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Is Buddhism a psychological therapy?
DairyLama
Veteran Veteran
An open question. What do you think?
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It is a practice of training the mind to abandon unskillul habitual mental qualities, and replace them with skillful ones, thereby creating a more beneficial world for yourself and those around you.
I would venture to make the gap that this is pretty much how the buddha taught the practice as well.
The Buddha gave teachings to all comers. Someone in a dukkha filled world hears what he needs to.
Neuroplasticity is extremely Buddhist in nature. Acceptance and Commitment therapy has roots in mindfulness and Buddhist philosophy. There is now a Compassion focused therapy, which definitely has Buddhist roots. Then there is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (mindfulness and compassion) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. Then there are plain old Buddhist Psychologists.
Buddhism has definitely arrived in psychological circles.
No more so than any other religion or philosophy.
There are people who use Christian principles and dogma to try to change the psychology of people. People (generally speaking), use religion - any religion - to try to change the psychology of people.
However, I think it's important to recognize that narrow line that divides behavior from actual psychology.
In other words, one's behavior is mostly the symptom of one's psychology.
And many things can eventually train/change behavior- from kisses and praise, to religious beliefs, to physical abuse and mind control. These influences might cause a few new psychological disorders; but they won't change a person's existing mental disorder. Then again, neither will any other "therapy".
There is also that line between therapy and cure... And round and round we go! LOL
Just because lots of psychologists or people interested in psychology are also interested in Buddhism , or become Buddhists, doesn't mean there is a "Buddhist psychology" they studied while becoming a psychologist.
I have a higher education in psychology / counseling, and in all the texts and papers I've read, and lectures I attended, no one discussed or even mentioned Buddhism as a formal accessory to therapies. And I was in my latest classes not so long ago, (2008).
Now, true, I have heard of individual therapists and counselors who do incorporate a "Buddhist philosophy" into their sessions.... but there is no formal education or instruction to do that, as far as I know.
@MaryAnne Apparently they can get Continuing Education credits for some types of Buddhist instruction. I'm not sure of the details.
Modern psychology therapies diagnose 'you' with a 'problem', and provide 'you' with a therapy (and that might cost you something - how are you going to pay for it!!!!). 'buddhism reveals the source of all problems', and tells 'you' to 'examine your 'self' and it's 'desires' and give you a formula that enables 'you' to treat the problem 'yourself!''
4 CME points...
But, if you can cite evidence of any widespread movement in psychology toward Buddhism, I'm willing to listen...and BTW, that's something I have almost never advocated in this forum (citing evidence).
Obviously, I'm not implying that the peace gained from Buddhism is as fleeting or insignificant as that gained from alcohol- I'm just pointing out that just about everything is designed to eliminate or lessen suffering in some way. Psychology is a different attempt by different people using different methods to acheive the goals of Buddhism (greater self awareness and the elimination or lessening of suffering).
In addition to my previous comments, a neighbor 8 townhouses up from me is a psychologist for one of the Christian mega-churches here in Colorado Springs. She works for them using Christian principles in her psychology practice, and also has a private practice of her own. (Regrettably, in her late-50s, she recently had an oppressive stroke, and it is doubtful she will ever work again).
and the other being the path towards the handling of suffering.
When I started studying psychotherapy, I did find many similarities between the two.
In metta,
Raven
We have enough crazy Buddhists and sufficient counsellors in therapy. Where do we go for sanity?
Mr Cushion is my imaginary friend. I am beginning to suspect he has no qualifications . . .
We'll never ever know the absolute truth of Gotama's actual words or intentions, and it doesn't matter. It's what we do with his wisdom in our lives and how it impacts other people.
Gassho
But if you think of it in simple terms of a disease, with a cause and a treatment, then you could say they are quite similar. Although, what is considered a disease varies significantly between the two.
Several third wave Cognitive Behavior Therapies are steeped in Buddhist philosophy. Not to say they use the entire Dharma, but specific segments are utilized repeatedly.
There are many more examples of how the practiced has been incorporated. All you have to do is look for them.
http://www.metta.org.uk/therap/psychotherapy/buddhist_psychology.asp
There is no shortage of examples, of that you can be sure.
Many of us right here have attested to that fact without trying to and I can count about 20 threads on page one of this forum dealing with psychological issues.
Dervishes have their therapy
http://mto.org/spa/en/information.html
and so on . . .
Other psychological models try to improve the well being of self.
Not sure Buddhist psychology works that way . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatta
Mindfulness might be popular in psychology at the moment but to say that very many psychologists use Buddhism in its entirety to treat patient/clients is a bit of a stretch because *most* won't go to any supernatural/metaphysical/existential areas unless they get the vibe that's where you want to go. The good ones can adapt their practice to a person with any belief system...you could believe that we all live in someone else's dream and we'll be gone the second they wake up and a good therapist would be able to work with that.
Unlike 12 Step programs, which really do require you to have a faith in a supernatural higher power (sure, they'll tell you that your higher power can be just random chance during the first step, but three or four steps later, they'll want you to start developing a relationship with you higher power...if you said the higher power you are powerless to is just the luck of the draw, now you've got a gambling addiction you have to deal with!)
A little interesting read. Just because Buddhist Psychotherapeutic approaches are the new kid on the block, don't dismiss them out of hand.
http://www.milesneale.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/WhatBuddhistPsychotherapyReallyIs.pdf
There is always a lot of resistance when new ideas are introduced. We have generations of therapists trained in a certain way and considering Buddhist thought represents a lot of need to retrain and rethink. It can be quite daunting.
Someone mentioned Jack Kornfield earlier, up the thread. Jack Kornfield is a well versed, well trained, much experienced student and teacher of Buddhism/meditation, for at least a few decades;
yet he went to a University for 6 years to get a psychology degree... after years of being a Buddhist. And so would the Dalai Lama, and Ajahn Brahm, and Pema Chodron, and any other well respected, learned Buddhist monk, author, or teacher.
I see absolutely nothing wrong with incorporating some of the basic principles of Buddhism into established therapy practices of psychology or even psychiatry.
But to assume that means one can take a few basic principles of psychology and incorporate them into a Buddhist practice and it's the same thing as any mode of psychological therapy ? Um.... no.
While it's true that new styles, 'radical' and different ideas and theories come up for use in the field of psychology, they don't all pan out.
Most turn out to be fly-by-night trends and experiments that don't stick around long... while some just might become mainstream and respected.
Time will tell for the "Buddhism Psychology" trend we're seeing now... and right now that's all it is. Good, bad or neutral, it's still a trend at this point. But seriously, it's no more 'radical' than Christian psychology, or Hebrew psychology, or whatever religion one wants to blend into therapy. It's been done with them all.
(YMMV)
After all, how would you ever reach enlightenment (assuming that's a real possibility to begin with- not only for you, but anyone) if you're not mentally stable or healthy in the first place? Just saying....
My education and experience in psychology and counseling really " tints my glasses " (as they say) - and I totally admit that. So that's the reasoning behind my opinions...
I believe I have more benefit from Lama Shenpen than from my therapist. By a long shot. My awareness practice is at the center. Unconditional awareness and friendship with 'myself'. Only from that root can I then venture out to therapy. Otherwise I would have gaininig mind and try to 'get' something.
The core is the nature of awareness and psychology doesn't understand the nature of awareness. Thus it cannot help you in the long run.
That said it's just a thought experiment because therapy and Buddhism aren't at odds. But if I only had enough money for a guru versus a therapist I would 100% choose the one that works on the awareness mandala. And like I said most people don't really know what therapy helps them with. (that I have talked to). My dad says his therapist was like a person who went with him into his mind. That's good but I prefer my Lama's teachings to open to all difficulties as a path/teaching and relax into heart connections. A therapist doesn't know how to escape samsara.
You just can't 'meditate away' mental illness. I don't care HOW great one's guru is...
So choosing your guru over a therapist is your (spiritual) choice... but it's not a wise choice as far as your mental health goes.
You can't meditate away a hangover or a broken bone, but that has nothing to do with nirvana. Broken bones can even be a teacher. Remember I got involved with Buddhism (if you recall