Treatment Philosophy

Despite my Buddhist influences, my treatment philosophy is grounded in Western psychological research and practice. My working style is rooted in the fundamental importance of human relationships. In both the attachment theories of Western psychology and the Buddhist concepts of interdependence, we are forever and deeply connected with other people. It is within relationships that we discover the world and our sense of self. Therapy provides a unique opportunity to explore and understand the client’s past and present relationships. More importantly, it provides an opportunity to begin improving the relationships we have with ourselves and others.

My education and training is from a psychodynamic background. I have an eclectic approach, borrowing from a wide variety of techniques and theories, depending upon the needs and wants of the client. Within the Western psychological tradition, I also apply relevant concepts from Buddhist philosophy or meditation techniques. Although the goals and scope of Buddhism are different from those of Western therapy, there are lessons from meditation practitioners that can be generalized to a wider audience. For example, I borrow from a number of mainstream therapies that utilize the concepts and techniques of acceptance and mindfulness, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. The healing power of mindfulness meditation is now well-documented. In fact, there are currently at least 50 studies on mindfulness being funded by the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, there are recent studies of brain scans of long-time meditation practitioners that illustrate the ability of meditation to help people develop concentration, patience, empathy, and a sense of well-being.

In addition to mindfulness techniques, I also incorporate a different form of meditation, known as analytical meditation. This is a direct influence of my experience practicing Tibetan Buddhism. Rather than focusing on a neutral object, such as the breath, analytical meditation involves sustained attention on a particular topic or idea. It is somewhat similar to cognitive therapy approaches, which identify harmful or mistaken thoughts and replace them with something more accurate and healthy. Common analytical meditation would include self-compassion, acceptance, expanding love, forgiveness, and examining the nature of the self.

Despite being a Buddhist and integrating much of its philosophy in my clinical work, I should clearly state that I have no interest in converting others. I have worked with clients from all spiritual backgrounds, from ordained ministers to Muslims to devout Atheists. I honor the differences in people and refrain from any attempt to alter another person’s belief system. Additionally, I recognize that Buddhism holds no monopoly on the virtues of patience, acceptance, compassion, love or mindfulness. I am aware of many individuals from other spiritual traditions that possess all of those qualities and more. My focus on Buddhism is only because it is what I know best and what works for me. I am happy to work with individuals with absolutely no prior experience or interest in Buddhism, as well as with long-time practitioners.