PsycheVisual.com, Geoff Dawson, Spirituality, Buddhism, mindfulness, equanimity, compassion, separateness, existential narcissism, compassionate neutrality

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Symposium on Spirituality: Buddhism
Geoff Dawson

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Spirituality in Buddhism is synonymous with the human qualities of loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity which are all expansive states of mind that connect us to something larger than ourselves. By contrast, what blocks this natural expression of our true self is the constriction of separateness that is symptomatic of existential narcissism. Buddhism is not exactly a religion in the Western sense of the term as it makes no reference to a God. It is more like a form of spiritual psychology that outlines the causes of our existential narcissism and how we can transform it. One of the central aspects of Buddhist practice is mindful meditation and its benefits have now become widely researched and applied to the psychotherapeutic setting. The practice of mindfulness is at the core of cultivating loving kindness, compassion joy and equanimity, not only for the patient/client but for the therapist as well. Therapists who have undergone extensive mindfulness practice are able to hold the therapeutic space more effectively through increasing their distress tolerance and maintaining an equilibrium of compassionate neutrality. This enables the client to enter into the present moment of their own suffering and stay with it in a sustained way that is healing for themselves. As they progress along the path of emotional regulation it also assists them to experience more of these positive emotional states as well.

WORLD DREAMING: WORLD CONGRESS FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY
24-28 August 2011 Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Darling Harbour, Australia.
Visit The World Council for Psychotherapy at http://www.worldpsyche.org

Geoff Dawson

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TITLE	SPEAKER	DURATION
Symposium on Spirituality: Buddhism	Geoff Dawson	19'58"
Symposium on Spirituality: Buddhism	Geoff Dawson
Symposium on Spirituality: Buddhism	Geoff Dawson

Geoff Dawson

Geoff Dawson is a clinical psychologist and Zen Buddhist teacher – a Dharma Successor to Charlotte Joko Beck and teacher in the Ordinary Mind Zen School in Sydney and Melbourne. He is also a psychologist and psychotherapist in private practice in North Sydney. Geoff has a long-standing interest in the area of Buddhism and Psychotherapy and has presented at many conferences and published papers in this area.