Buddhism begins with realism about dukkha. People quarrel. People steal. They have unconventional sex. Sometimes people kill each other. There is violence. The human is a predatory animal. Incest happens. Partners cheat. Families are sometime
“The master within the master” The client follows prompts that come from within. This is what is called a “felt sense” in the therapy method Focussing. Carl Rogers developed a theory of what is needed to be a good therapist. His colleague Gene
President Trump has now finally made his "important statement" on policy in Afghanistan, basically admitting that he hasn't a clue what could possibly work. He does not really want to send more troops because it costs money and even when Obama put 10
Don’t try to fix it, try to understand, more and more, and show how you are affected. Then it may fix itself. If it fix itself the fix is real. If you fix it is is probably only cosmetic.
There is a parallel process between that is happening bet
We began by completing the theory of consonant and dissonant social relations in networks. We looked in particular at the example of a new member - say, the daughter’s boyfriend - coming into a family and the ensuing tensions. We see how this could l
We looked at the story of Dong Shan and his enlightenment encounter with his teacher. We saw how 1. the teacher disrupted the attitude of the disciple and presented himself just as a human being, rather than advertising himself. In
We looked at the issue of moral judgement in counselling and learning how to say things in ways that are not morally loaded, that do not blame the client, nor lead the client into saying things either simply to please or defy the counsel
In this course we are working with the text Jewel Mirror Samadhi Song. This text can be interpreted in many ways. We are going to look at it in the perspective of counselling and psychotherapy. These notes should therefore be taken in conjunction wit
With all the idiocy going on around N Korea it is emotionally difficult even to read the news at the moment. The real possibility of nuclear or even conventional war breaking out is just too horrible and the seeming irresponsibility of those who cast
You have to be blind and deaf or extremely stubborn to think that Brexit has done the UK any good economically and it hasn't even happened yet. The situation is almost certain to get worse, too. A year ago I was predicting that the pound would be wor
Reviewing basic attitude of the counsellor. We talked about "grandmother mind" - the attitude of the "archetypal grandmother". Grandmother mind is talked about in Zen as the correct attitude of the spiritual guide. This led to general remarks
- When client is equally divided between significant objects this constitutes a dilemma. Sometimes the client has to choose. The client may come to the therapist saying "Choose for me?" or "How do I choose?" but
Visualisation A visualisation basd on creating a "Pure Land" space and inviting into it significant people from one's life, creating for them a suitable setting and giving gifts.
Seminar We reflected further on the question of how to develop empathy. It
"White Snow upon a silver plate" - things that seem similar are actually completely different. Counselling is not just ordinary conversation. Something more important is happening. As we become more experience we see the difference.