Zen and the Art of Psychotherapy | Mark Epstein, MD

The Doctor's Art

What is the intersection between psychotherapy and Buddhism? For decades, Mark Epstein, MD, a practicing Buddhist and psychiatrist, has deeply explored how Buddhist philosophy can be integrated into therapy to help patients heal from trauma. His key insight is that Buddhism grants us the wisdom to reshape our relationships with our personal stories, through which we conceptualize and contextualize our emotions and identities. Dr. Epstein is the author of Thoughts Without a Thinker, The Trauma of Everyday Life, Advice Not Given, The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life, and other books. Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Epstein shares how he discovered Buddhist meditative and mindfulness practices during his formative years, how he helps patients reframe their understanding of suffering, and what it's like to be allowed into the most vulnerable, intricate, and even spiritual spaces in the minds and hearts of other people.

In this episode, we discuss:

2:12 - Dr. Epstein’s reluctant path to medicine after growing up as the child of a doctor

10:08 - The lessons Buddhism has taught Dr. Esptein about himself and his relationships with others and the world

17:12 - Differences between “medical materialists” and “medical humanists”

19:33 - How Dr. Epstein’s humanistic views of medicine have affected his approach to treating patients

23:45 - An overview of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis

28:12 - How Dr. Epstein’s approach to working with patients differs from other psychiatrists due to Buddhist influences

36:54 - The extent to which Dr. Epstein’s patients are aware of the source of his approach and techniques

39:42 - How Dr. Epstein grapples with the high stakes involved when treating the mental suffering of his patients

46:12 - Dr. Epstein’s advice for medical students and clinicians on managing the mental distress of patients

Dr. Mark Epstein is the author of many books, including:

The Zen of Therapy (2022)

Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself (2018)

The Trauma of Everyday Life (2013)

Going On Being (2008)

Psychotherapy Without the Self,Open to Desire (2008)

Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart (1998)

Thoughts Without a Thinker(1995)

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