Online: Freedom From the Known – A Conversation on Buddhism and Psychotherapy
with Mark Epstein and James Shaheen
Thursday, January 12th, 2023 | 7:00pm – 9:00pm ET
Join us in celebration of the paperback edition of Epstein’s recent book, The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life, which The New York Times has called “a warm, profound and clear-eyed memoir.”
For much of his career, Dr. Epstein kept his beliefs as a Buddhist separate from his work as a psychiatrist. But as he became more forthcoming with his patients about his personal spiritual leanings, he was surprised how many of them were eager to learn more. The divisions between the psychological, emotional, and the spiritual, he soon realized, were not as distinct as one might think. In The Zen of Therapy, Dr. Epstein reflected on a year’s worth of selected sessions with his patients and observed how, in a given hour, his Buddhist background influenced his work. Western therapy can be considered a two-person meditation, he found, and mindfulness, much like a good therapist, can “hold” our awareness for us, allowing the therapeutic process to unfold, often in surprising ways.
This evening offers a chance for James Shaheen, Tricycle’s longtime editor in chief, to talk with Dr. Epstein about the ways meditation has helped, and occasionally disappointed, him in his life and work. There will be ample opportunity for questions for those interested in what it has been like to bring the worlds of Buddhism and therapy together for the first time.
To purchase a copy of The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life please visit this link.
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Teacher(s)
Mark Epstein
Mark Epstein, M.D., a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, is the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy, including Thoughts without a Thinker, Going to Pieces without Falling Apart, Going on Being, Open to Desire, Psychotherapy without the Self, The Trauma of Everyday Life and Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself. His latest work, The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life, was published in January 2022 by Penguin Press. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University.
James Shaheen
James Shaheen, Tricycle’s Editor-in-Chief, began his Buddhist practice in the mid-1990s, studying with teachers from a number of Buddhist traditions. He is particularly interested in Buddhism’s growth in the West and its applicability to Western politics, culture, and everyday life. He has been with Tricycle for nearly 25 years.