Buddhist practice and Western psychotherapy have much to offer each other. How can we apply the best of both traditions to heal the suffering of the mind? And how can we use them intentionally, knowing that neither is a panacea? Psychiatrist and Buddhist teacher Mark Epstein has written extensively about Buddhism, therapy, trauma and desire in books such as "The Trauma of Everyday Life" and "Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart," and essays including his popular Tricycle piece, “Awakening with Prozac.” In this event, he sits down with bestselling novelist Anne Lamott, whose work explores themes including loss, addiction and faith, and her husband Neal Allen, a coach who studies and practices contemporary and spiritual traditions. Allen’s book "Shapes of Truth: Discover God Inside You," comes out in May. Together, they discuss the sometimes complicated intersection of dharma practice and therapy, and consider how Eastern and Western approaches can work together to support us on the path to mental health and well-being. 

This talk was recorded on April 27, 2021 as a part of Tricycle's 30th Anniversary celebration—a monthlong series of donation-based virtual events celebrating thirty years of dharma in the West. Learn more and sign up today at https://tricycle.org/30th-anniversary/

Links mentioned:
Anne Lamott's book: https://www.amazon.com/Dusk-Night-Daw...
Neal Allen's site: https://www.shapesoftruth.com/
Mark Epstein's book: https://www.amazon.com/Advice-Not-Giv...
Mark's Tricycle article, "Awakening with Prozac": https://tricycle.org/magazine/awakeni...
Winnicott paper, "Hate in the Counter-Transference": https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

Tricycle links:
30th Anniversary: https://tricycle.org/30th-anniversary/
Tricycle: https://tricycle.org
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