"A remarkable exploration of the therapeutic relationship, Dr. Mark Epstein reflects on one year's worth of therapy sessions during which he brought together his years of experience with Western psychotherapy and his equally long investigation into Buddhism to understand how the practices, in tandem, can lead to even greater awareness - for his patients, and for himself For years, Dr. Mark Epstein was careful not to let his spiritual leanings as a Buddhist overtly intrude into his work as a psychiatrist. Content to use his training in mindfulness as a private resource, letting it guide the way he listened to his patients, he hoped that the Buddhist influence on his work would remain invisible. But as he became more forthcoming about the spiritual aspects of his thinking, he was surprised to find that many of his patients were in fact eager to learn more, and he soon realized that the divisions between the psychological, emotional, and the spiritual were not as distinct as one might think. In THE ZEN OF THERAPY, Dr. Epstein reflects on a year's worth of selected sessions with patients and examines how, in the incidental details of a given hour, his Buddhist background influences the way he works. In this cross-section of life in his office, he emphasizes how therapy, an element of Western medicine, can in fact be seen as a two-person meditation. Meditation and psychotherapy each encourage a willingness to face life's difficulties with courage that can be hard to otherwise muster. Mindfulness, too, much like a good therapist, can "hold" our awareness for us - and allow us to come to our senses. With practice and patience, as awareness becomes dominant, and the observing mind becomes stronger than that which is being observed, a change can occur, and with it a wellspring of positive and life affirming energy. Diving deep into dialogues with his patients, describing sessions in real time, and then explaining the thinking behind his own words and behavior, Epstein shows how the actuality of our being is not always something we have an easy time making room for. But the Buddhist practices of meditation and mindfulness, like therapy, can help us find peace. A chronicle of deeply personal inquiry, one which weaves together the wisdom of two worlds, Dr. Epstein illuminates the therapy relationship as spiritual friendship, and reveals how a therapist, as a spiritual friend, can help patients cultivate the sense that there is something magical, something wonderful, and something to trust running through our lives, no matter how fraught they have been or might become. For when we realize how readily we have misconstrued our selves, when we stop clinging to our falsely conceived constructs, when we touch the ground of being, we come home"--. Provided by publisher.

Introduction -- Part I. Into the Mystic: 1. Inner Peace -- 2. The Path of Investigation -- Part II. A Year of Therapy: 3. Winter: Clinging -- 4. Spring: Mindfulness -- 5. Summer: Insight -- 6. Fall: Aggression -- Part III. The Gate of Oneness: Kindness -- Acknowledgements -- Notes -- Index.