![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by smokeymadison on January 6, 2005, at 12:14:30
i have been reading a few books on Buddhist psychology, namely, "Going to pieces without falling apart" and "Thoughts without a thinker" both by Mark Epstein, and i am wondering if it would do me good to find a therapist who works from a buddhist perspective. i love what the books have to say and i really think that that kind of perspective could really help me. has anyone ever seen a therapist who works from a Buddhist perspective? i know that there are plently of Christian ones and i wonder if there might also be Buddhist ones? suggeestions/advice really appreciated!
SM
Posted by vwoolf on January 6, 2005, at 12:56:15
In reply to Buddhist psychologist anyone?, posted by smokeymadison on January 6, 2005, at 12:14:30
Try and find books by John Tarrant. The one I know best is "The Light Inside the Soul - Zen, Soul and the Spiritual Life" and you might find inspiration on how to approach Buddhist psychology from a Zen perspective. I found the book very helpful. Tarrant heads an institute in California, and I am sure he would be able to help you. I remember googling him, and there was an email address for him
Posted by pegasus on January 6, 2005, at 13:31:45
In reply to Buddhist psychologist anyone?, posted by smokeymadison on January 6, 2005, at 12:14:30
My old therapist was Buddhist, and we talked about Buddhist psychology quite a bit during my therapy. I think he didn't address it so directly with most clients, but I was particularly interested in understanding that aspect of his approach.
I've found that there are ads for Buddhist psychologists and other therapists in the backs of some of the Buddhist magazines (Shambhala Sun, Bodhidharma, etc.). Depending on where you live, it might be easier or harder to find someone who is explicit about having a Buddhist approach. I think a lot of therapists are familiar with Buddhist psychology, though, because Buddhism is really a study of the mind more than a religion. Which obviously appeals a lot to people who study the mind professionally.
I have some tapes by Jack Kornfield that I think explain Buddhist psychology in a really accessible way. Jack Kornfield is a well known Buddhist teacher at Spirit Rock retreat center, and also a practicing psychologist. The tapes I've listened to are "The Roots of Buddhist Psychology", and he's done many others, from beginning to advanced.
I hope this helps. By the way, I am not a Buddhist, whatever that means. I'm just an interested party.
pegasus
Posted by Aphrodite on January 6, 2005, at 14:36:36
In reply to Buddhist psychologist anyone?, posted by smokeymadison on January 6, 2005, at 12:14:30
My T is a Buddhist, and I find his approaches very unique and insightful. Spiritual issues are big with me and getting to be able to discuss them with someone so spiritually attuned and existentially deep is something I wouldn't trade. He doesn't advertise himself, though; it just happened to come up one day early on in the therapy, and I just seized on it!
You might check with any local sanghas to see if any members are therapists. I was also going to suggest reading Jack Kornfield, but Pegasus beat me to it!
Posted by Daisym on January 6, 2005, at 21:37:58
In reply to Buddhist psychologist anyone?, posted by smokeymadison on January 6, 2005, at 12:14:30
Just FYI -- I'm attending a lecture later this month by Mark Epstein in Marin county. It would be interesting to pole the audience and see who is a therapist and who is a client.
Posted by alexandra_k on January 8, 2005, at 2:59:36
In reply to Buddhist psychologist anyone?, posted by smokeymadison on January 6, 2005, at 12:14:30
Well, at the risk of harping on and on about this Linehan uses Buhddist philosophy / spiritual principles behind her mindfullness stuff. She writes about it quite a bit...
One of the clinical psychologists at CMH was Buddist and she said that was why she was particularly interested in training to be a DBT therapist. Another had the same rationale from D&A (Drug and Alchohol Services).
I would reccomend them except for the fact that they are both CRAZY
Posted by gardenergirl on January 8, 2005, at 14:20:36
In reply to Re: Buddhist psychologist anyone? » smokeymadison, posted by alexandra_k on January 8, 2005, at 2:59:36
> I would reccomend them except for the fact that they are both CRAZYLol, you know that we all are, don't you? That's what draws us to the field... :-D
gg
Posted by alexandra_k on January 8, 2005, at 15:49:22
In reply to Re: Buddhist psychologist anyone? » alexandra_k, posted by gardenergirl on January 8, 2005, at 14:20:36
> Lol, you know that we all are, don't you? That's what draws us to the field... :-D
Yes I agree, but these people were even more crazy than me. E.g., we were all milling around during smoko for DBT group. One of them comes rushing up to me like she has something important to tell me, like the building might be on fire or something. She grabs me by the shoulders and says quite seriously with a dead-pan face:
'If you see Buddah on the road, run him over'.
I replied:
'And the moral of that is....?'
She said
'You have to walk your own path'
And I replied
'And I can't do that without hurting other people?'
Her face fell and she stomped off...
I don't think all Buddist therapists are crazier than non-buddist ones, but these people scaried me. Honestly :-)
Posted by gardenergirl on January 8, 2005, at 16:41:29
In reply to Re: Buddhist psychologist anyone? » gardenergirl, posted by alexandra_k on January 8, 2005, at 15:49:22
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Psychology | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.