Self or No-Self: Buddhist Psychology in Clinical Practice

One of the primary differences between a Buddhist approach to healing and Western models is the Buddhist emphasis on how our sense of self depends on many conditions, both internal and external, some of which are within our conscious control, but many of which are not. In Buddhist psychology, this way of organizing experience and the sense of self is cultivated to help us weather feelings, thoughts, and other holding patterns in difficult times with significantly less reactivity and storytelling.

This two-day program will explore Buddhist theory and practice and integrate it with specific techniques that can be applied in clinical practice. Michael Stone will give a brief overview of meditation practices and Buddhist psychology theory and the application of clinical techniques to take Buddhist psychology from idea into the consulting room.

You will learn when diagnosis is important and when it is not, and how to discern when a situation calls for medication as opposed to meditation. Michael will also discuss the importance of stories and how to tell when they are no longer useful, and demonstrate practical clinical techniques using role play and exercises. Case studies will be used to illustrate this practice in action.

The workshop will be useful to both experienced and new practitioners of “mindfulness” or Buddhist approaches to psychotherapy.

You will learn —

• About Buddhist teachings in impermanence and how they impact clinical practice
• The role of stories and diagnosis, and how to distinguish between narratives that help and those that hinder
• About “Self” and “ego” in Buddhist and Western psychology
• How to integrate positive psychology into mindfulness-based practice
• Formal and informal mindfulness meditation practices for both clinicians and clients
• The relationship between mindfulness and the presence of the therapist

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