Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy

"I am very happy to see that ancient teachings and practices from the Buddhist tradition can be of benefit today when they are employed by Western scientists and therapists. In today's world, many people turn to psychotherapy to understand what is making them unhappy, and to discover how to live a more meaningful life. I believe that as they come to understand compassion and wisdom more deeply, psychotherapists will be better able to help their patients and so contribute to greater peace and happiness in the world."--from the Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama "The essential message of this book is one of hope. Ably guided by the contributors to this important volume, therapists are invited to peer beyond therapeutic tools and techniques and glimpse the vast potential that compassion and wisdom hold for healing and self-transformation."--Zindel Segal, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders, University of TorontoScarborough, Canada "A rich introduction to--and rigorous exploration of--the current dynamic convergence of Buddhist psychology and Western psychotherapy. Thoughtful and eminently practical, this timely volume will be a key reference for counselors and psychotherapists, and is also important reading for students preparing for careers in the field. It will serve those looking for ways to offer the fruits of their personal mindfulness practice to their clients and colleagues."--Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Love "The deep message of the movement toward acceptance- and mindfulness-based methods is that the world without and the world within are interlinked. We need to begin to treat ourselves as we would want others to treat us: with kindness, patience, and wise attention. This book explores profound issues and describes powerful new methods for clinical practice that will carry far beyond the doors of our consulting rooms."--Steven C. Hayes, PhD, codeveloper of acceptance and commitment therapy; Foundation Professor of Psychology Emeritus, University of Nevada, Reno "With this enlightening volume, Germer and Siegel bring the dialogue between contemporary psychotherapy and Buddhist psychology to a new level, proposing that compassion and wisdom--like mindfulness--are capacities that can be deliberately cultivated to promote health and well-being. Enlisting contributions from fields as diverse as neuroscience, theology, trauma studies, and positive psychology, Germer and Siegel have put together a book that is stimulating, scholarly, and, above all, clinically relevant. This book illuminates fresh directions and resources for psychotherapy, bringing an inspiring sense of possibility to the 'impossible profession.'"--David J. Wallin, PhD, private practice, Mill Valley and Albany, California "This book examines the nature of wisdom and compassion in psychotherapy from every conceivable perspective. Buddhist psychology, neurobiological foundations, psychological research, and clinical applications all receive thoughtful and comprehensive treatment. Clinicians, scholars, teachers, and students interested in the alleviation of human suffering will appreciate this volume, especially its emphasis on the cultivation of mindfulness and loving-kindness skills as paths toward the wisdom and compassion that are so essential to effective psychotherapy."--Ruth A. Baer, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky -A welcomed addition to a clinical social worker's library.The editors have thoughtfully organized this book to be inclusive of multiple ways of knowing and viewing the world. It is not often that ethics, spirituality, neuroscience, philosophy, and professional development are combined into one resource for social workers. The authors approach their argument for the centrality of wisdom and compassion within psychotherapy from a Buddhist tradition; however, a practitioner fro

Christopher Germer, PhD, has a private practice in mindfulness- and compassion-based psychotherapy in Arlington, Massachusetts, and is a part-time Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance. He is a founding faculty member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy and of the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion. His books include The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion (for the general public) and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program, Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy, and Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, Second Edition (for professionals). Dr. Germer lectures and leads workshops internationally. His website is https://chrisgermer.com. Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD, is Assistant Professor of Psychology, part time, at Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance, where he has taught since the early 1980s. He is a longtime student of mindfulness meditation and is a faculty and board member at the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. Dr. Siegel teaches internationally about the application of mindfulness practices in psychotherapy and other fields, and maintains a private practice in Lincoln, Massachusetts. His books include The Mindfulness Solution, for general readers, as well as several acclaimed works for professionals.

Foreword, His Holiness the Dalai Lama Introduction, Christopher K. Germer and Ronald D. SiegelI. What Are Wisdom and Compassion? Why Should We Care? 1. Wisdom and Compassion: Two Wings of a Bird, Ronald D. Siegel and Christopher K. Germer 2. Mindful Presence: A Foundation for Compassion and Wisdom, Tara Brach 3. Building Lives of Compassion and Wisdom, Barbara L. FredricksonII. The Meaning of Compassion 4. Compassion in Buddhist Psychology, John Makransky 5. The Compassionate Therapist, Elissa Ely 6. The Science of Self-Compassion, Kristin D. Neff 7. Cultivating Compassion in Psychotherapy, Christopher K. Germer 8. The Neurobiology of Compassion, Richard J. DavidsonIII. The Meaning of Wisdom 9. Wisdom in Buddhist Psychology, Andrew Olendzki 10. The Wise Psychotherapist, Ronald D. Siegel 11. The Science of Wisdom: Implications for Psychotherapy, Robert J. Sternberg 12. The Wisdom of Connection, Janet Surrey and Judith V. Jordan 13. Self and No-Self in Psychotherapy, Jack Engler and Paul R. Fulton 14. Neurobiological Foundations of Wisdom, Thomas W. Meeks, B. Rael Cahn, and Dilip V. JesteIV. Clinical Applications 15. Wisdom, Compassion, and Suicidal Patients, Marsha M. Linehan and Anita Lungu 16. Substance Abuse and Relapse Prevention, G. Alan Marlatt, Sarah Bowen, and M. Kathleen B. Lustyk 17. Anxiety Disorders: Acceptance, Compassion, and Wisdom, Lizabeth Roemer and Susan M. Orsillo 18. Depression: Suffering in the Flow of Life, Paul Gilbert 19. Working with Trauma: Mindfulness and Compassion, John Briere 20. The Heart of Couple Therapy, Richard Borofsky and Antra K. BorofskyV. In and Around the Consultation Room 21. Mindful Parenting as a Path to Wisdom and Compassion, Trudy Goodman, Susan Kaiser Greenland, and Daniel J. Siegel 22. Drawing on the Wisdom of Religious Traditions in Psychotherapy, Kenneth I. Pargament and Carol Ann Faigin 23. Compassion and Wisdom: Growing through Ethics, Stephanie P. Morgan