1983. \u201cOn Watchfulness and Holiness.\u201d In In The Philokalia: Volume I, edited by Palmer G. E. H., Sherrard P., Ware K., 162\u2013176. London, UK: Faber and Faber."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_10_1","unstructured":"Secondary Sources"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_11_1","volume-title":"Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness","author":"Kabat-Zinn J.","year":"2013","unstructured":"Kabat-Zinn J. 2013. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Revised ed. New York, NY: Bantam Books."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_12_1","volume-title":"The Restoration of the Self","author":"Kohut H.","year":"1977","unstructured":"Kohut H. 1977. The Restoration of the Self. New York, NY: International Universities Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_13_1","volume-title":"Therapy of Spiritual Illnesses","author":"Larchet J.-C.","year":"2012","unstructured":"Larchet J.-C. 2012. Therapy of Spiritual Illnesses. Vol. 1. Translated by M. J. Miller. Alexander Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/acprof:oso\/9780199291403.001.0001"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_15_1","volume-title":"The Philokalia","author":"Palmer G. E. H.","unstructured":"Palmer G. E. H., Sherrard P., Ware K.. 1979\u20131995. The Philokalia. Vols. 1\u20134. London, UK: Faber and Faber."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_16_1","unstructured":"Ponticus Evagrius. 1983. \u201cThe Praktikos.\u201d Translated by J. E. Bamberger. The Philokalia: Volume I edited by Palmer G. E. H. Sherrard P. Ware K. 15\u201337. London UK: Faber and Faber."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_17_1","volume-title":"The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation","author":"Porges S. W.","year":"2011","unstructured":"Porges S. W. 2011. The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. New York, NY: W. W. Norton."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_18_1","volume-title":"Affect Regulation and the Repair of the Self","author":"Schore A. N.","year":"2003","unstructured":"Schore A. N. 2003. Affect Regulation and the Repair of the Self. New York, NY: W. W. Norton."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_19_1","volume-title":"Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation","author":"Siegel D. J.","year":"2010","unstructured":"Siegel D. J. 2010. Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation. New York, NY: Bantam Books."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_20_1","volume-title":"The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are","author":"Siegel D. J.","unstructured":"Siegel D. J. 2012a. The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Guilford Press.","edition":"2"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780195113662.001.0001"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_22_1","volume-title":"The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma","author":"van der Kolk B. A.","year":"2014","unstructured":"van der Kolk B. A. 2014. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. New York, NY: Viking."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_23_1","first-page":"63","volume-title":"The Inner Kingdom","author":"Ware K.","year":"1979","unstructured":"Ware K. 1979. \u201cThe Power of the Name: The Jesus Prayer in Orthodox Spirituality.\u201d In The Inner Kingdom, 63\u201382. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir\u2019s Seminary Press."}],"container-title":["The Linacre Quarterly"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/00243639261487901","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/00243639261487901","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/00243639261487901","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]],"date-time":"2026-09-27T08:17:33Z","timestamp":1790497053000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/00243639261487901"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]]},"references-count":22,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/00243639261487901"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/00243639261487901","relation":{},"ISSN":["0024-3639","2050-8549"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0024-3639","type":"print"},{"value":"2050-8549","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]]},"article-number":"00243639261487901"}}