I think what Christopher is doing is not ill advised. I think it is good to work with a group of meditators who agree to do the exercises. They seem to have a clear and clean contract.

However, in working with the general population of folks coming to therapy with acute or chronic problems I find it useful to meet them where they present and point from there.

For example if I were a Freudian therapist, I would not teach patients Freud’s theories. I would draw from the theory and allow it to inform my interpretations and directions. Likewise, I do not teach people who come for therapy the TSK vision, but rather allow the vision to give me a perspective from which to speak.

To give just a few simple  examples for the start of therapy;

when making some empathic comment I would not say “what a terrible thing”

I might say “what a terrible time” or “what a painful experience”. In this subtle manner I have challanged the notion of “thing” and have reframed it as “time” or “experience”, thereby layng the ground work for a gradual shift in seeing. In this bite sized manner reframes are offerred that are congruent with the TSK vision without making the vision forground. The person and their circustance remains forground and the vision shifts their way of knowing.

When talking of the person’s “self” I speak of “self concept” or “idea about your self” only to later point out that when they speak of “self” they are merely speaking of an “idea” not a fixed “thing”.

Well, I think you get the idea. I was not being critical of Christopher’s offering. I was merely sharing how TSK might be woven into more traditional psychotherapy.

Thank You

Hayward