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Fall 2014 Newsletter
Our Mission:  
Enrich traditional Western psychotherapy practices through grounding in the wisdom of Buddhist psychology and meditation practices.



   
Greetings!

 

May you find support for cultivating compassion  
through our offerings in this newsletter.

  

Our website 

Friday Morning Salon Series Continues

 

The Institute is presenting a series of salons for professionals  interested in developing more skills for integrating mindfulness in their clinical practice.      

Our objective is to provide a forum for the developing  community of practitioners committed to an integrative approach to therapy.

 

Fall Salons Offerings  

Friday September 19th,  "THE MINDFUL THERAPIST"            author Dan Siegel

 

We will provide an overview of important points that could serve to focus the discussion.    

To enhance the discussion, We recommend reading or previewing the book before the event.  

 

 Facilitators: Patty Hlava, MA, LMFT, Ph.D. , Lorene Jabola, Ph.D., LMFT,  

and David Benson, MA, LMFT.

 

Check-in and registration 9:00-9:30am, salon 9:30-11:30am.

 

Cost: $30.00, students $20.0   Certificate of Attendance: For 2 hours CEUs

 

Location: Rivers' Way Meditation Center,  

                                      2637 27th Ave. S   #201,. Minneapolis, MN 55406

 

Online Pre-registration         Questions contact Merra: 612-253-5133

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Friday October 17th      "THE TRAUMA OF BEING ALIVE"  

                                                                               author Mark Epstein,

 

Facilitators: Stacy M. Husebo, MSW, LICSW, Lorene Jabola, Ph.D.,  

 

Watch for more information 

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Friday November 21th          CULTIVATING GRATITUDE,  

                                                                       featuring Patty Hlava, Ph.D.

Watch for more information   

 

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Our website will be updated with more information as we approach  

successive salons    

 

Announcing
   
Mindfulness and Psychotherapy                    
     Certificate Program
 
 

A 15-month certificate program in applied meditation, mindfulness, and Buddhist psychology in the practice of psychotherapy. The program is offered in a structured cohort format.  The evening program begins March 2015.  

For information see the Certificate Program Flyer

To apply, download the Certificate Program Application Form  

Even Dogs Eat Crumbles: Delusion and the Blues

�2014 Loren J. Mayari

 

Myself that feels like

          crumbling

                  being crumbs that

                  will be eaten

                             trampled

                             dissolved

                             dismissed

                             ignored for the

                                      non crumb

                                      the whole bread

                                      bread of life

                                                 survival

                                                 grabbed by all

                                                 all people

                                                           trying to stay alive

                                                           no matter what

                                                           the crumbs

                                                                   The dog loves

                                                                    The cat doesn't really care.

I feel like crumbling

          Or am I already crumbled

                     And my mind just deludes me

                                 To see as if I'm not

                                            A crumb

                                            crumbled.  

 

                               ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞



 

Brief review, David Benson, LMFT

 

In this article, A Secular Buddhism, Stephen Batchelor points back to the Buddha who identified ways to address suffering without setting his wisdom within a religious truth. I am reminded of simply seeing the Buddha as a physician who had skillful means for relieving suffering.   Batchelor's ideas suggest an important perspective for us to consider as we apply the wisdom of Buddhism in our healing work as psychotherapists.

 

 

A Secular Buddhism

StephenBatchelor

IndependentScholar

[email protected]

 

Research Article

Journal of Global Buddhism 13 (2012): 87-107

 

ISSN 1527-6457

https://www.upaya.org/uploads/pdfs/batchelor12.pdf 

 

Abstract

This essay explores the possibility of a complete secular redefinition of Buddhism. It argues that such a secular re-formation would go beyond modifying a traditional Buddhist school, practice or ideology to make it more compatible with modernity, but would involve rethinking the core ideas on which the very notion of "Buddhism" is based. Starting with a critical reading of the four noble truths, as presented in the Buddha's first discourse, the author proposes that instead of thinking of awakening in terms of "truths" to be understood one thinks of it in terms of "tasks" to be accomplished. Such a pragmatic approach may open up the possibility of going beyond the belief-based metaphysics of classical Indian soteriology (Buddhism 1.0) to a praxis-based, post-metaphysical vision of the dharma (Buddhism 2.0)

 

 

Offerings for Supervision and Consultation:

       

 

(please contact individually)

 

  • David Benson: MA, LMFT(consultation)                                         [email protected] 612-237-7723

               The Devoted Couple

 

Lion and gazelle see no difference as dharmas flow through them,

                         moving as one, neither need reach the other shore.

 

The devoted couple share not this primitive Samadhi

                          and the other shore seems difficult to reach.

Knowing that death should find him first, he despairs  

                          at not being there at the end of their story together.

Despite having learned how to surrender what is lost

                          death remains inscrutable.

At that time when all and each are lost,

                         surrender is also lost and even lost is lost.

 

Thus, naked and defenseless he struggles for the other shore.   

Can he just flow with the dharmas, past coming in & going out?  

 

2007 David Rygh Benson

 May your heart-minds be calm and abiding in sweetness and compassion... 

 

David Benson, MA, LMFT

Patty Hlava, MA, LMFT, PhD

Stacy M. Husebo, MSW, LICSW

Lorene Jabola, PhD, LMFT

Jil Leverone, PhD, LP

Merra Young, MSW, LICSW, LMFT

  

 

Midwest Meditation and Psychotherapy Institute Board