Expert Insights '23 - How Secular Buddhism & Contemplative Practices Can Deepen Our Assessment & Per

Abstract

This talk will begin by reviewing some of the primary tenets of Buddhism, including mindfulness and the other four Brahmaviharas (noble virtues): compassion, metta (loving kindness), empathic joy, and equanimity. Current developments in neuroscience that help illuminate the therapeutic potential of mindfulness will be explained. We will discuss how understanding and cultivating the Brahmaviharas can deepen our clinical assessments of patients and enhance our own personal development, particularly by focusing on what mindfulness can reveal about our relationships with suffering, addiction, and the body. We will discuss how mindfulness can facilitate resiliency and vitality for both clinicians and those they treat. Clinical and personal examples will be provided.

Presenter

Heather Churchill | Austen Riggs Center