Presence in the Face of Unwelcome Uncertainty and Insecurity
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Personal insecurity is a common presenting issue among psychotherapy clients, typically understood as a clinical issue. A Buddhist perspective, which begins with the recognition of the universality of suffering, indicates a perspective that offers alternative pathways to meet and overcome this source of distress in both our clients and ourselves. This talk outlines how adopting the perspective of the universality of suffering assists clinicians in engaging their own painful experience during the practice of psychotherapy, with the effect of increasing clinicians’ capacity for engaging and alleviating the suffering of clients. This mutuality and interpenetration of experience is argued to be the essence of therapeutic presence.
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Paul R. Fulton is a clinical psychologist, part time Lecturer in Psychology at Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, co-founder, and former president of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, course director for IMP’s year-long Certificate Program in Mindfulness & Psychotherapy. A student of Buddhist psychology for over 47 years, he received Zen jukai initiation in Soto Zen in 1972. He is co-editor and co-author of Mindfulness and Psychotherapy and contributing author to a number of other volumes. He is in private practice of psychotherapy in Newton, MA