Application of Buddhism in Western Psychology

[junpei]

This just arrived in our inbox -

Dear Venerable Reverend Genshin,

We are honoured to invite you to take part along with professionals from all over the world to participate in the 1st Conference on Practical Application of Buddhism in Western Psychology.

The idea has been conceived in the minds of different people such as psychotherapists, psychiatrists, translators, business people and practicing Buddhists who have come together to create a forum for a cross-discipline discussion on important issues based on certain Buddhist techniques such as mindfulness and contemplative approach to psychotherapy, health care, self-development and organisations. And now it is the right time to put in order all these ideas, and that is why the present Conference is being held.

Mindfulness can be defined as non-judgmental moment-to-moment awareness. There is emerging scientific evidence supporting this great Buddhist insight about the benefits of allowing experiences rather than suppressing or avoiding them in Western psychotherapy and applied psychology.

Certain Buddhist techniques have already been incorporated in modern-day psychological interventions and psychotherapies; for example: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Contemplative Psychotherapy.

The Conference is meant to be the platform of inspiration for scientific research, workshops, and training programmes on mindfulness and other Buddhist techniques. That is why the term practical application has been used instead of theoretical and philosophical concepts of psychology and Buddhism.

The Conference has been organised by the Polish Mindfulness Association.

DATE: November 26 - 28, 2008

VENUE: Warsaw, Poland

Speakers:

§ James Low, PhD (International R.D. Laing Institute, St. Gallen, Switzerland; NHS, UK)

§ Alexander Berzin, PhD (Berzin Archives, Berlin, Germany)

§ Philip Weber, MD (Menla Contemplative Healing)

§ Christoph Klonk, MD (Menla Contemplative Healing)

§ William Karelis, (Shambhala Prison Community)

§ Andrew Twardon, PhD (Center for Intensive Treatment of Personality Disorders, St.Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, New York City, USA; Psychology Department, Graduate Faculty, New School for Social Research, New York City, USA)

§ Anna Twardon, MA (Brooklyn Psychiatric Center, Downtown Clinic, New York City, USA; Apres-Coup Psychoanalytic Association, New York City, USA)

§ Kishore Chandiramani, MD, PhD (Harplands Hospital, Stoke on Trent - part of the North Staffordshire University Hospital, Staffordshire, UK)

§ Dennis Morbin, MEd (University of Northern Virginia, Prague, Czech Republic)

§ Linda Myoki Lehrhaupt, PhD (Institute for Mindfulness and Stress Reduction, Bedburg, Germany)

§ Wojciech Eichelberger, MA (Psychoimmunology Institute, Warsaw, Poland)

§ Andrzej Kokoszka, MD, PhD (Warsaw Medical University, 2nd Psychiatric Clinic, Psychotherapy Centre, Warsaw, Poland)

§ Tanna Jakubowicz-Mount, MA (Independent Mental Health Care Professional, Warsaw, Poland)

§ Paweł Holas, MD, PhD (Warsaw Medical University, 2nd Psychiatric Clinic, Psychotherapy Centre, Warsaw, Poland)

§ Igor Pietkiewicz, PhD (School of Medicine, Jagiellonian University, Poland)

§ Joanna Różycka, PhD (Institute of Psychology, Gdansk University, Poland)

Under the auspices of:

Warsaw School of Social Psychology and Warsaw University of Warsaw

E-mail: [e-mail]
_____________________________________________________________________________________
CONTACT INFO:

Julia E. Wahl, E-mail: [e-mail], Phone # [phone])______________________________________________________________________________________