What do you think?
Psychotherapy and Buddhism: Toward an Integration
There is currently a burgeoning interest in the relationship between the Western psychotherapeutic and Buddhist meditative traditions among therapists, researchers, and spiritual seekers. Psychotherapy and Buddhism initiates a conversation between these two modern methods of achieving greater self-understanding and peace of mind. Dr. Jeffrey B. Rubin explores how they might be combined to better serve patients in therapy and adherents to a spiritual way of life. He examines the strengths and limitations of each tradition through three contexts: the nature of self, conception of ideal health, and process of achieving optimal health. The volume features the first two cases of Buddhists in psychoanalytic treatment.
- GenresBuddhismPsychology
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 1996
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
January 6, 2012
I am looking forward to sharing an evening of discussion on Analysis and Buddhism here in Tucson with Jeffrey Rubin, so I'm out to read at least several of his books before then (it's to happen in March of this year).
This is the first I've read by him and I think it's a really good introduction to his theme: both buddhism and psychoanalysis are wonderful theories and practices (with the emphasis on practice) but each of them is "incomplete" and suffer from forms of "self blindness." That is to say, they fail to see the lacunae in their 'systems' and thus fail to be as effective as they can be. According to Rubin (and I agree) an integration can be created that will "fill in the gaps" and lead to a fuller, more integrated form of self-awareness and happiness.
I also agree that too many buddhists take 'buddhism' as some kind of total, complete, transcendent -- almost 'revealed' -- kind of teaching which leads to the kind of blindness of the seeing "I" (as he calls it) that in turn leads to the kind of scandals that have plagued the buddhist world.
The only caveat I have about this book is that at times Rubin generalizes about buddhism so that he makes a statement that can only be true particular schools or approaches, but most certainly not all of buddhism. Also, I think he under-estimates how much the psychoanalytic tradition has already affected many contemporary buddhist teachers and teachings. I think it safe to say, there's been more influence from that direction than from the other.
Strongly recommended!
This is the first I've read by him and I think it's a really good introduction to his theme: both buddhism and psychoanalysis are wonderful theories and practices (with the emphasis on practice) but each of them is "incomplete" and suffer from forms of "self blindness." That is to say, they fail to see the lacunae in their 'systems' and thus fail to be as effective as they can be. According to Rubin (and I agree) an integration can be created that will "fill in the gaps" and lead to a fuller, more integrated form of self-awareness and happiness.
I also agree that too many buddhists take 'buddhism' as some kind of total, complete, transcendent -- almost 'revealed' -- kind of teaching which leads to the kind of blindness of the seeing "I" (as he calls it) that in turn leads to the kind of scandals that have plagued the buddhist world.
The only caveat I have about this book is that at times Rubin generalizes about buddhism so that he makes a statement that can only be true particular schools or approaches, but most certainly not all of buddhism. Also, I think he under-estimates how much the psychoanalytic tradition has already affected many contemporary buddhist teachers and teachings. I think it safe to say, there's been more influence from that direction than from the other.
Strongly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review