The images in the slideshow (just above) are a selection from my online gallery, Delany Dean Photography. If you'd like to see the images in full-screen mode, just roll your mouse over the slide show image, and click on the box on the lower-right corner.
I'd be delighted if you'd stop by my gallery, and look around.
This day at the MBSR Conference began at 6am, with a little more than an hour of meditation with Saki Santorelli (mostly sitting meditation, and some walking meditation). It was an early rising after a very long day, yesterday; but lovely to sit with this particular group of people. After breakfast, we heard a truly fantastic keynote talk given by Marsha Linehan, the great psychologist and pioneer of mindfulness-based interventions in psychotherapy. I am a fan of hers from way back, in the late '70s, when her Dialectical Behavior Therapy began to be known as the best, most effective form of treatment for patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (back in those years, I spent a whole lot of time working with Borderline patients in hospital settings, and later in outpatient settings). Marsha, along with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Jeff Schwartz, each came to the understanding (and passionate belief) that the practice of meditation could bring relief to various kinds of suffering within the realm of medical and other psychiatric care. It took amazing creativity, nerve, and perseverance for them to take their ideas, turn them into clinically feasible and effective interventions, and do the research that demonstrated their effectiveness. Not a one of these three individuals has had a smooth pathway, either...
What I learned today about Marsha Linehan, that I had not known before, is that before she ever did any Zen training, she was a Catholic spiritual director. She was well-versed in the teachings and disciplines of Christian contemplative practices; and her choice to use a secularized Zen approach in teaching meditation to psychiatric patients arose out of a need to make the core interventions (mindfulness and acceptance) approachable to people from a wide variety of religious (or not religious) affiliations and backgrounds. As it turns out, she felt (and I agree) that the Buddhist versions of contemplative practice are not overly freighted with religious concepts that might cause many people problems (although of course that, in itself, can give rise to problems in the other direction...).
There were more research and practice-oriented presentations all day today; tonight, poster session, cocktails, dinner, and a dance.
Goodness, TSC! So many syllables!! Are you trying to say something to me, to someone else, or to yourself? Not sure what your comment has to do with my post, but I decided to publish it anyhow, since it appears you really are a blogger and possibly you were trying... to express a thought about my post???
I, for one, have no imaginary friends. And I don't encourage psychotherapy clients to create imaginary friends, or to feed and water any that they already harbor...
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Meditation: Research:What is the current scientific research concerning the potential benefits of practicing meditation?
Mindfulness-Based Wellness:This describes a program that integrates Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with values-based goal setting; it has been beneficial in helping people to make changes related to their wellness.
My Curriculum Vitae:The basic c.v. (i.e., what have I been up to, all my working life?)
Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Evil:This is a separate page because it could justifiably be placed in at least three of the other pages (”Psychology,” “Law… Forensic Psychology,” and “Bullying”). Maybe even in the “Religion” page.
Poetry, Quotes, and Commentary:Some of my favorite poetry (sometimes with my comments); and some short sections of prose quotations (also with occasional commentary).
Religion, Science, and Atheism:There are sections on: Catholicism; Buddhism; The “Church” of Scientology; Atheism/Science; Meaning; and Miscellaneous Topics
What Are: MBSR and MBCT?: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
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DEL.ICIO.US LINKS
Resources for Mindfulness Training and Practice
For more information (books, audio, video, and pages) about mindfulness meditation (also known as “insight meditation” or “Vipassana”), see my private practice website: KC Mindfulness.
I think the sycophantic fawning of religiousity creates a diversion from the client's issues and fosters dependency on imaginary friends.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, TSC! So many syllables!! Are you trying to say something to me, to someone else, or to yourself? Not sure what your comment has to do with my post, but I decided to publish it anyhow, since it appears you really are a blogger and possibly you were trying... to express a thought about my post???
ReplyDeleteI, for one, have no imaginary friends. And I don't encourage psychotherapy clients to create imaginary friends, or to feed and water any that they already harbor...