Brilliant Sanity

Brilliant Sanity: Buddhist Approaches to Psychotherapy and Counseling (Volume 1: Revised and Expanded Edition) brings together influential scholars and practitioners who have studied and practiced at the intersection of Buddhism, psychotherapy, and counseling, including Karen Wegela, Mark Epstein, Han F. de Wit, Ed Podvoll, Jeff Fortuna, Robert Walker, Farrell Silverberg, Chuck Knapp, Dale Asreal, and others. Brilliant Sanity draws particularly from the Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions that emphasize the importance of individuals being of benefit to others and the world. This revised and expanded edition comes 13-years after the release of the widely successful first edition and includes four new chapters. The majority of the original chapters have been updated drawing upon advances in theory and research. In this new volume, increased attention is given to multicultural and social justice perspectives as well. The introduction and 24 chapters in this new edition are essential reading for students and experienced practitioners interested in Buddhist psychotherapy and counseling.

A basic guide for all therapists to incorporating simple Buddhist principles for optimal therapy effectiveness. Both Western psychotherapy and the Buddhist spiritual path are journeys toward increased self-awareness, understanding, and well-being. By drawing on the Buddhist psychological teachings, Contemplative Psychotherapy provides a deeper, richer approach to client work, one that can greatly enhance and expand a clinician’s therapeutic repertoire. While much has been written recently about mindfulness in psychotherapy and the underlying theory of Buddhist psychology, no book has yet been written that explains to therapists how to apply these teachings in their day-to-day clinical work with clients. This book will answer that need. Karen Kissel Wegela, a leading practitioner and teacher of contemplative psychotherapy, eloquently walks readers through the foundational concepts of this approach and its specific clinical practices, providing lucid guidance on what Buddhist psychology means in the context of therapy work and how to practice it. As Wegela explains, five basic competencies underlie all that a contemplative therapist does: (1) being present and letting be, (2) seeing clearly and not judging, (3) recognizing and appreciating differences, (4) connecting with others and cultivating relationship, and, finally, (5) acting skillfully and letting go. Having a personal mindfulness-awareness practice helps therapists to develop these competencies, and this book offers a step-by-step description of how to establish such a practice. The book explores the nuances of contemplative therapy practice, beginning with creating genuine therapeutic relationships and learning how to recognize “brilliant sanity”—not only psychopathology—in our clients, and goes on to consider sowing the seeds of mindfulness, making skillful use of mindlessness practices, investigating emotions, cultivating compassion, and working with anger. Filled with client vignettes and practical guidance in an eminently wise, openhearted tone, Contemplative Psychotherapy Essentials makes the increasingly popular pairing of Buddhist psychology with traditional therapy accessible for any clinician, putting readers and their clients in better touch with the present moment—their bodies, emotions, and minds—for more enduring change.

Most of us, at one time or another, would like to help a friend, family member, or acquaintance through a challenging time. But do we really know how to give meaningful support and guidance? And why do our best efforts at helping others often come up short? Here is a practical guide that will be of special interest to helping professionals—and anyone who wants to make a positive difference in the lives of people they care about. To be truly helpful to others, Karen Wegela explains, we must begin by focusing on ourselves. We must develop greater awareness, steadiness of mind, fearlessness, and self-compassion. Only then can we extend these qualities to the people we’d like to help. Drawing on her experiences as a psychotherapist and on her longtime study of Buddhist meditation, Wegela emphasizes the benefits of mindfulness, or learning to become fully present in our moment-to-moment experience. Through mindfulness we develop a fearless, compassionate presence in our daily lives—and we become better listeners, take wiser actions, and give more valuable, effective guidance to the people we’d like to help.

Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom, 2nd edition, brings together experts who explore the use of ancient healing techniques from Buddhism, Christianity, Goddess, Shamanism, Taoism, and Yogic traditions as well as the mystical practices of Judaism and Islam and their application to modern counseling and therapy professions. Each chapter lays out time-tested techniques used by teachers, guides, and practitioners to facilitate psychological healing, embraces a wide variety of cultural perspectives, and offers a large, varied, and meaningful view of the world. This new edition includes added material on Islam, indigenous, and shamanic healing perspectives and practices, as well as new findings in the fields of neuropsychology and epigenetics. With its vast offerings of new treatment methods from a variety of perspectives—from therapeutic metaphors and breathing exercises to meditation and yoga techniques—this book will be of use to mental health professionals, social workers, and pastoral caregivers.

This book presents an ancient system for understanding human dynamics that can help us navigate our complex, twenty-first-century lives. Traditionally called the five wisdoms, this system describes five forms of intelligence that are inherent in all of us and that we can draw upon at any time. These are: presence, clarity, richness, passion, and action. Author Irini Rockwell explains these fundamental forms of intelligence and how we can put them to use to enhance our relationships, our work, and our creativity. Each of us has a primary form of intelligence, which we must identify and understand, but we can also learn to cultivate the other wisdoms and use them to suit our changing circumstances. Rockwell integrates useful stories and case studies to illustrate how to put the five wisdoms teachings to use in personal and professional life. Building on her first book, The Five Wisdom Energies, Rockwell offers further guidance on using the five wisdoms teachings to gain insight and boost effectiveness, with specific chapters dedicated to those working in the fields of counseling, education, and the arts.

[Headline, in boldface and/or small caps; do in 2 lines maximum] The healthier we are in body, mind, and culture, the more we can happily interact with the Spirit of Earth or Gaia, who needs our attention now. [Main text] Health, how to keep it, regain it, or even optimize it, concerns many today. But we usually think of health in personal terms, human terms. What about the health of the Earth? To be healthy rather than sick has planetary implications, and Healthy Gaians shows you ways of improving your health to help improve the planet's. Welcome to a diverse anthology of 70 articles on human health drawn from a journalistic career spanning 25 years. Here are bodywork, cancer, the immune system, vaccinations, eurythmy, chakras, Jungian psychology, intuition, conflict resolution, healing with art, music, sound, and color, singing to the dying, dreams, water rejuvenation, the poetics of the elements, near-death experiences, the purpose of evil, myth-living, and quantum-shamanic adventures. You'll get familiar with lots of natural health modalities such as herbalism, acupuncture, flower essences, and bionutrient fortification. And meet a stimulating group of health pioneers, such as R.D. Laing, William Irwin Thompson, Barbara Walker, Fred Alan Wolf, Robert Sardello, Caroline Myss, M.F.K. Fisher, Kyriacos Markides, and Rowena Kryder, among others. Each gives innovative ways to free ourselves from the ill-health constraints of body, mind, and culture as part of the larger process of becoming healthy Gaians-exactly what the planet needs from us. There are many ways to better health. The important thing is to start getting healthy so you can help the planet in its time of need. Then the Earth can start sending back the good health vibrations to you now you're back in the health loop. [Note: Be sure to note boldface two-line headline at top; this is 250 words but the book's format will be large and it will fit easily without crowding.

Birmingham has a tradition of individualism and experimentation, giving rise to a fragmented but innovative culture. This applies to the city's contemporary music scene just as it does to the rest of its cultural heritage, which explains why the Birmingham sound is hard to define. Whereas other cities are known for a certain sound, this city celebrates its diversity. In this new decade, the plethora of exciting indie bands, sick rappers and emotive singer-songwriters are surrounded by a collective of DJs, producers, promoters, venues, bloggers and vloggers who promote them. There's an agglomeration building, coalescing around the Birmingham Music Awards, whose mission is to amplify this uprising to the world. In this book, Stephen Pennell's reviews and musings shine a light on Birmingham's finest up-and-coming performers playing the city's most iconic venues, taking us on a unique journey around Birmingham's music scene.

The third edition of Approaches to Art Therapy brings together varied theoretical approaches and provides a variety of solutions to the challenge of translating theory to technique. In each chapter, the field's most eminent scholars provide a definition of and orientation to the specific theory or area of emphasis, showing its relevance to art therapy. The third edition includes many new chapters with material on a wide variety of topics including contemplative approaches, DBT, neuroscience, and mentalization while also retaining important and timeless contributions from the pioneers of art therapy. Clinical case examples and over 100 illustrations of patient artwork vividly demonstrate the techniques in practice. Approaches to Art Therapy, 3rd edition, is an essential resource in the assembly of any clinician's theoretical and technical toolbox, and in the formulation of each individual's own approach to art therapy.