Buddhism and Counselling

The book is structured as a practical dialogue between Buddhism and counselling, beginning with the author’s aim to reinterpret Buddhism as a rational, experiential path for reducing mental suffering. It introduces the core Buddhist framework—especially the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, dukkha, anicca, anatta, dependent origination, mindfulness, ethics, compassion, and self-acceptance—then places these ideas beside major counselling approaches such as person-centred counselling, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and cognitive analytic therapy. Across the later chapters, the work develops a psychological reading of Buddhist concepts through discussions of perception, the self, emotions, thought patterns, projection, rejection, self-criticism, and self-esteem. The concluding section directly compares Buddhism and counselling, arguing that Buddhist practice can strengthen therapeutic work by offering a disciplined framework of non-judgement, compassion, mindfulness, ethical conduct, and acceptance, culminating in the proposal of a “therapy of compassion and self-acceptance.”