Zen and Psychotherapy

It is not uncommon for personal issues to come up in our Zen practice.  A teacher can listen, bear witness and hold space for difficult experiences and emotions that may arise during practice. If appropriate, the teacher may offer their own perspective on how best to meet life’s challenges with wisdom and compassion, and to help a student recognize their own inherent wisdom. An important part of our growth in compassion, freedom and wholeness comes through fully meeting life’s difficulties, and letting our hearts break open, within the reasonable limits of our present capacities.

Beyond this level of support, it is important to appreciate that a teacher is not a psychotherapist. Working with a psychotherapist can be a very useful adjunct to Zen practice. Some issues that come up during our practice may be explored more profitably with a therapist. Psychotherapy can help us work through painful or traumatic experiences or help us access repressed or rejected parts of ourselves.  Once these parts are recognized, owned and integrated, they can be liberated into wholeness. Zen and psychotherapy can support and potentiate each other, serving as important partners in liberating us into the fullness of life.