佛教思想对心理治疗观的影响

心理治疗的主要目的是减轻人们的心理痛苦。佛教如同任何宗教一样都有帮助人们减轻精神痛苦的作用。心理治疗源自西方的相对科学的体系,其理念重在以不同的方式帮助人们更好地适应环境,或更好地满足自己的需要。佛教中的理念引导人们应对心理痛苦的方式是接受放下,是一种人生态度。在心理治疗中渗入这一理念,会更有效地帮助来访者,至少在受佛教思想影响的中国文化背景下。本文将以心理治疗实践中的案例为例具体阐述佛教思想对心理治疗观的影响,并与心理动力学治疗和其他的心理治疗方法的一些理念进行比较。

Impact of Buddhist Principles on Philosophy of Psychotherapy

The major goal of psychotherapy is to relieve people’s psychological suffering.Buddhism like any other religions also serves to alleviate human suffering.Psychotherapy originated from the relatively scientific system in the western culture,and it emphasizes to help people better adapt to their environment or better meet their needs.Buddhist approach to cope with human suffering is to accept and let go,which is a kind of attitude toward life.It would be more effective in helping clients if this attitude is permeated psychotherapy practice,at least in the Chinese cultural background where people are more or less influenced by Buddhist thoughts.This paper will take the cases of clinical practice to illustrate how Buddhist principles affect the philosophy of psychotherapy,and try to make some comparison with the rationale of different therapies,such as psychodynamic therapy.