In the most basic terms, Buddhist Psychology teaches us how to use our mind to free our mind from our own mind. It is the science of the workings of the mind, and I refer to it just as I would refer to any other theory or modality in which I've trained. Buddhism is the Mother of Psychology, with 2600 years of study and philosophy behind it.
A big idea we will work with is that suffering comes from clinging (wanting things to stay the same) and resisting (wanting things to be different). When we hold onto something too tightly—like a good moment, a friendship, or an idea of how life should be—we set ourselves up for disappointment and anger because everything changes.
We will also explore what are called the "Three Root Delusions": attachment (clinging onto things, people, ideas), aversion (anger, hatred, rejection) and ignorance (not seeing things clearly). These three delulus are always at play, keeping us stuck in cycles of reactivity, stress and misunderstandings.
Meditation is a big part of Buddhist psychology, but if you're worried you don't meditate enough, here is a wonderful secret: psychotherapy is a form of "analytical meditation," where we use our minds to understand and analyze reality. In therapy, as in meditation, we will practice slowing down the thoughts to better understand the deeper beliefs and forces driving your behavior. We will explore how to work skillfully with the endless river of thoughts/feelings/sensations we all experience, and figure out how to cultivate positive habits of body, speech and mind.
A big idea we will work with is that suffering comes from clinging (wanting things to stay the same) and resisting (wanting things to be different). When we hold onto something too tightly—like a good moment, a friendship, or an idea of how life should be—we set ourselves up for disappointment and anger because everything changes.
We will also explore what are called the "Three Root Delusions": attachment (clinging onto things, people, ideas), aversion (anger, hatred, rejection) and ignorance (not seeing things clearly). These three delulus are always at play, keeping us stuck in cycles of reactivity, stress and misunderstandings.
Meditation is a big part of Buddhist psychology, but if you're worried you don't meditate enough, here is a wonderful secret: psychotherapy is a form of "analytical meditation," where we use our minds to understand and analyze reality. In therapy, as in meditation, we will practice slowing down the thoughts to better understand the deeper beliefs and forces driving your behavior. We will explore how to work skillfully with the endless river of thoughts/feelings/sensations we all experience, and figure out how to cultivate positive habits of body, speech and mind.