What is Contemplative psychotherapy?
Drawing on British object relation theories and integrating Buddhist teachings on wisdom, compassion and scholarship, contemplative psychotherapy is a psycho-spiritual approach.
Core Process Psychotherapy as developed by Maura and Franklin Sills at the Karuna Institute is a Buddhist influenced psychotherapy form. At the time of training it was the only institute in Europe offering a Buddhist based psychotherapy programme, with a sister institute being Naropa in Colorado, USA. A contemporary expression of Buddhist psychology, philosophy and mindfulness practice, integrated with many areas of spirituality, psychology and psychodynamic understanding of life and suffering.
Its fundamental premise is that awareness is inherently healing. Much of clinical work is geared to initiate inquiry, by both therapist and client, into the nature of our arising sense of self in the present. It is an experiential approach that encompasses our feelings, emotions, sensations, mental processes and their expression in the body. This remains the foundation of my work with all age groups, with the provision of different interventions, and sometimes assessment tools to promote attachment understanding and trauma.