Books & Articles About Psychotherapy
Co-Editor Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy
Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy offers mental health professionals of all disciplines and orientations the most comprehensive and complete introduction to the art of integrating contemplative psychology, ethics, and practices including mindfulness, compassion, and embodiment techniques. It brings together clinicians, scholars, activists and thought leaders of unprecedented caliber, featuring some of the most eminent pioneers in the rapidly growing field of contemplative psychotherapy and psychosocial change. The book’s contributor list reads like a who’s who of leading voices in contemplative psychology, pioneers in contemplative approaches to social justice, eminent scholars, neuropsychologists and master teachers of Buddhist practice including: Robert Thurman, Lama Rod Owens, Daniel Siegel, Tara Brach, Kamilah Majied, Paul Fulton, Sharon Salzberg, Jan Willis, Rick Hanson, Christopher Germer, Dr. Nida Chenagstang and Pilar Jennings.
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Co-Editor Compassion-Based Resilience Training Student Manual
The student manual is the main teaching tool for the CBRT program offered by the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science. It is used in both the 8-week CBRT groups as well as the 8-month CBRT Teacher Training. I worked as the managing editor for the revised edition.
Articles
CBRT
Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT): A Contemplative Therapeutic Intervention for Self-Regulation and Cultivating Loving Intimate Relationships. In J. Loizzo, F. Brandon, M. Neale, & E. Wolf (Eds.). Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy: Accelerating Healing and Transformation (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Here is an excerpt from my chapter: “The majority of individuals and couples that I work with are unaware of the stress and dysregulation that their negative sense of self creates in regards to their perception of themselves and how in turn this affects their intimate relationships. They are innocent to the ways in which we bring a frightened, shame-based, and chronically stressed part of ourselves into our relationships. And they are unaware how, more often than not, we unconsciously react from this part of ourself in response to an exchange or experience with our intimate partner. Unless more mature ways of relating are modeled to us over the course of our emotional development, and more developed defenses are consolidated to navigate relational difficulties, our negative sense of self—like a child—will continue to consciously or unconsciously seek security, love, and emotional regulation from external sources. There is little understanding that love and security can also be sourced and regulated internally.”
Magically Human
Magically Human. In A Moving Journal, Vol. 13.1, Spring 2006
Here is an excerpt from my article: “The key to the transformative healing process is - play is fun. In a seemingly magical way, the life-enhancing emotions (joy and interest) modulate and transform the emotions of crisis.” (Chodorow, p.6) During Authentic Movement, I do not try to control anything; I let myself play. The images that then arise help to soothe… confusion and frustrations…I also do not try to pin down the image by using psychological language, as I do not want to “reduce the imaginal to the conceptual, and in doing so keep out of relation to what we do not yet fully know.” (Watkins, p.137) I relish being in a place where I can do no wrong. My psyche drinks deeply of this energetic way of being because it balances my psyche’s more discerning yang qualities.”