In this episode, Mary Treacy O’Keefe, the award-winning President of Well Within, welcomes Pilar Jennings PhD to share his insights as a researcher, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, Buddhist practitioner and author of Mixing Minds: The Power of Relationships in Psychoanalysis and Buddhism. In this fascinating interview, Jennings reveals the connections between therapy, religion, and Buddhism. Tune in to learn the “clinical applications of Buddhist meditation practices.”
Due to the recent visits from the Dalai Lama around the world, there has been a renewed interest in Buddhism. Why? What is it? And why is it so appealing to today’s society as a spiritual endeavor? “Buddhism is attractive because it doesn’t seem to come with all the trappings of a traditionalist religion. So, for people who have had a negative experience with religion in their childhood, Buddhism seems to offer a way to get the fruits without the toxic fruit,” Jennings explains. “It appeals to Westerners because it seems so grounded in logic…it’s less about blind Faith.”
Jennings examines the differences between traditional Tibetan Buddhism and the more Western idea of “Agnostic Buddhism” practices. Jennings also addresses the controversy of Buddhism as a religion that does not include a monotheistic god as a part of their devotion.
Is there a connection between the relationship one has with their therapist to the one they have with their Buddhist spiritual teacher? Jennings says, “In both relationships–if they’re healthy, functional relationships–there’s a deep sense of trust that ‘I can bring all my humanness and all that entails to this person and have it be safely received.’ And in the clinical space, that can feel deeply spiritual.” The connection between the two deepens every day. O’Keefe and Jennings talk about how mindfulness practices are integrating themselves into traditional clinical therapy.
Learn how Buddhist practices, mindfulness, and psychotherapy can help you overcome low self-esteem, depression, and live an overall better life! Tune in!